Montana
Transgender women file class-action suit against Montana
(Missoula Current) Two transgender women on Thursday filed a class-action lawsuit against the state of Montana challenging a policy that bars them and other individuals from changing the gender designation on their birth certificate.
The lawsuit, filed in Lewis and Clark County District Court, is also challenging a policy that doesn’t allow transgender Montanans to update the sex listed on their driver’s licenses.
In 2021, Montana enacted SB 280, which only allows for changes in sex designation on birth certificates upon “receipt of a court order indicating that the sex of a person has been changed by surgical procedure.”
According to the plaintiffs, one identified as Jane Doe and the other as Jessica Kalarchik, the state has ignored a previous court order that blocked the state from enforcing SB 280.
Rather, they said, the Montana Department of Public health and Human Services issued an emergency rule banning changes to sex designations on birth certificates. The rule has since become permanent, they said.
“After finally being able to live my life openly as the woman I know myself to be, I am frustrated that my birth state, Montana, is forcing me to carry around a birth certificate that incorrectly lists my sex as male,” said Kalarchik.
She added, “I am being forced to use a birth certificate that is inaccurate and that places me at risk of discrimination and harassment whenever I have to present it. I live my life openly as a woman, I am treated as a woman in my daily life, and there is no reason I should be forced to carry a birth certificate that incorrectly identifies me as male.”
Kalarchik served in the U.S. Army for 31 years. She and other members of the suit are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Montana, and Nixon Peabody LLP. Together, they’re seeking a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the state’s regulations, policies and practices.
“Once again the state of Montana has chosen to adopt a draconian policy that is clearly intended to marginalize transgender Montanans,” said Akilah Deernose, executive director for the ACLU of Montana. “The State of Montana clearly has not learned any lessons from the past few years, where Courts have repeatedly struck down unconstitutional laws targeting transgender Montanans.”
Montana
Dear Editor: Governor’s Veto of SB442
Dear Editor,
Did you get your new property tax bill? Well, if you’re not crying or in a fit of rage, the Montana Republicans just gave you another increase in your taxes! Last week, the Secretary of State announced that the Legislature failed to override Governor Gianforte’s veto of SB442, a bi-partisan piece of legislation that flew through the House and Senate by overwhelming majorities.
This important legislation would have directed the use of Marijuana taxes and, according to the Legislative Services Division, invested more than $16 million to fix county roads in every county in Montana. The bill also would have made major investments in public lands, behavioral health, and veteran’s services. Now, these revenues will be directed to the General Fund instead of locally, where they would have been put to good use.
After months of litigation, the Montana Supreme Court ruled that the Governor’s veto was unconstitutional. In typical fashion, Republicans cried foul, citing government overreach, and chose to take it out on the taxpayers instead of the increasingly unpopular Governor for his unbelievable actions.
It only makes one wonder if the Governor plans to distribute these funds to his wealthy contributors or corporate interests as he did in 2023.
Maybe you should ask Becky Beard, a sitting Senator, why she declined to vote on this matter. It certainly wasn’t to help the local hunters, recreationists, or taxpayers.
JEFF BENSON
Boulder, Montana
District 38 Senate Candidate
Montana
Letter: Endorsement of Kyle McMurray
Montana
Montana Spring Wheat Variety Performance Evaluations Released
Montana State University has released their 2023 Montana Spring Wheat Performance Evaluations. These trials are based on wheat variety performance in multiple locations across the state through multiple years. This performance summary compares agronomic characteristics of spring wheat varieties evaluated by Montana Agricultural Experiment Stations and other varieties commonly grown in the state. The trials take place in 11 locations across the state and region, which locally include Sidney (irrigated and dryland) and just across the border in Williston (NDSU, dryland). This data is aimed to help farmers select the variety which performs the best in their area and growing conditions.
A list of quick facts that summaries the results and gives descriptions of the varieties can be found at https://plantsciences.montana.edu/foundationseed/quickfacts/ while a full report can be found at https://plantsciences.montana.edu/crops/index.html or by stopping into the Richland County Extension Office.
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