Montana

Sex-segregated bathroom bill clears key House vote

Published

1 year ago

January 15, 2025

Sex-segregated bathroom bill clears key House vote

House lawmakers in the Montana Legislature on Wednesday preliminarily approved a bill that requires bathroom and sleeping-area use based on a person’s chromosomes and reproductive biology.

In a party-line vote, 58 legislators in the Republican-majority chamber affirmed House Bill 121 over 42 opponents. The bill requires one more vote to advance to the Senate.

Critics have cast the measure as an unenforceable restriction on transgender people and those whose appearance doesn’t clearly match stereotypical gender presentations.

Supporters, including sponsor Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe, R-Billings, have mostly sidestepped the mention of trans people when talking about the bill’s impact, arguing that it will generally help protect women from men who enter restrooms and dormitories with a predatory intent.

“This bill is not about discrimination. It’s about protecting those things that have been eroding these last few years for women,” Seekins-Crowe said. “All this bill is asking for is reasonable accommodations.”

HB 121 would require public facilities, such as schools and prisons, and some private facilities, including domestic violence shelters, to provide multi-user restrooms and dormitories for the “exclusive use” of males and females. The bill’s definitions of sex are based on a person’s XX or XY chromosomes and their production of eggs or sperm.

Another provision in the bill would also allow any individual who “encounters another individual of the opposite sex in the restroom or changing room” to sue the offending facility or organization within two years of the event. The bill would go into effect immediately upon being signed into law.

Opponents raised a slew of concerns about enforceability during the bill’s first committee hearing in early January, including how a facility with multi-user restrooms, changing rooms or dorms can confirm a person’s chromosomal or reproductive makeup. Critics also flagged the potential costs for local municipalities and how the right to legal action could encourage vigilante enforcement of sex-segregated public bathroom use.

The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee in a party-line vote on Monday, with Democrats raising similar concerns voiced by the legislation’s opponents.

Members of the minority party again sought to convince Republican lawmakers of the measure’s impact during the Wednesday floor debate.

“‘This is not an issue,’ is what was said again and again by the people impacted on the ground,” said Rep. Zooey Zephyr, D-Missoula, who sits on the House committee. Rather than making cisgender women feel more safe, Zephyr posed that the proposal would only interfere with the daily routines of trans people. “To me, trans people walk through the state of Montana afraid enough already. And we want to be able to live our lives in peace,” she said.

Some Republicans who occasionally vote with Democrats on other issues, including Rep. David Bedey, R-Hamilton, and Rep. Brad Barker, R-Roberts, said they shared concerns about the bill’s enforceability and cost for cities and towns. But both lawmakers voted to move the measure forward, suggesting that some of those issues could be resolved through amendments in the Montana Senate.

Other supporters described the bill as a necessary step to secure public places against bad actors who pose as trans to gain access to vulnerable places.

“Because of the destruction of societal customs, any predator or person with malicious intent can more easily invade private female spaces without calling attention to themselves,” said Rep. Fiona Nave, R-Columbus.

Opponents said such circumstances are based more on fear than reality, and that similar bills in other states have often opened the door to harassment toward people who appear to be transgender, regardless of their actions.

Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday also said the bill oversteps the Legislature’s role by policing people’s presence rather than their actions. Any criminal conduct in the affected spaces, including harassment and assault, is already illegal, said Rep. SJ Howell, R-Missoula.

“It is appropriate for us as a body to legislate harmful behavior. It is not appropriate to legislate people existing,” Howell said. “Montana values are simple. Love thy neighbor. Mind thy business. This bill does neither.”

At least 11 other states have passed similar bills in recent years, a legislative trend encouraged by national conservative groups. One of those groups is the Alliance Defending Freedom, which has testified in support of HB 121.

Lobbyists and lawmakers watching HB 121’s progress predict another robust committee hearing in the Senate. The bill’s first hearing stretched more than three hours, drawing testimony from almost 20 proponents and nearly 30 opponents before committee members launched into questions.

One of the lines of inquiry included the bill’s fiscal impact. A document produced by legislative staff and executive branch committees lists the known costs as zero dollars but acknowledges “potential costs associated with staffing increases, renovations of state facilities, and increased legal exposure.”

While the fiscal note says that specific costs to state agencies are “unknown” or “not currently estimable,” it forecasts that fiscal impact to local school districts could be “significant.”

LATEST STORIES

United Way withdraws from deal to purchase Helena hotel for affordable housing

The United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area has withdrawn from negotiations to purchase the Helena Inn and repurpose it into affordable housing after the nonprofit was unable to meet its fundraising goal and the seller declined to lower the price.

Montana legislators propose law to protect residents of mobile home parks

As residents of a Missoula mobile home park raise concerns about its sale to an out-of-state investment firm, a bipartisan pair of state lawmakers plan to introduce bills providing assistance and protections to those living in manufactured housing.

Explained: legislative committees

The Montana Legislature can be a daunting institution to keep tabs on. As the 2025 legislative session gears up, MTFP is producing a series of video and text pieces intended to help our readers track their lawmakers and make sense of the headlines they’ll see in the months to come. Today: a look legislative committees.

Source link

Related Topics:Featured Kerri Seekins-Crowe Legislature 2025

Click to comment

Montana

Montana Supreme Court allows ballot measure on initiative process to move forward

Published

4 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Montana Supreme Court allows ballot measure on initiative process to move forward

HELENA — The Montana Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a proposed ballot measure intended to simplify the process for introducing ballot measures in the future.

Justices ruled 5-2 that the measure, currently called Ballot Issue #8, did not violate state requirements that a single constitutional amendment can’t make multiple separate changes to the Montana Constitution.

“We’re very grateful to the Montana Supreme Court for agreeing with us that the attorney general’s finding of legal insufficiency for Ballot Issue #8 was incorrect,” said SK Rossi, a spokesperson for Montanans Decide, the group sponsoring the measure.

Montanans Decide argues the Montana Legislature has passed laws making it harder for the public to propose and pass ballot issues. The Montana Constitution already guarantees the people the right to pass laws and amendments through ballot measures, but Ballot Issue #8 would expand that to include a right to “impartial, predictable, transparent, and expeditious processes” for proposing those measures. It would seek to prevent “interference from the government or the use of government resources to support or oppose the ballot issue.”

Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s office argued the measure “implicitly amended” multiple provisions in the state constitution, including by limiting the “power and authority of public officials to speak officially on ballot issues that affect those officials’ public duties” and by putting restrictions on judges and on the Legislature. Montanans Decide, the group sponsoring Ballot Issue #8, disagreed – and the majority of justices sided with them.

“Its provisions operate together to define and protect a single constitutional right—the people’s exercise of initiative and referendum,” wrote Justice Katherine Bidegaray in the majority opinion. “They are closely related components of one constitutional design.”

Bidegaray’s majority opinion was joined by Justices Jim Shea, Laurie McKinnon, Beth Baker and Ingrid Gustafson.

Chief Justice Cory Swanson and Justice Jim Rice each wrote dissenting opinions, saying they would have upheld Knudsen’s decision to disallow Ballot Issue #8. Rice said the language restricting government interference with a ballot issue was not closely related and should have been a separate vote. Swanson agreed with Rice and said the measure’s attempt to fix a timeline for legal cases surrounding ballot measures was also a separate substantial change.

In a statement, Chase Scheuer, a spokesperson for Knudsen’s office, reacted to the decision.

“This decision only further muddies the courts’ jurisprudence on ballot issue questions,” he said. “This initiative would violate the separate vote requirement by amending multiple parts of the Montana Constitution, but the court contradicted its prior rulings. Attorney General Knudsen will continue to neutrally apply the separate vote requirement in his review of ballot initiatives.”

The court’s decision means that Knudsen’s office will now need to approve ballot language for Ballot Issue #8. Once that language is finalized, Montanans Decide could begin gathering signatures to qualify the measure for the November ballot.

However, last year, sponsors of another initiative went to the Supreme Court to argue that the ballot statements Knudsen prepared were misleading. If Montanans Decide object to their ballot statements, that could further delay signature gathering while the case plays out in court.

“Regardless, we’re going to push as hard as we can to get those petitions into the hands of voters and let them sign and support if they so choose,” said Rossi.

Rossi said the legal battle this measure has gone through – and the possibility of more to come – shows why Ballot Issue #8 is needed.

“The state Legislature, and also statewide elected officials, have taken every opportunity to create burdens and hurdles and rigamarole for campaigns to get through in order to just get to the signature gathering phase, and then to get through the signature gathering phase onto the ballot, and then get through the election phase,” said Rossi. “The reason we filed this initiative is just to make sure that the process is simple, that the timeline is clear, and that Montanans can have their will heard when they want to propose and pass laws that they deem worthy.”

Source link

Montana

Christi Jacobsen enters race for Western House seat

Published

17 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Christi Jacobsen enters race for Western House seat

HELENA, Mont. — Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen is running for Montana’s Western Congressional District seat, entering the race a day after U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke announced he would not seek reelection.

Jacobsen’s announcement sets up a new contest for the open seat after Zinke, a Republican, said he would seek reelection.

BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT

“As your Secretary of State, I’ve stood up to Washington overreach, defended election integrity, and delivered real results for Montanans. In 2020, voters gave me a mandate to clean up our elections, grow Montana business, and push back against radical liberal special interests. I delivered. Now it’s time to take that same results-driven, America First leadership to Congress.”

Source link

Montana

Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for March 2, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 2, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing

02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from March 2 drawing

03-08-17-24-34, Star Ball: 06, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from March 2 drawing

06-12-19-29, Bonus: 11

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 2 drawing

21-28-58-65-67, Powerball: 25

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 2 drawing

28-41-42-50-55, Bonus: 02

Check Millionaire for Life 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.
Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

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.

Source link