Rep. Lukas Schubert

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 895 (HB 895) proposed to allow individuals and businesses to subtract a portion of the income earned from the sale of a newly constructed residence when calculating their Montana state taxable income. This means that a part of the profit from selling these homes would be exempt from state income tax. The bill aimed to adjust Montana's tax code by creating this specific income exclusion. It would directly affect sellers of newly built homes by potentially reducing their state income tax liability.

Maddy summaryHB 322 proposed to reduce the number of associate justices on the Montana Supreme Court from six to four. The bill aimed to eliminate two specific associate justice positions, seat numbers 5 and 6, whose terms conclude in January 2029. To achieve this reduction, there would be no elections held for these two seats in November 2028. The change in the number of justices would become effective on the first Monday of January 2029.

Maddy summaryHB 479 sought to require all candidates for public office in Montana to disclose their citizenship status. Under this bill, individuals filing a declaration for nomination or a declaration of intent as a write-in candidate would have been required to state if they hold citizenship in any country other than the United States or are a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe. If applicable, candidates would also need to list their other country or countries of citizenship. This citizenship information would then be made publicly available online by the Secretary of State.

Maddy summaryHB 724 proposes to change the date of the primary election held in even-numbered years in Montana. Currently, these primary elections occur on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June. This bill would shift that date earlier, moving the primary election to the third Tuesday in May. This change directly affects all eligible voters and candidates participating in primary elections throughout the state. It also requires the secretary of state to notify federally recognized tribal governments about the change.

Maddy summaryHB 751 proposed to change the election process for Supreme Court Justices and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. It would have required these judicial candidates to be nominated and elected on a partisan ballot, aligning their elections with other partisan offices. The bill also would have allowed candidates for these positions to accept political endorsements and contributions from political parties. Candidates who chose not to affiliate with a political party would appear on the ballot as "undisclosed," with a limit of one such candidate advancing to the general election. Additionally, for incumbent justices running for retention, their political party designation would be included on the ballot.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new property tax classification for manufacturing facilities in Montana, affecting land and improvements used to transform materials into new products or assemble components for non-construction purposes. The legislation establishes that manufacturing property will be taxed at 1.47% of its market value, with specific rules for determining classification when a parcel contains mixed uses. The changes apply to property tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and would impact businesses operating manufacturing operations in the state.

Maddy summaryHB 840 proposed creating a nine-member legislative committee, composed of five House members and four Senate members. This committee would be tasked with investigating district court judges and supreme court justices to assess their independence and the quality of their rulings. It would establish standards for rulings, disseminate its findings, and could contract for investigative services. The bill appropriated $473,000 for the first biennium to support the committee's work, which was set to terminate on December 31, 2028.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 927 would have required a wide range of professionals and officials in Montana to report individuals they know are "not lawfully present in the United States" to the state Department of Justice. These mandatory reporters would have included healthcare providers, school staff, social workers, law enforcement, and certain clergy members. The bill outlined procedures for the Department of Justice to receive and record these reports, with the option to share information with federal immigration agencies while keeping the reporter's identity confidential. Failure to make a required report would have been a misdemeanor.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 482 (HB 482) proposed to change how local government elections are conducted. It would have required all local government elections, including those for county managers, municipal council-mayors, and municipal commission-managers, to be held on a partisan basis. This bill aimed to eliminate the current option for local elections to be nonpartisan, meaning candidates would run with a declared political party affiliation. It would have directly affected voters and candidates in local elections across the state.

Maddy summaryHB 733 aimed to prohibit the enforcement of certain federal firearms laws within Montana. It would have prevented peace officers, state employees, and employees of political subdivisions from enforcing federal firearms laws, rules, executive orders, or regulations. This prohibition would apply to federal measures enacted after November 9, 1889, that are more restrictive than Montana's existing firearms laws. The bill was intended to take effect immediately upon passage and approval, with retroactive applicability to relevant federal laws adopted or interpreted more restrictively since November 8, 1889.