Montana
Montana bill would tie bathrooms to biological sex, allow lawsuits for noncompliance
HELENA — On Friday morning, the House Judiciary Committee heard more than three hours of testimony on a bill that would require transgender people to use the bathroom that aligns with their sex at birth. Supporters said it was intended to protect single-sex spaces, particularly for women, while opponents called it discriminatory.
House Bill 121 is sponsored by Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe, R-Billings. It would require public schools, correctional facilities, other public buildings and domestic violence shelters to designate bathrooms, changing rooms and sleeping areas for either men or women, based on their biological sex at birth, and to “take reasonable steps” to keep the opposite sex out. Someone could then sue those facilities if they failed to take those steps and someone of the opposite sex used the space.
The bill wouldn’t apply to rooms that only one person can use at a time.
Seekins-Crowe denied that HB 121 was discriminating against anyone. She said women in these spaces are particularly vulnerable, and that the bill was intended to protect them from violence and harassment. She said it was a major issue for voters she spoke to during the last campaign.
“This is not targeting a certain population, this is protecting a certain population,” she said.
Lt. Gov. Kristen Juras also testified in support. She tied HB 121 to several other pieces of legislation that the Gianforte administration has supported in previous sessions: 2023’s Senate Bill 99, which prohibited gender-affirming health care for transgender youth, and Senate Bill 458, which codified a definition of biological sex into state law, as well as 2021’s House Bill 112, which restricted transgender female athletes from competing in girls’ sports.
“Acknowledging biological realities should not be complicated or controversial, and neither should this bill,” Juras said. “Working with the Legislature, the governor’s office has been proud of our shared record of defending Montanans from the far left’s ideological crusade that has swept the nation.”
Opponents argued the bill’s supporters were overstating the danger to women from transgender people, and that laws already exist to address the kind of behavior they’re concerned about. They said there was no way to enforce this requirement without intruding on Montanans’ privacy.
“How is the state expected to prevent me from using the men’s bathroom?” said Shawn Reagor, a transgender man representing the Montana Gender Alliance. “How is the state expected to know that I should be using the women’s bathroom and require me to do so? It doesn’t make any sense.”
Other opponents raised concerns that implementing the bill would be too burdensome, particularly on local governments and shelters. They questioned what these facilities would be required to do and what kind of legal liability they could face.
Kim Patterson, development director for the Friendship Center in Helena, said their organization receives hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding, including through the Family Violence Prevention and Services Program. She said they’re concerned complying with HB 121 might put that at risk.
“All of this funding prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” she said. “We are already under-resourced, and the loss of this funding would be detrimental to the people who rely on our lifesaving services.”
Rep. SJ Howell, D-Missoula, asked Seekins-Crowe about how the bill would be implemented, citing a hypothetical example of an encounter in a bathroom at a public library.
“They don’t have a name, they don’t have an address, they certainly haven’t seen a birth certificate – I’m hoping they haven’t seen anything else private about that person – they file a suit,” Howell said. “How are you envisioning that the librarian in this instance would clarify their liability? Are you thinking cameras in the bathroom, guards at all times, checks at the door?”
Seekins-Crowe said she believed public facilities are already making accommodations and that the impact will not be as large as opponents believe.
“This bill is not for us to invade privacy – and that does include women’s privacy at this point,” she said. “The purpose of this bill is to protect women in private spaces. And it’s not about checking. I think it really is going to also go to the comfort level of that person.”
The House Judiciary Committee took no immediate action on HB 121 Friday.
MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — Money Williams scored 15 points as Montana beat Ottawa (Arizona) 73-39 on Wednesday night.
Williams had 10 rebounds and six assists for the Grizzlies (2-0). Tyler Isaak added 12 points while shooting 3 for 5 and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line.
Carter Gittens led the Spirit in scoring, finishing with 11 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Nov. 4, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from Nov. 4 drawing
11-14-17-50-57, Mega Ball: 06
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Nov. 4 drawing
03-13-17-27-44, Lucky Ball: 12
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Nov. 4 drawing
03-07-20-31, Bonus: 12
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
BRAINERD — Award-Winning author Candace Simar will celebrate the release of her latest book, “Montana Matrimonial News,” 1-3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at the Brainerd Public Library. The event is free and open to the public. Simar will present a book talk at 1:30 p.m. on this latest historical novel.
In “Montana Matrimonial News,” loneliness gnaws and chews like the relentless prairie wind. Dakota homesteader, Digger Dancy, props his feet in the oven and waits for the storm to end. His brother, George, barges into the soddy in a swirl of blowing snow. George announces he will abandon his claim to seek a wife. He can’ t stand the loneliness. Digger slaps a stack of old newspapers on the table and convinces him to place an ad for a correspondence bride in the Montana Matrimonial News. Doctor Gamla, the almost-doctor and midwife, treats George’ s frostbite, and offers a cure for his melancholia. She tells of two sisters living in tar-paper shacks along the Mad Dog River. The brothers cannot imagine how Doctor Gamla’ s cure will change their lives. Nickelbo’ s whole world is wheat. The homesteaders talk about crops, worry about the weather, complain about prices, and dream what they’ ll buy after the harvest. Asa Wainwright busts sod with a grasshopper plow. Ingrid Larson dallies over planting to avoid her sister’ s wedding. Drunken Oscar Borgom gets lost in a storm on the way to the outhouse. Through it all, Doctor Gamla delivers babies, treats ailments, and offers advice.“ My cures work if you can stand them.”
Contributed
“The text recalls John Steinbeck’s ‘Cannery Row’ with its short-story-like structure charting the lives of various members of the small community,” as stated in a recent Kirkus Review. “One of the most engaging aspects of the novel is the characters’ interactions with major historical events, such as Prohibition and North Dakota achieving statehood. While Prohibition is mostly discussed by the men (who are typically opposed) in the story, the women who are pro-Prohibition are not looked down upon. The novel is successful as an affirmation of the importance of community and connection in the human experience. Touching vignettes of everyday life and romance on the American frontier.”
“The setting is Nickelbo, North Dakota. Simar hands us the climate of every season, including the deathly chill of winter wind and the oppressive heat of a hot August sun, and everything in between,” stated book reviewer Charlie Johnson. “Descriptions of the landscape are diverse, even if it is North Dakota — tree lines, plowed fields, storefronts, and private homes thrive under her keyboard, not to mention the occasional dog, mule, goose, or misbegotten creature. The stories, too, are varied. There are tragic events, there are senseless issues, there are everyday events that turn into life-changing conflict. The pace flows well from story to story, from man to woman, from scientific practice to prehistoric thinking. Simar’s trademark of good story, good character and good setting make ‘Montana Matrimonial News’ yet another fine book to her list of writings.”
Pequot Lakes author Simar likes to imagine how things might have been. Her historical fiction combines her love of history with her Scandinavian heritage. Simar has been recognized by a Spur Award from Western Writers of America, a Will Rogers Gold Medallion, a Peacemaker Award from Western Fictioneers, and Laura Awards for Short Fiction. “Sister Lumberjack” received the Midwest Book Award, was a finalist for the Willa Literary Awards in Historical Fiction, and took 3rd place in the Catholic Novel category of the Catholic Media Awards. Learn more about her work at www.
candacesimar.com
. The book was published by North Star Press of St. Cloud and represented by Blue Cottage Agency.
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