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Senate committee confirms Sarah Swanson to continue as Montana labor commissioner
Summary
The Senate Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs Committee unanimously advanced Sarah Swanson’s reconfirmation after hours of proponent testimony praising her modernization of unemployment IT, apprenticeship expansion and rapid‑response to mass layoffs.
Sarah Swanson was reconfirmed Tuesday by the Senate Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs Committee to continue as Montana’s commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry. The committee opened a public hearing for Senate Resolution 82 and members moved the nomination to executive action; the committee approved the confirmation by voice vote.
Swanson, who spoke to the committee about her private‑sector background and 20 months as commissioner, detailed technical and program changes her agency rolled out. “Muse, our new unemployment insurance system, launched in October 2023,” she said, and the department has since modernized licensing and launched Employ Montana, a workforce data system she described as ‘‘collecting robust information’’ to guide federal workforce funding and local training.
Supporters — including Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras, Attorney General Austin Knudsen, school‑system representatives, contractors and labor groups — praised Swanson’s leadership during recent layoffs and her focus on apprenticeship and workforce training. “She treats Montanans like customers,” Attorney General Austin Knudsen said in support, pointing to Swanson’s responsiveness across agencies. Multiple witnesses credited Swanson with coordinating rapid response efforts after the Stillwater Mine and Pyramid Lumber Mill layoffs and securing federal dislocated worker assistance.
Swanson also told the committee that the department performed a full audit of unemployment and located what she described as more than $20 million in previously unrecognized funds that were returned to the Unemployment Trust Fund. She described the agency’s IT modernization, tribal liaison work and apprenticeship expansion as central accomplishments and asked the committee to allow her to complete the governor’s term.
Committee members asked technical and programmatic questions during the hearing; Senator Weber pressed Swanson on the department’s rapid response work for recent federal layoffs and whether the department had pursued federal funding, and Swanson explained the federal workforce WARN process and why Montana’s event had limited notice. After discussion, Senator Loki moved the confirmation and the committee approved the nomination by voice vote.
The committee recorded the motion and move to executive action during the meeting’s session and advanced the confirmation to the floor. The committee did not record a roll‑call tally during the voice vote.
Votes at a glance Sarah Swanson — SR 82: motion moved (SEG 1190), confirmed by voice vote (SEG 1286–1292).
