Opinions are still split almost straight down the middle regarding whether the Montana state legislature should switch to annual sessions.
The leiglsature comprises the 100-member Montana House of Representatives and the 50-member Montana State Senate. The state constitution dictates that the legislature meet on odd numbered years for 90-day periods. However, the legislature met annually briefly – from 1973 to 1975.
The primary work of the legislature at these times is to pass a biannual budget, which must then be approved by the governor.
Montana has a divided government, and no political party holds a state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. As of Jan. 27, there are 21 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas and 14 divided governments in which neither party holds control.
The state is one of four states that does not have yearly sessions. The biennial sessions typically start in early January and end in late April.
Senate Bill 310, approved in 2019, would allow lawmakers to consider abandoning what's in place now, the 90-day session, and substitute a 45-day odd-year session that would focus on basic policy and legal statutes, followed by a 45-day even-year session that would solely deal with the biennial budget.
According to Tara Jensen, co-director of the Montana Budget Policy Center, a nonprofit group that provides research and analysis on budget, tax and economic issues, whatever is decided needs to be thought over carefully.
"An annual session is a big change," she said, adding that maybe it was time the caucuses have a full-time staff.
The Montana Federation of Public Employees said it was a vote of the people, now in the state constitution, that established 90-day sessions every other year, and it believes the people should decide by a vote what to do.
A senate steering committee held a discussion on the issue recently, inviting public comment.
Opinions were divided on the topic, and the prevailing thought was that it needed to be researched more.
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