The Montana Senate indefinitely postponed Senate Resolution 1, a package of proposed updates to the chamber's rules, after first failing to adopt a committee recommendation and then approving a motion to indefinitely postpone the resolution.

Majority Leader McGillivray moved that the committee recommend SR 1 "do pass." That motion failed on a roll call, 23-27, after which Minority Leader Flowers moved to indefinitely postpone SR 1. The Senate then voted 27-23 to indefinitely postpone the resolution.

The resolution, introduced as "Senate Resolution 1" and described by its sponsor as a compilation of rule clarifications adopted by the Senate Rules Committee, would have incorporated several procedural changes into the Senate's formal rules. "Senate resolution 1 was adopted by the Senate Rules Committee. I just gonna briefly share with you some of the changes that are in this rule package from the 23 session," Majority Leader McGillivray said on the floor.

Key changes described by McGillivray included a requirement that media obtain floor passes to maintain decorum on the Senate floor; reclassification of committee categories so that education would be a class 3 committee and transportation a class 2 committee; removal of an executive review committee that had been proposed earlier; a clarification that pre-introduced bills are to be assigned to committee by the president; and language clarifying when the Senate must schedule bills on second reading. McGillivray also said the package makes the motion for "sine die" debatable with two proponents and two opponents and clarifies that a motion to indefinitely postpone is only in order after a bill fails to receive a majority on second reading. He summarized the adoption by the rules committee as "very reasonable and good changes."

The Senate took two separate recorded steps on SR 1. First, the committee recommendation that SR 1 receive a favorable report was put to the Senate and failed, recorded as 23 voting yes and 27 voting no. After that failure, Minority Leader Flowers moved to indefinitely postpone SR 1; that motion carried, 27-23, and the resolution was declared indefinitely postponed.

Separately during the session, the Senate considered a committee report from the committee on committees recommending committee assignments, including a recommendation to assign "Senator Carl Glynn" as a chair. A motion to adopt the committee-on-committees report produced a 25-25 tie and the report was not adopted.

Pro Tem Bogner subsequently moved to adopt the committee-of-the-whole report on bills on second reading, which the Senate approved, 27-23; the report recorded that SR 1 "do not pass." The Senate then proceeded to other business, announced committee meetings, and adjourned until 1 p.m. on the fifth legislative day, March 10.

The votes and the sequence of floor actions leave SR 1 without further immediate action in this session, with the indefinite postponement removing the measure from active consideration unless returned under Senate procedures.