Republican Supermajority’s Abuses of Power Threaten to Cost Montana Taxpayers Millions of Dollars

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 2, 2024

CONTACT
gaby@montanademocrats.org

Helena, MT – Due to its abuse of power, the Montana Supreme Court ruled this week that the Republican Supermajority Legislature owes attorney fees after knowingly enacting an unconstitutional bill in the final hours of the 2021 legislative session.

Now Montana taxpayers are paying the price after the extreme Republican supermajority abused its power in efforts to suppress the votes of young Montanans.

“The Republican supermajority in the Legislature knowingly passed laws that were clearly unconstitutional,” said Sheila Hogan, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party. “Their abuse of power threatens to cost Montana taxpayers millions of dollars in legal expenses, in addition to their record-high property tax bills.

Background
The Montana Free Press is reporting this week the Supreme Court’s ruling comes from a 2021 lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of Senate Bill 319 – a bill that passed in the House and Senate and later amended in a special committee meeting that failed to give proper notice and opportunity for public comment.

The synopsis of the case states Senate Bill 319 originally addressed political fundraising regulations, but a new version of the bill contained amendments that veered far from the bill’s original content. 

One of these amendments included voter suppression efforts to stop all voter registration on the campuses and facilities of the Montana University System. The amendments were later struck down and deemed unconstitutional.
 

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