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Committee records missed vote, approves Senate Bill 31 5-3
Summary
A Montana Senate committee reconvened to record a previously missed vote and approved Senate Bill 31 after a roll call that ended 5-3. Opposition included concerns the measure would affect the public defender system, which the chair disputed.
A Montana Senate committee reconvened to record a missed vote and approved Senate Bill 31 by a 5-3 roll call.
Committee leadership opened the meeting by saying members discovered a previously missed vote on Senate Bill 31 after reviewing meeting recordings. "We evidently missed DA on 1 bill. I guess, we went back and looked at the tape, and we opened it, and then didn't actually vote on it. So and it was, senate bill 31," a committee member said.
The motion to pass Senate Bill 31 was made aloud during the session: "Mister chairman I move to pass on senate bill 31." The committee then took a roll-call vote that produced five affirmative votes and three negative votes. The roll call recorded the following votes: Vice Chair Ricky — yes; Vice Chair Olsen — no (by proxy); Senator Emmerich — yes; Senator Manzilla — yes; Senator Newman — no; Senator Smith — no (by proxy); Senator Vinton — yes; Chair Usher — yes. The chair then closed the meeting and set the next convening: "We will stand adjourned until, March 17 '9 AM."
During discussion, Senator Newman registered opposition, saying, "I'd like to register, my, opposition to this bill. I think that it will weaken, public defender system, and it's something that so so much and so many." Chair Usher responded, "Word not to put you down on the record, but this has nothing to do with public defenders. With that said, we'll take a roll call vote." Later in the roll call sequence Newman clarified he had initially spoken to the wrong bill but reaffirmed his opposition: "I spoke to the wrong bill. Chair Usher was right, but I also don't support this bill," he said.
No formal amendments, funding provisions, statutory citations, or secondary motions were recorded in the transcript for this item. The committee's formal action — the motion to pass Senate Bill 31 and the roll-call vote — is the substantive outcome captured in the record.
The committee adjourned after thanking temporary staff who covered administrative duties during the correction of the missed vote.
