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The Montana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Montana. It is composed of the 100-member Montana House of Representatives and the 50-member Montana Senate.[1]
Montana State Legislature | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | Senate House of Representatives |
Term limits | Senate: 2 terms (8 years) House: 4 terms (8 years) |
| Leadership | |
Senate President | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 150
|
 | |
Senate political groups |
|
 | |
House of Representatives political groups |
|
Length of term | Senate: 4 years House: 2 years |
| Salary | $90.64/day + per diem |
| Elections | |
Last Senate election | November 5, 2024 |
Last House of Representatives election | November 5, 2024 |
Next Senate election | November 3, 2026 |
Next House of Representatives election | November 3, 2026 |
| Redistricting | Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Montana State Capitol Helena | |
| Website | |
| www | |
The Montana Constitution dictates that the legislature meet in regular session for no longer than 90 days in each odd-numbered year.[1] The primary work of the legislature is to pass a balanced biennial budget which must then be approved by the governor. If the governor vetoes a bill, the legislature may override the veto by a two-thirds vote.[1]
Since the beginning of statehood for Montana, the Legislature has been split along party lines fairly consistently and evenly. Since adoption of the current state constitution in 1972, which mandated single-member legislative districts for the first time in the state's history, the Montana Senate has been controlled by Democrats in 9 sessions and Republicans in 16 sessions.[2] During the same period, the Montana House has been controlled by Democrats in 8 sessions and Republicans in 15 sessions, with two ties. According to state law, in the instance of a tie, control goes to the party of the sitting governor. The 67th Legislature (2021–2022) was controlled by the Republican Party with the House having 67 Republican members and 33 Democratic members; the Senate has 31 Republican and 19 Democratic members.[2]
The 68th Legislature (2023-2024) is controlled by a Republican "supermajority," meaning that Republicans control two-thirds of the seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, allowing them to override gubernatorial vetoes and potentially pass proposals for amendments to the Montana Constitution.[3]
Members are limited to serving no more than eight years in either chamber, but the term limit is consecutive, not lifetime.[4]
Legislative districts are redrawn every ten years, after each census.[5] The new boundaries, after the 2020 census, became effective starting with the 2024 elections.[6]
The Montana State Legislature meets in the state capitol in Helena.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Montana Legislature: Organization". Montana Legislature. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
- ^ a b "Majority and Minority Party Numbers 1889 - Present". Montana Legislature.
- ^ Marino, Michael, J. (January 6, 2023). "Lawmakers Sworn In, Set Hearings for Over 4,000 Pending Bills". Yellowstone County News. p. 1. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Johnson, Charles (February 24, 2015). "State Senate committee tables proposed ballot measure to end term limits". Missoulian.
- ^ "Article 5, Section 14 Districting And Apportionment". State of Montana. November 6, 1984. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ "Montana state legislative districts". Ballotpedia. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
External links
edit- Official Montana State Legislature Website
- Party Control in the Montana Legislature
- Montana's split-party control statute
- Maggie Smith Hathaway Collection (University of Montana Archives)
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