The 2019 Montana Legislature has adopted rules preventing legislative staff from publishing legal review notes, which flag issues with potentially unconstitutional bills, except on specific request by bill sponsors.
Montana Free Press believes these legal review notes serve an important purpose by giving legislators, and the public, a heads-up that a bill may have constitutional issues. Removing the legal review notes from the Legislature’s website limits transparency and public access. The notes continue to be a matter of public record and, as such, reporters at the Capitol will continue to have access to them.
Montana Free Press is requesting legal notes on weekly basis and making them available for readers on this page. For more on the issue, read our coverage here and here.
Total number of legal review notes as of March 26, 2019:
22
March 26, 2019
HB 658 Legal Review Note
Bill: Generally revise healthcare laws and permanently expand Medicaid
Sponsor: Rep. Ed Buttrey, R-Great Falls
HB 692 Legal Review Note
Bill: Provide tax exemption for property taxes if no child enrolled in public schools
Sponsor: Rep. Greg DeVries, R-Jefferson City
HB 735 Legal Review Note
Bill: Revise campus free speech laws
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Hopkins, R-Missoula
HB 770 Legal Review Note
Bill: Provide for the legalization of recreational marijuana
Sponsor: Rep. Thomas Winter, D-Missoula
Feb. 27, 2019
HB 598 Legal Review Note
Bill: Revising licensing and oversight entity for medical marijuana testing labs
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Hopkins, R-Missoula
HB 594 Legal Review Note
Bill: Requiring country of origin label on beef, pork
Sponsor: Rep. Bradley Maxon Hamlett, D-Cascade
Feb. 21, 2019
HB 484 Legal Review Note
Bill: Revise laws related to the voter information pamphlet and judicial candidates
Sponsor: Bob Brown, R-Thompson Falls
HB 496 Legal Review Note
Bill: Revise telecommunication siting laws
Sponsor: Rep. David Dunn, R-Kalispell
HB 498 Legal Review Note
Bill: Allow probationers and parolees to use medical marijuana
Sponsor: Rep. Jade Bahr, D-Billings
HB 500 Legal Review Note
Bill: Adopt Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act
Sponsor: Rep. Lola Sheldon-Galloway, R-Great Falls
HB 541 Legal Review Note
Bill: Revise immunization notification requirements
Sponsor: Rep. Kathy Kelker, D-Billings
HB 577 Legal Review Note
Bill: Establish protections for gun possession and purchase in Medical Marijuana Act
Sponsor: Rep. Daniel Zolnikov, R-Billings
SB 265 Legal Review Note
Bill: Generally revise medical marijuana laws
Sponsor: Sen. Tom Jacobson, D-Great Falls
SB 284 Legal Review Note
Bill: Revise required disclosures on election material about candidate’s voting record
Sponsor: Sen. Jenn Gross, D-Billings
SB 300 Legal Review Note
Bill: Generally revise property laws to protect property rights
Sponsor: Sen. Kenneth Bogner, R-Miles City
SB 301 Legal Review Note
Bill: Provide county commissioners must approve public road closures
Sponsor: Sen. Jason D Small, R-Busby
Feb. 13, 2019
HB 445 Legal Review Note
Bill: Generally revise medical marijuana laws
Sponsor: Rep. Mary Ann Dunwell, D-Helena
SB 206 Legal Review Note
Bill: Revise the labeling and marketing of certain ag products
Sponsor: Sen. Albert Olszewski, R-Kalispell
Feb. 6, 2019
HB 381 Legal Review Note
Bill: Revise THC limit in industrial hemp
Sponsor: Rep. David Dunn, R-Kalispell
SB 201 Legal Review Note
Bill: Revise requirements to hold a mining permit
Sponsor: Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip
Jan. 25, 2019
HB 139 Legal Review Note
Bill: Generally revise disclosures on the face of campaign material
Sponsor: Rep. Kimberly Dudik, D-Missoula
SB 87 Legal Review Note
Bill: Requiring the University System to report on student loans
Sponsor: Sen. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell