Montana Legislative Session: Part 2
Welcome back!
The Montana Legislature is back in full swing after the mid-session transmittal break last week. Everyone needed and deserved a break after grueling committee hearings and floor sessions that went on for hours, sometimes into the late evening hours.
This morning, everyone looked refreshed and ready to dig in again. All bills that made it through 3rd reading in their chamber of origin have now been transmitted to the opposite chamber to start the process over, and those not fortunate enough to have made it that far are dead. As a recap, our two bills to ban mRNA (HB 371 and HB 418) did not survive the process but our 3rd priority bill, HB 682, passed the floor vote on March 5, with an unfriendly amendment, and is now headed to the Senate Judiciary committee.
The bill, which we refer to as the “detransitioner bill of rights,” gives an extended period of time for a minor harmed in gender transition care to sue the healthcare practitioners as well as requires insurance companies to provide detransition care if they first provide transition services. It does seem that medical malpractice suits are the best way to stop the unethical assault on our youth by activist doctors, social workers, and counselors.
HB 682 passed along party lines to clear the House vote, but not before a democrat (Mark Thane) stood during 2nd reading to offer an amendment that reduced the statute of limitation from 25 years to 4 years from the date the person reaches 18 years of age or within 4 years from the time of discovery of both the injury and the causal relationship between the gender transition treatment and the injury, whichever is later. Unfortunately, our moderate Republicans voted in favor of this very unfriendly amendment, but we will offer an amendment on the Senate side to regain some of the reduced years. We’re looking forward to another lively and informative Senate hearing. No date is set as of yet.
Moving along, the other bills that we are engaging on this week are:
Support: SB 154- Revise prohibition on sale or purchase of human body parts under the revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act. Hearing was today in House Judiciary
Support: SB 136- Prohibit consent as a defense for physician-assisted suicide. Hearing is in House Judiciary March 19th
Support: SB 218- Provide for private right of action for injuries caused by certain medical actions to treat gender dysphoria. Hearing is in House Judiciary March 21st.
Support: SB 164- Revise offense of endangering the welfare of children. Hearing is in House Judiciary March 21st.
Support HB 350- Prohibit enforcement of policies issued by certain intergovernmental entities. Hearing is in Senate Energy, Technology & Federal Relations March 20th.
To see the complete list of bills that we are engaged on, look up the bill text or sign up to participate, please check our Legislative Tracker for all the information.
Finally, there is an exciting opportunity in Helena this Thursday, March 20th 0900-1200 at the DoubleTree put on by the Leadership Institute. For a $5 registration fee, the Activism Workshop “teaches you how to build and mobilize a grassroots organization, as well as engage government officials and stakeholders on issues.” Please see this link to learn more and register.
Hope to see some of you there. If we are going to save Montana, we need to get involved!