Last week, a coalition of teachers, parents and state education associations brought a legal challenge against one of Montana’s two new charter school laws. The complaint laid out a string of arguments alleging that House Bill 562 violates the Montana Constitution in its use of taxpayer funds to support charters and the exemption it grants those schools from compliance with existing teacher licensing and school quality regulations.
The lawsuit came as little surprise to anyone, and not just because one of the plaintiffs — the Montana Quality Education Coalition — announced its intentions last month. Debate over the likelihood of litigation came up throughout the bill’s bumpy road to passage in the 2023 Legislature. When HB 562 first appeared on the Senate floor during the final days of the session, a majority of the chamber resisted, voting the measure down 23-27. When they revived the issue two days later, Senate Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick acknowledged the constitutionality questions hanging over the bill.
“We should pass the bill, let the court decide whether it’s valid or not, because this issue’s going to come around forever and ever and ever,” Fitzpatrick told his Republican colleagues during a pre-vote caucus meeting April 28.
Despite repeated warnings of the possibility of a lawsuit — one that would inevitably cost the state money — HB 562 cleared its second Senate attempt 28-22.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Sue Vinton, R-Billings, was less than shocked by the events of this week. Speaking with Montana Free Press last week, Vinton framed the lawsuit as an “unfortunate” but foreseeable response from HB 562’s opponents.
“They can’t win in public opinion or at the Legislature, so they go to the courts,” she said.
As far as the public opinion argument goes, those opponents beg to differ, pointing to the latest messaging logs on HB 562 from the Legislative Services Division: 574 public messages for, 2,030 against. Even so, lawmakers opted to take a chance on the law, as did Gov. Greg Gianforte. Now, as predicted, the question of its constitutionality falls to the third branch of Montana’s government to resolve.
LATEST STORIES
How will rural Americans fare during Medicaid unwinding? Experts fear they’re on their own
A lack of access to navigators in rural locales to help Medicaid enrollees keep their coverage or find other insurance if they’re no longer eligible could exacerbate the difficulties rural residents face.
New voices join Montana’s charter school lawsuit
Three intervenors joined the ongoing litigation over House Bill 562 this week, arguing that the currently blocked law is critical to their plans to open specialized choice schools in their communities.
State advises anglers not to eat fish caught in 48-mile stretch of Yellowstone River
Nearly three months after a Montana Rail Link train derailed near Reed Point, releasing 419,000 pounds of asphalt into the Yellowstone River, state agencies began advising anglers this week not to eat any fish caught on a nearly 50-mile stretch of the river.