Montana Legislature

Legislative branch of the state government of Montana

Montana State Legislature

Type
Type	Bicameral
Houses	Senate House of Representatives
Term limits	Senate: 2 terms (8 years) House: 4 terms (8 years)
Leadership
President of the Senate	Jason Ellsworth, (R) since January 2, 2023
Senate Majority Leader	Steve Fitzpatrick, (R) since January 2, 2023
Speaker of the House	Matt Regier, (R) since January 2, 2023
House Majority Leader	Sue Vinton, (R) since January 4, 2021
Structure
Seats	150 50 senators 100 representatives

Senate political groups	Republican (34) Democratic (16)

House of Representatives political groups	Republican (68) Democratic (32)
Length of term	Senate: 4 years House: 2 years
Salary	$90.64/day + per diem
Elections
Last Senate election	November 8, 2022
Last House of Representatives election	November 8, 2022
Next Senate election	November 5, 2024
Next House of Representatives election	November 5, 2024
Redistricting	Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission
Meeting place

Montana State Capitol Helena
Website
www.leg.mt.gov

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]

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.

References

^ ^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

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)

Members of the Montana Senate

68th Legislature (2023-2024)

President of the Senate: Jason Ellsworth (R)
President pro tempore: Kenneth Bogner (R)
Majority Leader: Steve Fitzpatrick (R)
Minority Leader: Pat Flowers (D)

▌Mike Cuffe (R)
▌Carl Glimm (R)
▌Keith Regier (R)
▌John Fuller (R)
▌Mark Noland (R)
▌Greg Hertz (R)
▌Bob Brown (R)
▌Susan Webber (D)
▌Bruce Gillespie (R)
▌Steve Fitzpatrick (R)
▌Daniel Emrich (R)
▌Wendy McKamey (R)
▌Jeremy Trebas (R)
▌Russel Tempel (R)
▌Dan Bartel (R)
▌Mike Fox (D)
▌Mike Lang (R)
▌Steve Hinebauch (R)
▌Kenneth Bogner (R)
▌Barry Usher (R)
▌Jason Small (R)
▌Daniel Zolnikov (R)
▌Tom McGillvray (R)
▌Kathy Kelker (D)
▌Jen Gross (D)
▌Chris Friedel (R)
▌Dennis Lenz (R)
▌Brad Molnar (R)
▌Forrest Mandeville (R)
▌John Esp (R)
▌Christopher Pope (D)
▌Pat Flowers (D)
▌Denise Hayman (D)
▌Shelley Vance (R)
▌Walt Sales (R)
▌Jeffrey Welborn (R)
▌Ryan Lynch (D)
▌Edith McClafferty (D)
▌Terry Vermeire (R)
▌Becky Beard (R)
▌Janet Ellis (D)
▌Mary Ann Dunwell (D)
▌Jason Ellsworth (R)
▌Theresa Manzella (R)
▌Ellie Boldman (D)
▌Shannon O'Brien (D)
▌Daniel Salomon (R)
▌Shane Morigeau (D)
▌Willis Curdy (D)
▌Andrea Olsen (D)

▌Republican (34)
▌Democratic (16)

Montana Legislature
- Montana House of Representatives
- Montana Senate

v t e Members of the Montana House of Representatives
68th Legislature (2023-2024) Speaker of the House Matt Regier (R) Speaker pro tempore Rhonda Knudsen (R) Majority Leader Sue Vinton (R) Minority Leader Kim Abbott (D)
▌Steve Gunderson (R) ▌Neil Duram (R) ▌Braxton Mitchell (R) ▌Matt Regier (R) ▌Dave Fern (D) ▌Amy Regier (R) ▌Courtenay Sprunger (R) ▌Terry Falk (R) ▌Tony Brockman (R) ▌Bob Keenan (R) ▌Tanner Smith (R) ▌Linda Reksten (R) ▌Paul Fielder (R) ▌Denley Loge (R) ▌Marvin Weatherwax (D) ▌Tyson Running Wolf (D) ▌Ross Fitzgerald (R) ▌Llew Jones (R) ▌Russ Miner (R) ▌Fred Anderson (R) ▌Edward Buttrey (R) ▌Lola Sheldon-Galloway (R) ▌Scot Kerns (R) ▌Steven Galloway (R) ▌Steve Gist (R) ▌George Nikolakakos (R) ▌Joshua Kassmier (R) ▌Paul Tuss (D) ▌Edward Butcher (R) ▌James Bergstrom (R) ▌Frank Smith (D) ▌Jonathan Windy Boy (D) ▌Casey Knudsen (R) ▌Rhonda Knudsen (R) ▌Brandon Ler (R) ▌Bob Phalen (R) ▌Jerry Schillinger (R) ▌Greg Kmetz (R) ▌Gary Parry (R) ▌Greg Oblander (R) ▌Gayle Lammers (R) ▌Sharon Stewart-Peregoy (D) ▌Kerri Seekins-Crowe (R) ▌Larry Brewster (R) ▌Katie Zolnikov (R) ▌Bill Mercer (R) ▌Denise Baum (D) ▌Jodee Etchart (R) ▌Emma Kerr-Carpenter (D) ▌Naarah Hastings (R) ▌Mike Yakawich (R) ▌Sherry Essmann (R) ▌Nelly Nicol (R) ▌Terry Moore (R) ▌Lee Deming (R) ▌Sue Vinton (R) ▌Fiona Nave (R) ▌Brad Barker (R) ▌Marty Malone (R) ▌Laurie Bishop (D) ▌Jim Hamilton (D) ▌Ed Stafman (D) ▌Alice Buckley (D) ▌Jane Gillette (R) ▌Kelly Kortum (D) ▌Eric Matthews (D) ▌Jedediah Hinkle (R) ▌Caleb Hinkle (R) ▌Jennifer Carlson (R) ▌Julie Dooling (R) ▌Kenneth Walsh (R) ▌Tom Welch (R) ▌Jennifer Lynch (D) ▌Derek J. Harvey (D) ▌Marta Bertoglio (R) ▌Donavon Hawk (D) ▌John Fitzpatrick (R) ▌Gregory Frazer (R) ▌Laura Smith (D) ▌Zachary Wirth (R) ▌Melissa Romano (D) ▌Mary Caferro (D) ▌Kim Abbott (D) ▌Jill Cohenour (D) ▌Michele Binkley (R) ▌David Bedey (R) ▌Ron Marshall (R) ▌Wayne Rusk (R) ▌Katie Sullivan (D) ▌Marilyn Marler (D) ▌Connie Keogh (D) ▌Mike Hopkins (R) ▌Joe Read (R) ▌Tom France (D) ▌SJ Howell (D) ▌Jonathan Karlen (D) ▌Lyn Hellegaard (R) ▌Bob Carter (D) ▌Mark Thane (D) ▌Zooey Zephyr (D)
▌Republican (68) ▌Democratic (32) Montana Legislature Montana House of Representatives Montana Senate

v t e Legislatures of the United States
United States Congress	United States House of Representatives United States Senate
State legislatures	Alabama (H, S) Alaska (H, S) Arizona (H, S) Arkansas (H, S) California (A, S) Colorado (H, S) Connecticut (H, S) Delaware (H, S) Florida (H, S) Georgia (H, S) Hawaii (H, S) Idaho (H, S) Illinois (H, S) Indiana (H, S) Iowa (H, S) Kansas (H, S) Kentucky (H, S) Louisiana (H, S) Maine (H, S) Maryland (H, S) Massachusetts (H, S) Michigan (H, S) Minnesota (H, S) Mississippi (H, S) Missouri (H, S) Montana (H, S) Nebraska Nevada (A, S) New Hampshire (H, S) New Jersey (GA, S) New Mexico (H, S) New York (A, S) North Carolina (H, S) North Dakota (H, S) Ohio (H, S) Oklahoma (H, S) Oregon (H, S) Pennsylvania (H, S) Rhode Island (H, S) South Carolina (H, S) South Dakota (H, S) Tennessee (H, S) Texas (H, S) Utah (H, S) Vermont (H, S) Virginia (H, S) Washington (H, S) West Virginia (H, S) Wisconsin (A, S) Wyoming (H, S)
Other legislatures	District of Columbia American Samoa (H, S) Guam Northern Mariana Islands (H, S) Puerto Rico (H, S) U.S. Virgin Islands
Legislative elections	2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
List of U.S. state legislators