On Friday, April 14, the Montana House of Representatives suspended its own rules to introduce HB 971 (Rep. Josh. Kassmier, R-Fort Benton) well past the transmittal deadline. They subsequently held a shotgun hearing on Monday, April 17, to usher the bill through committee, betting that the public would not be paying attention over the weekend and would miss the opportunity to testify on this damaging and consequential piece of legislation. HB 971 passed a committee vote Monday evening despite vocal oppositional testimony from over 60 members of the public who drowned out a handful of industry proponents favoring the legislation.

If it becomes law, HB 971 would repeal the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) for significant projects that could harm our environment and climate if the Montana Supreme Court were to ever find that Montanans’ right to a clean and healthful environment requires state agencies to consider climate impacts. Under HB 971, if the court finds that climate change must be considered, then Montana’s Department of Environment Quality does not have to comply with MEPA for air pollution permits, coal mines, hard rock and open cut permits, and other mining activities.

The way the bill was introduced represents a subversion of the democratic process, and the content of HB 971 itself is an attempt to gut environmental, bedrock language within Montana’s Constitution and undermine Montana’s judicial system.

GYC is coordinating with our partners to galvanize a diversity of stakeholders from across the state to oppose HB 971. In the meantime, we strongly encourage you to reach out to your legislator to state your opposition to HB 971 and ask them to vote no on the bill on the basis that it undermines Montanans’ constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment.

—Charles Drimal, Deputy Director of Conservation