Montana Freedom Caucus' 2025 Legislative Session Update - January 23, 2025 (Thursday)
Vote Recommendations on Key Bills, Links, and Other Useful Information PLEASE SHARE WIDELY
HB30 - Requiring the Supreme Court to apply a burden of proof for challenge to constitutionality of legislative act - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Lee Deming (Second reading Jan 23 on House Floor)
HB35 - Allocating judicial standards commission to the Department of Justice - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Fiona Nave (Second reading Jan 23 on House Floor)
HB36 - Disallowing judge to serve as chair of judicial standards commission- Recommend YES - Sponsor is Fiona Nave (Second reading Jan 23 on House Floor)
HB65 - Audit State Bar of Montana - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Lee Deming (Second reading Jan 23 on House Floor)
SB13 - Remove Supreme Court original jurisdiction for ballot review - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Daniel Emrich (Second reading Jan 23 on Senate Floor)
SB92 - Generally revise eligibility requirements to practice law in Montana - Recommend YES - Sponsor is John Fuller (Second reading Jan 23 on Senate Floor)
SB31 - IOLTA Bill providing Interest back to client - Recommend YES - Jan 23, 8 am, Room 303 (Priority #1) (Lawyers can’t use interest on client fees to fund political activity)
HB215 - An Act Eliminating Gender and Racial Balancing for Appointments by Boards, Commissions, Committees, and Councils of State Government - Recommend YES - Jan 28, 8 am, Room 137 (No gender affirmative action)
HB214 - Provide for prosecution of state crimes for persons subject to federal immigration detention - Recommend YES - Jan 28, 8 am, Room 137 (Illegal aliens, when caught, are released to ICE and released into the country without charges; this allows the state to arrest and detain)
HB30 - Requiring the Supreme Court to apply a burden of proof for challenge to constitutionality of legislative act - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Lee Deming
HB35 - Allocating judicial standards commission to the Department of Justice - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Fiona Nave
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 (Passed out of the house 1/15/2025)
HB52 - Generally revising administrative procedure laws relating to agency deference - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Lee Deming
HB65 - Audit State Bar of Montana - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Lee Deming
SB13 - Remove Supreme Court original jurisdiction for ballot review - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Daniel Emrich
SB14 - Audit Office of Disciplinary Council - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Barry Usher
SB15 - Revising grounds for impeachment - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Tom McGillvray
SB21 - Allowing legislative and executive leadership to vacate a writ of mandamus - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Barry Usher
SB31 - IOLTA Bill providing Interest back to client - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Barry Usher
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
SB41 - Requiring substitution of district court judges by random selection - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Mark Noland
SB42 - Provide for the partisan election of judges and justices - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Daniel Emrich
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
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
SB52 - Create Montana Court of Chancery - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Tom McGillvray
SB66 - Generally revise definitions relating to the judiciary - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Mark Noland
SB92 - Generally revise eligibility requirements to practice law in Montana - Recommend YES - Sponsor is John Fuller
SB91 - Require citizenship marker on driver's license and identification cards - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Theresa Manzella
SB185 - Constitutional amendment regarding qualified elector to require that only a citizen can vote - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Theresa Manzella
SB94 - Generally revise public sector unions law - Recommend YES - Sponsor is John Fuller (No lobbying allowed by public sector unions on taxpayer time)
SB90 - SB 90: Redistribute certain state tax revenue to primary residence property tax relief - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Carl Glimm
HB215 - An Act Eliminating Gender and Racial Balancing for Appointments by Boards, Commissions, Committees, and Councils of State Government - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Caleb Hinkle
HB214 - Provide for prosecution of state crimes for persons subject to federal immigration detention - Recommend YES - Sponsor is Caleb Hinkle
Bill Explorer - Includes means to filter, track, and export. However, it is not as good as it was two years ago.
Other Bills of Interest:
SB130 - Revising the Recall Public Officer Act
SB129- Revise voter registration laws to include party preference
HB181 - Allows Patrols Officers to Make Arrests or Serve Warrants on Capitol Grounds (3rd Reading, 23 January)
SB127 - Allows defendants who use force justifiably to recoup out of pocket costs and attorney fees
SB50 - Generally revise laws related to child abuse and neglect investigations