Senate committee tables bill to create Montana cattle committee after split votes

The Senate Agriculture, Livestock & Irrigation Committee on a roll‑call vote moved to table House Bill 119, which would have established a Montana Cattle Committee, after divided debate over an amendment that would require the governor to appoint committee members.

Supporters said the bill would create a statutory framework for a cattle assessment, a special revenue account and a referendum for cattle sellers; critics said the measure needed more work and raised concerns about removing local input. When amendment 0.012 — which requires committee members be appointed by the governor — was read into the record, a senator told the committee the proposal needed significant revisions and announced opposition to both the amendment and the bill.

Committee debate focused on appointment authority and whether the bill’s structure preserved producer input. A roll‑call on advancing the bill once amended produced a 4‑7 result against advancing, and a subsequent motion to table passed 7‑4, pausing further action for now.

The sponsor, who introduced the bill as creating the cattle assessment and statutory appropriation, said the measure was intended to provide a mechanism for industry‑led funding and a process for assessing cattle sellers. Opponents said they worried about removing a public‑input infrastructure that allows producers directly affected by assessments to participate.

The committee did not take further action beyond tabling the bill; the tabling vote means the measure will not move forward from this committee at this time unless revived by procedural action.

What’s next: The bill is tabled; sponsors or members could move to revisit the matter in a future committee meeting or on the floor, but no additional dates were announced during the session.