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Gov. Gianforte signs SB 59 as Montana Senate receives multiple bills and committee reports
Summary
On Jan. 16, 2025, the Montana Senate recorded committee recommendations, received messages from the House transmitting several bills, heard announcements about Turquoise Thursday and visiting tribal health leaders, and noted a gubernatorial signing of Senate Bill 59. The chamber adjourned to Jan. 17 for its next legislative day.
The Montana Senate on Thursday recorded a mix of routine legislative business, including committee reports recommending bills for passage, receipt of several House-passed bills, a gubernatorial signature on one Senate bill and scheduling announcements as lawmakers adjourned until Jan. 17.
Senators began the day with a roll call; the secretary announced 49 senators were present and that Senator Ricky was excused. Committee reports filed on the floor recommended that Senate Bill 26 and "Senate Bills 55, 6176" (as recorded in the day's journal) do pass. The Senate received a message from Gov. Greg Gianforte reporting that he had signed Senate Bill 59 on Jan. 16, 2025.
The chamber also received formal messages from the House indicating that several House bills had been read three times, passed and transmitted to the Senate for concurrence. The House bills listed on the floor were House Bill 33, House Bill 39, House Bill 60, House Bill 61, House Bill 62, House Bill 63 and House Bill 68; the journal entry noted those measures had been passed in the House and sent to the Senate.
Several groups of bills were read for the first time and referred to committees. The journal records that multiple House bills and Senate bills were introduced, read a first time and assigned to committees; the transcript lists a range of bill numbers and committee referrals without additional floor debate or votes on those items.
Senators used part of the opening minutes for announcements. Senator Morgeau placed on the record that the day was "Turquoise Thursday," a national cervical cancer awareness campaign created by the American Indian Cancer Foundation to increase screening awareness in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Senator Newman introduced two visitors, Kenny Smoker and Leonard Smith; Newman said, "If you don't know about them, you should," while describing Leonard Smith as the CEO and founder of the Native American Development Corporation and Kenny Smoker as a longtime leader on tribal health issues.
Committee meeting schedules and procedural notes were played into the record: numerous standing and subcommittee meetings were scheduled for the following day and week, including budget, education, and natural resources items. Senator Usher called attention to a scheduling discrepancy for a bill carried by Senator Weber (Senate Bill 107), noting the computer system showed a cancellation though the bill remained on the schedule.
Majority Leader McGilvray moved to adjourn the Senate until Friday, Jan. 17, the 10th legislative day, at 1 p.m.; the motion carried and the chamber adjourned.
Votes at a glance
- Senate Bill 59 — Signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte on Jan. 16, 2025 (as reported to the Senate). No floor vote recorded in this transcript segment. - House Bills 33, 39, 60, 61, 62, 63, 68 — Read three times and passed in the House; transmitted to the Senate for concurrence (journal entry noted). No Senate concurrence votes recorded in this transcript segment. - Committee recommendations — Senate Bill 26; Senate Bills 55 and 6176 recommended do pass by committee reports filed on the floor.
Details omitted or not specified in the floor record include committee vote tallies, bill summaries and the full text of the measures referenced. The journal entries and committee reports were entered on the record; the chamber did not take final Senate votes on the listed House measures during this session segment.
