Legislators committed to transparency, accessibility

HELENA — Week two of the legislative session has concluded and there are 80 working days left before the 2021 legislative session comes to a close. The House of Representatives has been off to a productive start for the people of Montana.

Legislative committees have begun hearings on important bills. These include bills to expand Montanans’ constitutional rights, support education, get our state’s economy running again, and review state agency budgets, among others. So far, nearly 300 bills have been assigned numbers and over 3,000 more drafts could be considered.

I am on the Education, State Administration, Local Government, and Legislative Administration committees. This past week I presented a bill to clarify and update language as part of the Teacher Retirement System and also presented a bill for early enrollment in public school for military children whose parents receive Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders to Montana. Lastly, I sponsored Rutger Shultz, a JHS senior, as a house page this past week.