Rep. Tom Millett

Maddy summaryHB 293 revises laws concerning county election administrators. The bill specifies that if a county's governing body designates an official other than the county clerk and recorder, or appoints a separate election administrator, that individual must report directly to the county's governing body. It also clarifies the election administrator's duties, which include managing voter registration, overseeing elections, and serving as the primary county contact for the statewide voter registration list.

Maddy summaryHB 292 establishes the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, designed to protect individuals from civil lawsuits based on their communications in governmental proceedings or their exercise of free speech and assembly rights on matters of public concern. The bill allows a person facing such a lawsuit to file a "special motion for expedited relief" to dismiss the case quickly. Filing this motion generally pauses other legal proceedings, and if the court finds the lawsuit lacks a sufficient legal or factual basis, it must be dismissed. The act also provides for the award of court costs and attorney fees to the prevailing party on this special motion and allows for expedited appeals.

Maddy summaryHB 39 repeals Montana's law (Section 13-35-231, MCA) that prohibited political parties from contributing to judicial candidates, including justices of the peace. This change removes a longstanding ban, allowing political parties to make financial contributions to candidates running for judicial office for the first time. The bill also amends campaign finance laws to explicitly permit political party committees to participate in joint fundraising for judicial races. As a result, political parties and judicial candidates will directly be affected by this policy shift.

Maddy summaryHB 170 would have required Montana state agencies to obtain legislative approval before submitting federal grant applications. Specifically, agencies must submit applications to the legislature (during session) or an interim committee (when legislature is adjourned) for review and concurrence before forwarding them to the federal government. The bill also mandated annual reports detailing all federal funding requests, including agency names, amounts, and legislative approval status. The bill was withdrawn on January 16, 2025, and did not advance further.