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Montana Senate approves multiple committee reassignments, including additions to rules and finance panels
Summary
The Montana Senate on the floor approved a series of motions changing committee memberships, adding senators to the rules committee and moving members between finance, business and judiciary panels. One attempt to reconsider a separate bill failed earlier in the session.
The Montana State Senate approved several committee reassignments late in the day, voting largely along a 27-23 margin to add members to the rules panel and move senators among finance, business and judiciary committees.
Senator Cashmyer moved to add “senators Lammers, myself, Casimir, and senator Newman to the rules committee,” and the chamber approved the motion with 27 senators voting yes and 23 voting no. The Senate later approved a motion to add Senator Lammers (Senate District 21) to finance and claims and section A, again by a 27-23 vote.
Why it matters: committee assignments shape which senators hear and shape legislation. Several senators objected to the floor-driven changes during debate, saying assignments had already been settled and that moving members now could leave some committees short-handed.
Senator Tom McGilvray, identified in debate as the majority leader, told colleagues: “I would resist this motion,” and argued that last-minute changes after committees were assigned undermined the chamber’s norms. Senator McGilvray said senators had voted on initial committee placements “on day 1” and that reassignments threatened committee balance.
Other senators spoke in favor of the changes. Senator Ellsworth, after offering to meet privately with Senator Lammers about the transition, urged colleagues to support the motions. Senator Lammers addressed the chamber directly, saying, “I never requested to be on judiciary. I feel like I was forced on,” then added he supported the motion to move.
The floor also divided a combined motion to move two senators: the chamber took the separate question to move Senator Ellsworth from finance and claims to business and labor and to move Senator Phelan from business and labor to judiciary. Those separate motions were read and recorded on the floor and carried by majority vote where recorded.
Earlier in the day, Senator Emmerich moved to reconsider actions on Senate Bill 43, described in the motion as “generally revised injunctive powers of the judiciary,” and to place it back on second reading. That motion failed; the clerk’s tally recorded 24 voting yes and 26 voting no, and the motion did not pass.
No formal change to the chamber’s standing rules was printed in the record; sponsors argued they were using the floor’s motion process to refer or reassign membership. Multiple senators raised procedural concerns during debate, citing Senate rule references and arguing leadership should handle reassignments rather than large floor motions.
What’s next: the affected committee chairs and members will adjust rosters and schedules; several committee chairs signaled they would brief reassigned members on forthcoming hearings so they could participate in incoming committee work.
Votes at a glance: - Motion to add Senators Lammers, Cashmyer (self), Casimir and Newman to Senate Rules Committee — mover: Senator Cashmyer; outcome: approved; tally: 27 yes, 23 no. - Motion to add Senator Lammers (SD 21) to Finance and Claims (Section A) — mover: Senator Cashmyer; outcome: approved; tally: 27 yes, 23 no. - Motion to move Senator Ellsworth from Finance & Claims to Business & Labor — mover: Senator Ellsworth (notice read on floor); outcome: approved (vote recorded during sequence of motions; majority vote recorded as passed). - Motion to move Senator Phelan (from Business & Labor to Judiciary) — mover: Senator Ellsworth (part of divided question); outcome: approved (vote recorded as passed). - Motion to reconsider Senate Bill 43 (short title: generally revised injunctive powers of the judiciary) — mover: Senator Emmerich; outcome: failed; tally: 24 yes, 26 no.
The record shows repeated council and senator statements of concern that rapid floor referrals and reassignment motions could short-circuit the usual consultation between leadership and committee chairs. Senators who objected urged colleagues to preserve committee continuity and to avoid last-minute ‘musical chairs.’
Ending: Following the votes, several senators said they would meet one-on-one with reassigned members to bring them up to speed on upcoming hearings. The chamber’s procedural debate about who should control committee rosters remained a point of contention as the session continued.
