Montana Legislature

Landlords could have an easier time canceling some contracts with renters under a proposal in the state Legislature. The policy is designed to speed up the eviction of tenants who refuse to let a landlord access property.

A policy to restrict health care for transgender youth has been revived in the Montana Legislature after failing to pass two years ago. More than 100 people testified on the merits of the bill during a marathon hearing Friday.

Supporters say a measure before Montana lawmakers could help fill health care gaps in rural areas in particular, while opponents worry it would give pharmacists physician-like authority without the same education.

Gov. Greg Gianforte delivered his second State of the State address Wednesday night in front of a joint session of the Montana Legislature. Montana Public Radio’s Shaylee Ragar, Ellis Juhlin and Corin Cates-Carney broke down the governor’s remarks and Democrats' response.

House Bill 8 would authorize state loans for local projects and use the coal-severance tax, or taxes collected on coal mined in Montana, to back those loans.

Stromswold resigned two weeks into the 68th Montana Legislature citing logistical challenges and backlash from the state Republican Party when she voted apart from the majority. In a conversation with Montana Public Radio’s Shaylee Ragar, Stromswold recounts her experience in the Statehouse, why she left and what she hopes for future lawmakers.

State agencies have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars defending laws passed by the 2021 Legislature in court. Gov. Greg Gianforte wants an additional $2.6 million to bolster the Montana Department of Justice’s legal defense.

The life cycle of legislation is just getting started. The mechanics of public power are sorting and sifting policy — and much of that work starts with the building of relationships.

Montana officials are looking to tighten rules around medically necessary abortions for those who use Medicaid as their health insurance. Reproductive health advocates and Democratic lawmakers have said the move is part of a broader agenda to whittle away access to the procedure.

State lawmakers are considering proposals to make it easier for professionals with out-of-state licenses to work in Montana. But lawmakers, behavioral health advocates, and providers say the need for health care workers is so great, they doubt that lowering barriers for out-of-state practitioners will be enough.