Montana Freedom Caucus' 2025 Legislative Session Update - January 15, 2025
Vote Recommendations on Key Bills, Links, and Other Useful Information
TOP ACTION ITEM: (HB-121) Women’s Rights (No men in women’s bathrooms) Scheduled for Second Reading 1/15/2025
The following bills are positions taken by the Freedom Caucus. Each comes with a recommendation to vote YES or NO, and the bill number for each is a hyperlink allowing you to do your own research. All bills are aligned to the caucus’ 10 priorities as dictated by YOU the voter.
#1 - Reforming the Judicial System
HB35 - Allocating judicial standards commission to the Department of Justice - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Fiona Nave
SB45 - Create a judicial performance evaluation commission and system- Recommend YES - Sponsor is Tom McGillvray
SB48 - Generally revise laws relating to Judicial Standards Commission complaints - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Carl Glimm
SB38 - Generally revise laws relating to attorney fees and prevailing parties for veto overrides - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Greg Hertz
SB39 - Generally revise attorney fee awards - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Greg Hertz
SB40 - Revise supreme court public records laws by opening deliberations and files to the public - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Greg Hertz
HB30 - Requiring the Supreme Court to apply a burden of proof for challenge to constitutionality of legislative act - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Lee Deming
SB21 - Allowing legislative and executive leadership to vacate a writ of mandamus - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Barry Usher
HB65 - Audit State Bar of Montana - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Lee Deming
SB14 - Audit Office of Disciplinary Council - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Barry Usher
SB31 - IOLTA Bill providing Interest back to client - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Barry Usher (AN ACT PROVIDING OPTIONS FOR THE HANDLING OF INTEREST ON ATTORNEY TRUST ACCOUNTS; AND PROVIDING THAT PARTICIPATION IN THE INTEREST ON LAWYER TRUST ACCOUNT PROGRAM IS VOLUNTARY)
SB13 - Remove Supreme Court original jurisdiction for ballot review - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Daniel Emrich
SB16 - Allowing legislative committees to find contempt for violation of legislative subpoena - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Mark Noland
SB41 - Requiring substitution of district court judges by random selection - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Mark Noland
SB49 - Exempt lawyers serving in certain public offices from professional disciplinary measure and proceedings for actions taken while in office - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Barry Usher
HB36 - Disallowing judge to serve as chair of judicial standards commission- Recommend YES - Sponsor is Fiona Nave
HB39 - Repeal law disallowing parties from contributing to judicial candidates - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Tom Millett
SB15 - Revising grounds for impeachment - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Tom McGillvray
SB52 - Create Montana Court of Chancery - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Tom McGillvray
SB42 - Provide for the partisan election of judges and justices - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Daniel Emrich
SB66 - Generally revise definitions relating to the judiciary - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Mark Noland
HB52 - Generally revising administrative procedure laws relating to agency deference - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Lee Deming
SB92 - Generally revise eligibility requirements to practice law in Montana - Recommend YES - Sponsor is John Fuller
#2 - Safeguarding Elections
SB91 - Require citizenship marker on driver's license and identification cards - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Theresa Manzella (Senate Judiciary heard testimony 1/15/25)
LC1848 - Constitutional amendment regarding qualified elector to require that only a citizen can vote - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Theresa Manzella
#3 - Stopping The Obama Medicaid Expansion
#4 - Cutting the State Budget
SB94 - Generally revise public sector unions law - Recommend YES - Sponsor is John Fuller (No lobbying allowed by public sector unions on taxpayer time)
#5 - Banning Centralized Bank Digital Currencies and Environmental Social Governance
#6 - Reducing Property Taxes
Senate Bill to come from Carl Glimm.
#7 - Banning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) programs
LC1642 - An Act Eliminating Gender and Racial Balancing for Appointments by Boards, Commissions, Committees, and Councils of State Government - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Caleb Hinkle
#8 - Defending the Guard
#9 - Expanding Protections on Life
#10 - Illegal Immigration
LC1641 - Provide for prosecution of state crimes for persons subject to federal immigration detention - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Caleb Hinkle
Key Links:
Bill Explorer - Includes means to filter, track, and export. However, it is not as good as it was two years ago.
Educational Articles:
Worst Vote of the Day:
External Organizations
Our Legislative Litmus Test Applied to All Bills
Top Ten Legislative Priorities
Montana Freedom Caucus Press Links
https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/gianforte-provides-state-of-the-state-democrats-freedom-caucus-respond
https://www.montanarightnow.com/news/state/state-of-the-state-is-strong-but-gianforte-says-work-is-far-from-over/article_7c8cefc4-02a6-56f9-8221-a045692928ae.html
https://www.mtpr.org/montana-news/2025-01-14/in-his-state-of-the-state-gianforte-lays-out-priorities-says-hes-ready-to-work
https://montanafreepress.org/2025/01/13/montana-governor-says-cut-taxes-hammers-social-issues-in-state-of-state-address/
https://helenair.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/photos-gov-gianforte-delivers-his-third-state-of-the-state-address/collection_f8edf0a0-d22d-11ef-b16f-3f2bac011d08.html
https://missoulacurrent.com/state-gianforte-budget/
I am confused and concerned about the division of the Republican party. NOTHING will be accomplished if this gap and descension continues. I do not support disconnecting from the conservative party to attempt to force negotiations in good faith. Please try to find a way to work together to stop this embarrassment and harm to the Republican party and our state and its citizens. Thank you, Rebecca Kimmet Cut Bank