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Articles written by Austin Amestoy


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  • Montana Legislature Adjourns With Marijuana, Budget and Tax Plans En Route to Governor

    Austin Amestoy, UM Legislative News Service|May 5, 2021

    The 67th Montana Legislature has adjourned, capping four months of work in an unprecedented hybrid session as the state and the nation struggle to end the COVID-19 pandemic. With more than 1,300 bills introduced, 500 passed and 350 signed into law, the 2021 session saw conservatives advance a flood of legislation to the governor's desk, fueled by the presence of a Republican in the state's highest office for the first time in 16 years. Much of that legislation dealt with fallout from the... Full story

  • Pair of Bills Seek Prohibition on Discrimination Based on Vaccination Status, Possessing a Vaccine Passport

    Austin Amestoy, UM Legislative News Service|Apr 21, 2021

    After the narrow defeat of a similar measure earlier in the session, lawmakers in the Montana Legislature have revived a debate over vaccine passports and exemptions. The bill is drawing supporters who are anti-vaccine and say the legislation would preserve freedoms and opponents from the medical industry who say forcing private businesses to accept vaccine exemptions risks public health and safety. Rep. Jennifer Carlson, R-Manhattan, is sponsoring House Bill 702, which seeks to prohibit discrimination by private businesses or government...

  • Montana State Budget Clears House of Representatives, Lawmakers Consider Ag Bill in Week 12 of Legislative Session

    Austin Amestoy, UM Legislative News Service University of Montana School of Journalism|Mar 31, 2021

    The state budget cleared another major hurdle in the Montana Legislature after lawmakers in the House of Representatives passed it down party lines on Wednesday, March 24, with all 67 Republicans voting in favor and 33 Democrats against. House Bill 2 determines how much money state agencies will receive from a pool of about $12.6 billion over the next two years. Passing a balanced state budget is the only task the Legislature is constitutionally required to do. But, the partisan divide in the final House vote reflects differences between...

  • First Week of 67th Legislative Session Sees New Governor, COVID-19 Plans and Gun Bills

    Austin Amestoy, UM Legislative News Service|Jan 13, 2021

    HELENA -- A bill to reduce COVID-19 liability for Montana businesses and the first meeting of the Legislature's COVID-19 panel came during the first week of the session, a day after Republican leadership confirmed the first known positive test for the virus in a legislator late Thursday. Presumptive Chair of the COVID-19 panel, Jason Ellsworth, R-Hamilton, announced in a press release Thursday that Rep. David Bedey, R-Hamilton, tested positive for the virus and was quarantining away from the...