The Session

As we enter the home stretch of the 2023 legislative session, Republican lawmakers have proposed a slew of constitutional amendments ahead of a looming deadline. At the same time, lawmakers are debating measures to address the affordable housing crisis in the state and proposing rules about what local governments should and shouldn't be able to do about climate change.  Montana Public Radio's Cori...

A 14 billion dollar budget passed out of the Montana House with support from the Republican supermajority. Democrats don't have the power to change it, but they still tried.  Host Nadya Faulx and reporters Eric Dietrich, Ellis Juhlin, and Arren Kimbel-Sannit discuss the debate over how the state should spend tax dollars.  The spending plan calls for a deal to send state inmates to an out-of-state...

Reporters Shaylee Ragar and Keely Larson join host Mara Silvers to discuss how lawmakers have been digging into funding healthcare, as well as lingering impacts of the pandemic when it comes childcare legislation and vaccine bills. 

Hundreds of bills were left on the cutting room floor at the legislative session's midway point. Now, as lawmakers head into the second half, they're turning more of their attention to finalizing the state's next two-year budget. Host Corin Cates-Carney and reporters Ellis Juhlin and Eric Dietrich discuss what they're watching now that the Legislature has rounded the critical transmittal break. Pl...

On March 8, The Session team hosted a live event answering audience questions about the 68th meeting of the Montana legislature. The panel, featuring host Corin Cates-Carney and reporters Mara Silvers, Eric Dietrich, Shaylee Ragar, Ellis Juhlin, and Arren Kimbel-Sannit, has been edited for the podcast.

Reporters Mara Silvers and Shaylee Ragar discuss this week's deadline for lawmakers to pass general bills out of their original chamber. There's a lot of policy to consider, including rules about access to abortion.  Join us for this free, digital-only event on March 8 at 7:00 p.m . as reporters and editors from Montana Free Press, Montana Public Radio, and Yellowstone Public Radio discuss the maj...

This week, reporters JoVonne Wagner, Eric Dietrich, and Shaylee Ragar join host Nadya Faulx to discuss the defeat of a bill that would have established Indigenous Peoples Day in Montana — and what's next for the lawmakers who introduced it — along with debates over property taxes and redrawing legislative districts.

Today is legislative day 31 of 90 -- meaning we're a third of the way through the 68th Legislature. This week, lawmakers are starting to piece together the biggest part of the state budget -- health department spending -- and world views about LGBTQ rights are colliding over rules for public schools.  Host Corin Cates-Carney and reporters Mara Silvers, Ellis Juhlin and Alex Sakariassen discuss the...

Host Mara Silvers and reporters Arren Kimbel-Sannit, Shaylee Ragar, and Eric Dietrich discuss what legislation moving forward could mean for injunctions and the judiciary, what lawmakers have in store for the state's $2.5 billion budget surplus, and what those plans mean for everyday Montanans.

Governor Greg Gianforte delivers a State of the State address that focuses on economic growth but lawmakers are turning their attention to social issues.  Host Nadya Faulx and reporters Shaylee Ragar, Mara Silvers, and Austin Amestoy discuss the governor's State of the State speech, debate over transgender rights and abortion, and why the state is asking for more money to defend laws in court. 

Bills to reform Montana tax policy, support missing persons search efforts and overhaul Child Protective Services move through the Legislature. Host Mara Silvers and reporters Ellis Juhlin and Shaylee Ragar discuss the legislation they're watching this week -- along with the schisms between and within the parties that are starting to form.

Montana lawmakers take their oaths of office and begin their work in the state capitol.   Host Nadya Faulx and reporters Shaylee Ragar, Ellis Juhlin, and Arren Kimbel-Sannit discuss a rules debate that's dividing the GOP, how moderate Republicans are working with Democrats, a Montana Freedom Caucus, and the beginnings of the state budget. 

With the 2022 election over, Republicans hold power not seen in the state capitol in nearly a century. The governor has released his budget. Lawmakers have elected leadership and will arrive in Helena on Jan. 2 to begin their work. Host Corin Cates-Carney and reporters Shaylee Ragar, Eric Dietrich, Ellis Juhlin, and Arren Kimbel-Sannit discuss last week's legislative caucuses, how the governor hop...

The 67th session of the Montana Legislature adjourned sine die Thursday, April 29.  During lawmakers' 80 days of work, 1,313 bills were introduced and as of mid-day Friday at least 302 had been signed into law.  In the final episode of The Session, Reporters from Montana Free Press, Yellowstone Public Radio and Montana Public Radio break down the outcomes.

As of mid-day Friday, 1,313  bills have been introduced and at least 267 have been signed into law. This week we're watching how the Republican majority is spending their mandate from voters as the session is winding down and last-minute legislation.  Committee chairs and legislative leaders have said this may be the final week of the 67th session of the Montana Legislature. Big pieces of policy r...

As of mid-day Friday, 1,297 bills have been introduced and at least 197 have been signed into law. This week we're watching a mounting dispute over separation of powers between the Legislature and the Montana Supreme Court. We're also watching the debate on a bill that would incentivize the state's largest utility to buy more of the Colstrip coal-fired power plant.

As of mid-day Friday, 1,282 bills had been introduced and at least 153 had been signed into law. This week we're watching the ideological split within the GOP over adult-use marijuana taxes, proposed changes to social safety net eligibility and parental rights.

As of mid-day Friday, 1,271  bills had been introduced and at least 135 had been signed into law. Major questions remain over new taxes cuts, funding state agencies, what to do with federal stimulus and recreational marijuana. Much of this work is under a Thursday deadline for appropriation and revenue bills, including regulations for marijuana, to move from one chamber to the other. The federal s...

As of mid-day Friday, 1,237  bills had been introduced and at least 74 had been signed into law. We're hitting the time of the session when more are on the way. This week we're watching the legal marijuana bill take shape, lawmakers consider the former governor's district court judge nominees and proposals to change elections in the state.

As of mid-day Friday, 1,183 bills have been introduced , 60 have been signed into law. T his week we're watching the state budget, recreational marijuana and bills that would carry impacts for LGBTQ people.   

As of mid-day Friday, 1,148 bills had been introduced and Gov. Greg Gianforte 54 had been signed into law.  This week we're starting to see the state budget take shape, recreational marijuana regulations are coming soon, and Democrats try again with tax changes as Republican plans move forward.

As of mid-day, Thursday, 1,121 had been introduced and Gov. Greg Gianforte had signed 38 bills into law.  This week we're breaking down what made it past the transmittal deadline, what failed and where the session is going next.

As of midday Friday, Feb. 26, 1,128 bills had been introduced and Gov. Greg Gianforte had signed 28 into law.  Lawmakers who want to pass general policy bills have until Wednesday, March 3 to get them from one house to the other. This week, we're keeping an eye on key bills in the balance. If these laws don't make it past their first chamber before the mid-session break, they're likely dead. 

As of mid-day Friday, Feb. 19, 918 bills had been introduced and Gov. Greg Gianforte had signed three bills into law. This week we're watching legislation on tax policy, public health and labor unions.