Lawmakers Spar Over the Role of the Judiciary as the 69th Montana Legislative Session Begins

With the 2025 Montana Legislative session underway, lawmakers this session are not only creating new law, but also examining how the law is interpreted and enforced by the judicial branch.

Twenty-seven bills aimed at judicial reform are on the table in both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees as well as the House State Administration Committee – bills that lawmakers say could alter the balance of power between the legislative and judicial branches.

These bills, five of which are scheduled for a first hearing this week, come at a time when friction between the legislative and judicial bra...