GOP Legislature Bends Rules to Ignore Ruling From Co-Equal Branch of Government

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 14th, 2023

CONTACT
hadley@montanademocrats.org

House Republicans Behaving Like Paid Lobbyists for NorthWestern Energy

Helena, MT – House Republicans took a remarkable step today and voted to suspend their own rules so they could introduce a bill (past the introduction deadline) that directly overrides a recent decision of the Montana Courts. 

House Republicans are attempting to override a decision by a district judge, who recently vacated an air permit for NorthWestern Energy’s (NWE) new plant because the DEQ improperly decided not to consider the plant’s greenhouse gas emissions. 

The court noted that the NWE plant is just 15 miles from Montana’s largest city, Billings, is located on the “pristine” Yellowstone River, and is expected to release nearly 770,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.

The court decision, which draws on the Montana Environmental Policy Act and on the Montana State Constitution’s “Right to a Clean and Healthful Environment”, could require NorthWestern to stop or delay building the power plant, according to the plaintiffs and the defendants.   

Instead of abiding by the rule of law, House Republicans took extraordinary measures today to introduce HB 971, which would forbid “evaluations of greenhouse gas emissions” in environmental review. This comes just a week after the court ruling on the plant.  

“This is an 11th hour Hail Mary pass by House Republicans. Suspending the rules to introduce a bill like this is a stunning abuse of power, which appears to be at the direct service of a multimillion dollar corporation,” says Sheila Hogan, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. “Republicans continue to circumvent checks and balances, our courts, and our state constitution.”

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