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Votes at a glance: Montana Senate passes two water bills, moves other items
Summary
On Jan. 20, 2025, the Montana Senate passed Senate Bill 61 (streamflow measurement) and Senate Bill 76 (water-rights preliminary determinations), moved Senate Bill 26 back to committee, and adopted committee reports including transmission of several House bills.
The Montana Senate on Jan. 20, 2025, recorded several final votes and procedural actions: Senate Bill 61 and Senate Bill 76 passed the Senate; Majority Leader McGillivray successfully moved Senate Bill 26 off third reading and referred it back to the Highways and Transportation Committee; and the chamber received and recorded committee reports and multiple House bills transmitted for concurrence.
Senate Bill 61, introduced by Senator Gillespie and described in the chamber as revising laws related to considerations for measuring streamflow, was put to a roll-call vote and passed 28–21, the secretary announced. "With 28 voting yes and 21 voting no, Senate Bill 61 has passed the Senate," the transcript records.
Senate Bill 76, introduced by Senator Vinton and described as revising laws relating to preliminary determinations for water-rights permits or changes in appropriation, passed by recorded vote 48–1. The clerk announced, "With 48 voting yes and 1 voting no, Senate Bill 76 has passed the Senate."
Majority Leader McGillivray moved that Senate Bill 26 (sponsor: Senator Bodnar), which would allow legislators to receive mileage reimbursement at IRS rates, be removed from third reading and re-referred to the Highways and Transportation Committee; that motion was ordered without objection.
Earlier committee business included the committee on finance and claims recommending concurrence in House Bill 1 and a message from the House transmitting a group of House bills read three times and transmitted for concurrence (House Bills 19, 28, 44, 66, 72, 76, 77, 81 and 88 were listed). The chamber adopted a committee report (committee of the whole on second reading) that reported Senate Bills 34, 35, 36 and 37 do pass; the secretary recorded 49 ayes on adoption of that committee report.
The votes reflect a mix of contested and lopsided outcomes: SB61 was relatively close (28–21), while SB76 produced a near-unanimous result (48–1). Several other items on the day’s agenda were procedural (introductions, committee schedules, and adjournment). The Senate adjourned to reconvene on the next scheduled legislative day.
