The Session

In a live event one week after the session adjourned, host Shaylee Ragar with Montana Public Radio digs into everything that lawmakers did—and didn't—get done in this year's legislative session with the MTPR and Montana Free Press reporters who covered all the major issues.

The session has officially adjourned. Host Shaylee Ragar with Montana Public Radio digs into what you need to know to make sense of the end of 69th Montana legislative session with Tom Lutey, Eric Dietrich, and Mara Silvers, all of Montana Free Press. 

Host Shaylee Ragar with Montana Public Radio talks all things childcare and education with MTPR's Victoria Traxler and Alex Sakariassen of Montana Free Press as the legislative session inches closer and closer to Sine Die. 

Montana Public Radio's Shaylee Ragar breaks down the latest on all things health at the legislature with MTFP's Mara Silvers. 

It's time to talk money. Montana Public Radio's Shaylee Ragar breaks down all things budget and taxes with Montana Free Press's Eric Dietrich.

Host Shaylee Ragar and Montana Free Press's Tom Lutey and Zeke Lloyd  break down two topics burning away in the legislature: judiciary reform and wildfires. 

Host Shaylee Ragar sits down with Montana Free Press's Mara Silvers and Nora Mabie to talk over legislation that could impact the Montana State Hospital, Indigenous children in Montana, and the future of doulas in the state. 

Host Shaylee Ragar talks the first half of the session and what comes next with Democratic House Minority Leader Katie Sullivan. 

Shaylee Ragar sits down with Republican Senate President Matt Regier to discuss the first half of the session, policy lawmakers are considering, and what comes next.

As lawmakers approach a much-needed break, host Shaylee Ragar breaks down the pre-transmittal marathon of hearings—along with how state politics fits in with national discourse—with Tom Lutey and Eric Dietrich of Montana Free Press.

This week, host Shaylee Ragar goes over the American Indian Caucus's bills——including a couple that have been blasted back into action after being tabled in committee—with Montana Free Press and ICT's Kaiden Forman-Webster. She also breaks down the latest developments on property tax legislation with Eric Dietrich, also with Montana Free Press.

Montana Free Press's Tom Lutey and Montana Public Radio's Austin Amestory detail newly developing and unexpected coalitions in the Senate—and the dramatic sessions they inspire—along with education policy that could impact the state's public and private schools alike. 

Montana Public Radio and Montana Free Press Reporters Ellis Juhlin and Amanda Eggert break down the major environmental flashpoints emerging at this year's legislative session with host Shaylee Ragar. In particular, they dig into bills around wolves and the controversy around the Montana Environmental Policy Act, incited by the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Held v. Montana case. 

Host Shaylee Ragar sits down with Montana Free Press's Mara Silvers and Eric Dietrich to get into the latest flareup of drama in the Senate, abortion policy after CI-128, and a new tool to track legislation from MTFP.

Over a month in to the 2025 legislative session, and lawmaking is well under way. Host Shaylee Ragar and reporters Tom Lutey and Mara Silvers of Montana Free Press break down an ethics investigation derailing business in the Senate and bills related to transgender Montanans that seem to be forging ahead despite that stalling.     

As Montana's legislative session closes out it's third week and approaches a month of lawmaking, Host Shaylee Ragar and reporters Mara Silvers and Eric Dietrich dig into policy. As legislators throw spaghetti at the wall to see what will make it through committee, the three discuss the specifics of debates over Medicaid expansion and property tax relief.

Host Shaylee Ragar discusses tech issues at the Capitol with reporters Austin Amestoy and Zeke Lloyd. They break down what that means for how the public and reporters alike can follow and engage with the action in Helena, along with the bigger picture of public comment during committee meetings and a new development on legislative junque files. 

The 69th Montana Legislature is officially under way. This week, host Shaylee Ragar and reporters Tom Lutey and Mara Silvers dig in to how the—literal and metaphorical—sausage gets made and what an early GOP divide could mean for the rest of the session. 

The Session is back for the 69th Montana Legislature. This week, we preview lawmakers work that starts January 6. Reporters talk about new party leaders, legislative rules, and how the governor wants to spend public money.

The 2025 Montana Legislature elected by voters in November will meet in January to consider new laws and develop a two-year state budget. Already, it's clear what some of the key issues of the session will be — among them housing affordability, tax policy, education funding and the potential renewal of Montana's expanded Medicaid health coverage program. The Session podcast team took some time at...

There are only a few days left in the 2023 legislative session. The recent decision to ban Missoula Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr from the House floor derailed legislative business. Host Mara Silvers and reporters Shaylee Ragar, Eric Dietrich and Amanda Eggert discuss what to expect in the final days of the session and the last minute deals on the budget and housing policy. Join us for a live recor...

As the 2023 legislative session sprints to the finish line, tensions are running high over bills targeting transgender Montanans and environmental regulation. Host Corin Cates-Carney and reporters Arren Kimbel-Sannit, Ellis Juhlin, and Mara Silvers discuss what to expect in the final days of the legislature as lawmakers scramble to reach sine die.

Host Nadya Faulx and reporters Shaylee Ragar, Eric Dietrich, and Alex Sakariassen discuss lawmakers finding agreement to advance housing zoning policy,  the unclear future on housing subsidies, dueling visions of what school choice policy should look like in Montana and legislative staff working thousands of hours of overtime to keep up with all the bills.

Last week was another major deadline for lawmakers to pass bills out of one house and send them to the other. We saw hundreds of bills move through both chambers, and saw a push from lawmakers to introduce new legislation in time to meet that deadline, including some that opponents say would have a "chilling" effect on legal challenges to state decisions, and one that would create a jungle primary...