Latest news with #MontanaHouse
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Governor signs Bobby's Law, imposing tougher drunk driving penalties
Apr. 29—Gov. Greg Gianforte put Bobby's Law on the books Friday, increasing statewide penalties for drunk driving. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Braxton Mitchell, R-Columbia Falls, to address what proponents of Bobby's Law considered a loophole in the felony prosecution of drunk drivers involved in fatal collisions. The issue came to the forefront in 2023, after Columbia Falls resident Robert "Bobby" Dewbre was struck and killed by a drunk driver days after his 21st birthday. The driver was eventually charged with two misdemeanors for the incident and received the maximum sentence of 18 months. Flathead County Attorney Travis Ahner alluded to the requirement to prove negligence as a reason the county decided against pursuing felony charges. While the driver boasted a blood alcohol content of 0.20, he had reportedly followed all traffic laws leading up to the incident. Under Bobby's Law, any driver involved in a traffic fatality can be charged with a felony if their blood alcohol content is equal to or above 0.16, regardless of whether they otherwise acted negligently. Offenders face a state prison term of between three and 30 years, a fine between $10,000 and $50,000 or both. Dewbre's mother, Beth McBride, was among the bill's staunchest supporters. She said the law's signing felt surreal after months of legislative hearings and convoluted amendments. She is grateful that the work paid off. "It means Bobby didn't die in vain," said McBride. "It means other families won't have to suffer injustice. We can't turn back the clock, but we can make it right for future families." After her son's death, McBride and her daughter, Carli Seymour, founded a grassroots advocacy group called the Montana Bar Fairies. Volunteers with the group deposit coffee gift cards on cars left in bar parking lots overnight, with the goal of encouraging safe transportation options after drinking. The group also played an instrumental role in the passage of Bobby's Law. Dozens of members attended hearings in the Montana House and Senate to voice support for Bobby's Law, including the family and friends of several other Flathead County residents killed in drunk driving incidents. Data collected by the Montana Department of Transportation shows that about 42% of all roadway fatalities in Flathead County involve a drunk driver. As a whole, Montana has more drunk driving fatalities per capita than any other state, according to a 2025 report from Forbes. McBride knows these statistics well. She plans to continue working through Montana Bar Fairies to promote a safer drinking culture in communities throughout Montana. McBride said she regularly fields inquiries from people across the state interested in forming their own local chapter of Montana Bar Fairies. The organization recently started hosting educational booths at brewery festivals and other local events. "We're growing gigantic. It's really, really exciting," said McBride. "What it goes to show is people are ready for change." Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at hsmalley@ or 758-4433.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Immigration legislation advances despite strong opposition from nonprofits
Apr. 2—Critics say new legislation in the Montana House criminalizing the "harboring" of people with an unknown immigration status could put hospitals, churches and community organizations at risk. Rep. Lukas Schubert, R-Evergreen, introduced House Bill 896 after the House voted down similar legislation earlier in the session. The bill adds new definitions to Montana's obstruction of justice law, making it illegal to harbor or assist a person who "has entered the United States in violation of law." Representatives from religious and nonprofit organizations across the state opposed the bill at an April 1 House Judiciary Committee, arguing that the legislation's broad reach would hamper the provision of key social services to all Montana residents, regardless of immigration status. "What happens on the ground is that we're providing services to people, humans who may or may not be in a legal status," said Kelsen Young, the director of the Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. Young said the bill would make the coalition's services, along with the services provided by hospitals, churches and other community organizations, illegal, as staff are unable to verify the immigration status of everybody they serve. Clients may not always have documentation on hand when accessing crisis services, such as a domestic violence shelter, and, even with documentation, it is difficult to ascertain someone's status without extensive knowledge of immigration law. "There is rarely a black and white line for who is here lawfully and what being documented or undocumented means," said Mary Poole, the executive director of the Missoula-based nonprofit Soft Landing. "This is especially true with the large number of changes being made in our federal immigration system right now." Representatives from the Montana Coalition Against Homelessness, the Montana Nonprofit Association and the Montana Catholic Conference also spoke in opposition of HB 896. No proponents supported the bill at the hearing, but Schubert vehemently defended the legislation's hardline approach to immigration. "I know in my county, in Flathead County, we have an organization that does help illegal aliens remain in our state, and this is something that's totally unpopular," he said. "You know, these people that are doing this, they're bringing them into Montana, into Flathead County." Poole, who works closely with the organization in question, said that Schubert's claims were unfounded, but he repeated the accusation in his closing remarks. "This is exactly the problem," said Schubert. "These people absolutely are bringing illegal aliens in, contrary to what they were saying." Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke last year claimed that a Flathead Valley nonprofit worked with the Biden administration to move an immigrant family described as Venezuelan here, but didn't provide evidence to back up the assertion. During the hearing in Helena, Schubert added that "it doesn't make sense" for the Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence to oppose the bill "considering all the sexual violence that illegal immigrants commit against Americans in this country." U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 224 convictions for sexual offenses committed by individuals in the country illegally during fiscal year 2024. By comparison, the Montana Department of Justice recorded over 2,200 sexual assault convictions in 2024. The House Judiciary Committee passed HB 896 along party lines. The bill will now move to the House Floor for a second reading. Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at hsmalley@ or 758-4433.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State lawmakers' efforts to remove federal land protections met with resistance
Mar. 27—Legislation in support of efforts to roll back federal land protections met strong opposition during initial hearings in Helena this week. About 50 opponents testified in the Montana House against a resolution introduced by Rep. Tom Millett, R-Marion, supporting a lawsuit Utah filed with the U.S. Supreme Court. While House Joint Resolution 24 is not legally binding, its passage would signify the Legislature's support for Utah's argument that the federal government's retention of "unappropriated" land is unconstitutional. Critics said that would set a dangerous precedent. "Signing on to support Utah opens the door for our public lands in Montana to be disposed of," said Mack Long, chair of Montana Backcountry Horsemen, at a March 24 hearing. Federal lands account for 29% of Montana's area, including some 8 million acres administered by the Bureau of Land Management that could fall under Utah's definition of "federal lands within the state that are not specifically designated for a particular purpose." Much of this area is currently open to residents for recreation or is used for resource extraction. "My constituents up in Northwest Montana asked me to bring [the resolution]," said Millett. But polling suggests that most Montanans support federal protections for public lands. A biennial survey that the University of Montana has conducted since 2012 shows consistent support for increasing federal land protections rather than decreasing them. After Millett introduced the resolution, conservation group Wild Montana published an online petition asking state lawmakers to "unequivocally reject" the measure. As of March 26, the petition had received about 2,910 signatures. "I think Montanans are happy that we're not like the East Coast," testified Noah Marion, the political and state policy director for Wild Montana. A SECOND Wild Montana petition rejecting Senate Joint Resolution 14 received more than 3,200 signatures. That resolution calls for the release of about 1.2 million acres classified as either a Wilderness Study Area or an Inventoried Roadless Areas, including the Ten Lakes and Bitter Creek wilderness study areas and areas in the Badger-Two Medicine area. Like HJ 24, the legislation is not legally binding but sends a message of support for the U.S. Congress to take actions to release the land. The resolution is co-sponsored by Reps. Courtenay Sprunger, R-Kalispell, Carl Glimm, R-Kila, John Fuller, R-Kalispell, Braxton Mitchell, R-Columbia Falls, and Ed Byrne, R-Bigfork. At a March 25 hearing, fears about the dispossession of public lands again played a central role. Kalispell resident Eleanore Eberts was one of 30 people who spoke in opposition to the resolution. "Managment is not the goal of this bill," said Eberts. "It's to make the way for mining and other resource extraction, which will lead to consequent destruction of these wild places." The resolution's primary sponsor, Sen. Tony Tezak, R-Ennis, disputed assertions that the release of the lands would commit them to resource extraction, but several proponents referenced recent executive orders issued by the White House to expand logging, mining and other industries. "I think our timing on this resolution is fabulous with the discussion of forest management happening in D.C. right now," said E.J. Redding, who represented Citizens for Balanced Use, a group that advocates for protecting open spaces for multiple uses, including recreation and natural resource extraction. Eight proponents spoke in favor of SJ 14, and no proponents attended the hearing for HJ 24. Several statewide conservation and outdoor recreation groups, including Montana Audubon, Trout Unlimited, Montana Wildlife Federation and Backcountry Horsemen opposed both pieces of legislation. Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at hsmalley@ or 758-4433.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Montana House votes down harsher penalties for employers hiring immigrants in US illegally
Mar. 25—The Montana House on Monday narrowly voted down a bill that would have imposed tougher penalties on employers caught hiring immigrants in the United States illegally. Sponsored by Rep. Lukas Schubert, R-Evergreen, House Bill 536 proposed new penalties for individuals and businesses that employ immigrants in the U.S. illegally, including the revocation of state-issued licenses, such as drivers' licenses and hunting licenses. Currently, employers that violate unlawful employment laws are subject to a fine of up to $300. The bill would have also created a private right of action, allowing individuals to sue if they believed a competing company employed immigrants here illegally. It failed 50-49 during its second reading in the House on March 24. Pew Research Center estimated that unauthorized immigrants make up less than 1% of Montana's workforce, but Schubert maintained that immigration remains a top issue for the state. "It is critical we attack the economic incentives for illegal aliens to remain in our state and thus cause them to self-deport," said Schubert during a Feb. 21 House Judiciary Committee hearing. In his opening remarks on the bill, Schubert cited a recent poll conducted by Nonstop Local and SurveyUSA in which 23% of respondents said immigration was their top concern and made an unverifiable claim that 11 to 12 million people had illegally immigrated to the United States under the Biden administration. The most recent data from the Department of Homeland Security estimates that 11 million immigrants were living in the U.S. without permission in 2022, 79% of whom entered the country before 2010. The legislation drew harsh criticism from both sides of the aisle, with critics arguing that the envisioned punishments could have disastrous consequences for Montana's business owners. Karli Johnson, a representative of the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, argued that the loss of a license and the steep fines accrued from lawsuits could quickly bankrupt the typical farm operation, which generates an average annual income of $40,000. While she maintained that the federation opposed illegal labor, Johnson emphasized that farmers and ranchers often hire temporary workers on quick deadlines, potentially making them more susceptible to an unintentional slip-up. "With this bill, we're asking farmers and ranchers to not only be mechanics, accountants and animal science and crop science experts. We're also asking them to be experts in immigration, and that's really challenging for our folks on the ground," said Johnson. Schubert responded to opponents' concerns with assurances that the Department of Justice would only pursue convictions for those who knowingly violate the law. "They are going to try to go after the real offenders because they only have so much resources," said Schubert. Under the bill, the state would have allocated a two-year budget of $5 million to the Department of Justice. Schubert said the funds would be used to create a three-to-five-person task force to investigate unlawful employment allegations. But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle balked at the price tag. "I'm not convinced we have that much of a problem to begin with," said Rep. John Fitzpatrick, R-Anaconda. "And then we're going to put a $5 million fiscal note on a bill that essentially does not have a defined problem." Rep. Ed Stafman, D-Bozeman, compared the proposed cost to another bill introduced by Rep. Courtenay Sprunger, R-Kalispell, which similarly aims to crack down on unlawful hiring practices. House Bill 226 proposes to do so through regular audits of business's I-9 forms for an average annual cost of $93,000. Sprunger's bill passed the House in February with an 87-13 vote and is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee on Thursday. Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at hsmalley@ or 758-4433.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Montana Legislators offer utilities looser liability laws in exchange for increased wildfire mitigation strategies
Mar. 7—The Montana House has unanimously passed legislation to enforce stricter wildfire mitigation standards and reduce liability for utility companies and cooperatives. House Bill 490 requires all electric utilities to prepare and follow a wildfire mitigation plan detailing the company's strategies for inspecting and updating electric facilities and maintaining vegetation in utility rights-of-way. Utility companies that "substantially followed" an approved wildfire mitigation plan may not be found civilly liable for damages resulting from a wildfire. "The main purpose of this bill is for electric co-ops and public utilities to demonstrate their commitment to reducing fire risk by requiring fire mitigation plans," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Amy Regier, R-Kalispell. Regier introduced HB 490 after victims of the Eaton Fire filed upwards of 40 lawsuits against Southern California Edison, alleging that sparks from the utility company's transmission lines ignited the blaze. Regier referenced California's unique strict liability laws in her opening remarks on the bill, arguing that the policy has caused "bankruptcy, layoffs and skyrocketing utility rates." "We need to prevent this from occurring in Montana. Electric co-ops and public utilities have an obligation to serve Montana homeowners, landowners and businesses" said Regier. Researchers predict fire seasons in the western United States will lengthen as climate change disturbs precipitation patterns and drives temperatures up, making events like the Eaton Fire more likely. Rep. Tom France, D-Missoula, pointed to the 2021 West Wind Fire, which incinerated 25 homes during a particularly dry winter, as evidence of the growing threat in Montana. "This is really a climate change bill," said France. "Ten years ago, our utilities were not fearful of these wildfires that we've seen, not only in California, but also in Montana when the town of Denton literally burned down in December because conditions were so extreme." Officials suspect the West Wind Fire broke out after strong winds downed a power line owned by NorthWestern Energy. The company is currently litigating three lawsuits related to the fire. At the time, NorthWestern did not have a wildfire mitigation plan, though it did implement some "targeted wildfire mitigation programs." "Sometimes things happen," said Alan Olson, NorthWestern's director of Montana government affairs, at a Feb. 19 hearing for HB 490. "We have to run transmission, distribution services through timberland, grassland. But if we are at fault, if we've been proven negligent, we don't have an issue with making things right." NorthWestern Energy voiced support for the bill, alongside Flathead Electric Cooperative and other major electrical providers throughout the state. Home insurance providers initially opposed the bill, claiming the blanket immunities provided in the legislation's first iteration would drive up rates for homeowners. Subsequent amendments addressed these concerns by strengthening mitigation requirements for utility companies and introducing language that would allow negligent utility companies to be held liable. The House unanimously passed the bill on March 5, days ahead of the final transmittal date. The legislation will likely appear for a vote in the Senate in the coming months. Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at hsmalley@ or 758-4433.
