House Committee 

What: SB 534, Constitutional amendment on redistricting

Position: OPPOSE

When: Monday, April 17 @ 8 am

Where: (H) Judiciary

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SB-534: Constitutional amendment on redistricting

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2023-04-17 08:00 AM - (H) Judiciary

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Talking Points:

·         Takes away the tools that the Supreme Court has upheld to overrule gerrymandering of legislative districts by packing some party voters into fewer districts than their numbers reflect in the state overall.

Passed House 30-20

House Committee 

What: HB 971, Revise environmental policy act

Position: OPPOSE

When: Monday, April 17 @ 3 pm

Where: (H) Natural Resources

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HB-971: Revise environmental policy act

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2023-04-17 03:00 PM - (H) Natural Resources

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Talking Points:

·         HB 971 is the Legislature's nuclear bomb solution to inconveniences brought by the Montana Environmental Protection Act (MEPA).

·        HB 971 would repeal the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) for significant projects that could harm our environment and climate if the Montana Supreme Court were to ever find that Montanans' right to a clean and healthful environment requires state agencies to consider climate impacts.

Senate Committee

 What:  HB 562 - Authorizes establishment of “community choice” schools , (which is a fancy way of saying charter schools) 

Position: OPPOSE

When: Monday, April 17th @ 3pm

Where: Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee - Room 422 - Sign up to testify or submit written comment

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HB-562: Authorize establishment of community choice  schools

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2023-04-17 03:00 PM - (S) Education and Cultural Resources

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Talking Points:

• Access to public education is a constitutional right. This bill will undermine and underfund our public schools. 
• This will have a negative impact on funding for local public schools.
• Charter schools or “community choice” schools do not serve urban and rural students equally and charter schools or “community choice” schools have been shown to underserved students with disabilities and special needs.
• exempts charter school teachers from all MT licensure standards (requires no license to teach)
• grows government by creating a school choice commission
• does not allow all taxpayers to vote in governing board elections--only parents and employees
• does not allow employees of charter schools to be in TRS or PERS
• allows public tax dollars to go to private, unaccountable, and virtual corporations
• defunds our public schools by siphoning tax dollars to a separate, parallel system of PRIVATE schools
• allows private charter schools to opt out of accountability if it's too expensive
• places the governance of charter schools into private hands

Senate Committee

What:  HB 393, Establish the Students with Special Needs Equal Opportunity Act

Position: OPPOSE

When: Monday, April 17th @ 3pm

Where: Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee - Room 422 - Sign up to testify or submit written comment

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HB-393: Establish the Students with Special Needs Equal Opportunity Act

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2023-04-17 03:00 PM - (S) Education and Cultural Resources

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Talking Points:

• is unconstitutional because it appropriates money to private entities/individuals

• does the opposite of the title--it actually leads to worse outcomes for students with disabilities

• defunds local public schools while holding them accountable for an education they aren't allowed to provide



• is illegal because it purports to allow a waiver of rights for special education students--that's not allowed under law

Senate floor

What: HB 241 Prohibit government from requiring buildings be constructed with solar panels

Position: OPPOSE

When: Monday, April 17

Where: On Senate floor

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Talking Points:

“Prohibit” is the key word here. This is the state government overruling the decisions of local building codes, should they think it in the best interest. Part of the rules allow self-governing cities to adopt “stretch codes,” which are voluntary city codes that go beyond what the state requires. HB 241 would ban solar-ready stretch codes.

Solar-ready building codes would require new construction in those jurisdictions to design and build homes in such a way that adding solar would be a cheap, convenient, and efficient option for building owners. These “stretch codes” are voluntarily adopted, and HB 241 undermines the power of local governments to direct the way they want to grow

Senate floor

What: HB715, Revise school immunization laws

Position: OPPOSE

When: Monday, April 17



Where: On Senate floor

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Talking Points:

While this bill has been amended and may seem less dangerous, vaccine advocates around the country are worried it has the potential to create a whole new population of under or unvaccinated children choosing not to vaccinate out of convenience.

·  Broadcasting that there are exemptions to a law makes it more likely that people will take those exemptions. Providing an exemption form with required vaccine information is confusing and misleading.

·  Sharing exemptions information sends parents a message that vaccines are unimportant and can easily be skipped without risks, which is not true. There are health and financial risks to opting out of required vaccines.

·  Vaccines have given us the power to protect our children from many diseases that used to cause millions of deaths and suffering to children. Our children deserve the same protection from preventable diseases that we were afforded as children.

·  Required childhood immunizations have been rigorously tested, and it has been proven that the benefits far outweigh the risks. It takes a small percentage of people opting out for a state to go from effective vaccine rates to be at risk of outbreaks.

House floor

What: SB 392 , Revise determination of court costs for coal mining



Position: OPPOSE

When: Monday, April 17

Where: House Floor call 406-444-4800 and ask your support be sent to House Judiciary, Taxation, and Appropriations (that will get to almost everyone)

Talking Points:

This is a terrible bill that would require that litigants seeking justice for damage to land or water done by coal companies pay the legal fees of the coal corporation if a judge rules in the coal company’s favor. The bill is an obvious effort to chill the rights of citizens to stand up against corporate misdeeds by putting individuals at grave financial risk for engaging with the judicial system to protect their land and livelihoods.