Author Archive
SB 413 to Stop Racial Profiling
Posted by:The House State Administration Committee heard Senate Bill 413 sponsored by Sen. Kaufmann (D - Helena) on Monday. Short titled “Government not to racial profile immigrants,” it is a relatively straight forward bill that recognizes every person’s equality by amending the current “Right to state’s protection” clause to read - “The employees of local and state agencies, law enforcement officers, and all public officials shall when carrying out their duties take steps to recognize and protect the human rights of immigrants, prevent disparate treatment, and deter racial profiling.” Read More→
By Peter Metcalf
When it comes to passing streamside setback legislation in Montana, river advocates hope the third time’s the charm.
House Bill 455, also known as the Big Sky Rivers Act would effectively limit new housing development along select major rivers in Montana. The House Local Government Committee will hear the legislation Thursday. Read more… at New West Development.
Defining Domestic Partners
Posted by:Rep. Franke Wilmer (D – Bozeman) introduced House Bill 590 short titled “Define domestic partners and establish benefits.” This bill, heard Friday in the State Administration committee, would create a domestic partner registry, providing a procedure for establishing, recording, and terminating domestic partnerships. Currently about “1 in 10 people in committed relationships are denied legal rights due to domestic partners not being recognized” Rep. Wilmer said in her opening comments. Read More→
Equal pay for equal work hasn’t been so equal in the last decade or so and Rep. Margaret MacDonald (D – Billings) has brought forth House Joint Resolution 16 to address pay discrimination. HJR 16 aims to study state implementation of pay and the problems associated with the public and private sectors related to equal pay for comparable work and develop guidelines to eliminate pay discrimination. Read More→
One of the more debated bills during Thursday’s House session was HB 400 sponsored by Rep. Deb Kottel (D - Great Falls). HB 400 short titled “Revise alcohol content of beer” would allow brewers to expand their beer selections by brewing and selling beers with alcoholic content from 8.75 to 14 % by volume. Read More→
"I think that it’s going to all work out, with the changes that we have agreed to. It’s not as much (spending for some programs) as I would’ve hoped, but apparently it’s more than other people wanted. As usual, we are trying to find the middle.” 
"[On term limits:] You empower the executive, you empower the lobbyists and that's not good for the system because then we lose what the citizen Legislature brings.” 