The Montana Federation of Public Employees and other university affiliates are suing the state over four bills Gov. Greg Gianforte signed into law, including one that bans transgender women and girls from competing in interscholastic sports.
The state’s largest union for public employees announced late Thursday afternoon it will challenge four bills for allegedly infringing on the constitutional authority of the public higher education officials on the Montana Board of Regents.
Faculty and student groups; former regents and commissioners of higher education; and individual faculty members and students have also signed onto the suit.
The policies in question allow for concealed carry of guns on college campuses, deal with free speech on campuses, regulate student political organizations and ban transgender women and girls from competing in K-12 and college sports.
While the gun law is also being challenged by the Board of Regents, this is the first legal challenge to the other three laws.
Editors note: Some Montana Public Radio and Yellowstone Public Radio employees are members of MFPE.
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