Montana
Montana lawmakers select leaders for 2023 legislative session
HELENA — The beginning of the 2023 Montana legislative session is only a month and a half away, and we now know who the highest legislative leaders might be.
On Wednesday, the newly elected members of the 68th Montana Legislature gathered on the State Capitol to elect Republican and Democratic leaders for the upcoming session.
Counties accomplished their unofficial vote counts from final week’s election on Monday. Although the outcomes aren’t last till canvassing subsequent week, they offer us a clearer image of what the brand new Legislature will seem like.
Within the Senate, Republicans received two seats held by Democrats in Cascade County, in addition to one other in southwest Montana, in a particular election to fill the seat of Sen. Mark Sweeney, D-Philipsburg, who died earlier this yr. That gave the GOP a 34-seat majority, their largest within the Senate since 1997.
MTN Information
Within the Home, it seems Republicans flipped three seats from Democrats, whereas Democrats received two again from the GOP. After Election Night time, Republican candidate Ralph Foster additionally led by 10 votes in Home District 15, which incorporates components of the CSKT and Blackfeet reservations. Nevertheless, after the counting of provisional ballots was accomplished Monday, incumbent Rep. Marvin Weatherwax Jr., D-Browning, pulled forward by 26 votes.
That left Republicans with 68 seats within the Home, a internet improve of 1 from final session and their largest majority within the chamber since 2011.
MTN Information
General, the GOP has 102 lawmakers, giving them a two-thirds supermajority that may allow them to suggest constitutional amendments on a party-line vote.
“Most of you most likely don’t perceive what a blessing it’s for me to open this assembly,” stated Sen. John Esp, R-Massive Timber, who presided over the Senate Republican caucus as dean – the member who had served the longest within the Legislature. “I’ve been at conferences the place we didn’t want an enormous room like this – we’d slot in lower than that half. So it’s great to see all of you right here – and a few over there.”
On Wednesday, Senate Republicans chosen Sen. Jason Ellsworth, R-Hamilton, to function president. He defeated Sen. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell.
Jonathon Ambarian
Ellsworth instructed MTN he desires to see “success” for lawmakers from each events, and he believes they will discover widespread floor on points like bettering entry to housing. In his speech to the caucus earlier than their vote for president, he acknowledged Republicans’ potential to place constitutional amendments earlier than voters – although he stated he doesn’t know of any particular proposals for amendments but.
“I believe it’s working with the caucus, discovering out what totally different ideas and concepts, and what our constituents need,” Ellsworth stated. “That’s our job, is to make it possible for we ship what the constituents need for the state.”
The Senate GOP caucus additionally chosen Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Nice Falls, as majority chief and Sen. Ken Bogner, R-Miles Metropolis, as president professional tem.
Jonathon Ambarian
On the Home facet, Republicans selected Rep. Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, to function speaker, over Rep. Casey Knudsen, R-Malta. Regier beforehand ran for speaker in 2020, in opposition to the eventual winner, Rep. Wylie Galt, R-Martinsdale.
Regier instructed MTN his first precedence now could be balancing the various priorities of his caucus members. He stated after Republicans’ victories within the latest elections, GOP lawmakers “have gotten to ship,” and that he believes he can preserve the big caucus on the identical web page.
John Riley
“I believe you stick with the problems,” Regier stated. “All people’s obtained a unique taste – I imply, all of us do, despite the fact that we’re in the identical caucus. You simply talk, I believe that resolves plenty of the problems shifting ahead.”
Home Republicans reelected Rep. Sue Vinton, R-Billings, as majority chief, they usually selected Rep. Rhonda Knudsen, R-Culbertson, as speaker professional tem.
John Riley
Democrats within the Senate chosen Sen. Pat Flowers, D-Bozeman, as their minority chief, whereas Home Democrats selected Rep. Kim Abbott, D-Helena as minority chief for the second session in a row.
Democratic management held a information convention Wednesday afternoon, the place they laid out their priorities. They referred to as for utilizing the state’s roughly $2 billion surplus on initiatives to assist working Montanans. Additionally they vowed to face up for points like the proper to privateness, and to defend the state’s judiciary – which drew robust criticism from Republicans final session.
John Riley
Democrats stated how this session goes will rely lots on the bulk Republicans.
“We have now the sources, we have now the imaginative and prescient to make Montana a spot the place on a regular basis of us can reside and thrive – now we simply want the political will,” Flowers stated. “That can exists on our facet of the aisle, and we hope it exists on the opposite facet of the aisle as effectively.”
“We have now to point out up day-after-day and combat for our constituents, combat for our communities, combat for our shared values, and we’d like Republicans to hitch us on that,” stated Abbott. “If we’re going to ship for our communities, we’d like them to come back and assist us out.”
The 2023 legislative session might be getting underway on Jan. 2. MTN can have full protection main as much as it and all through the 90 legislative days.
John Riley contributed to this story.