Roundup Record Tribune & Winnett Times -

Senate President's Statement on Montana Supreme Court Ruling

HAMILTON, Mont.— Montana Senate Jason Ellsworth, R-Hamilton, released the following statement in response to the Montana Supreme Court's ruling in the Forward Montana SB 319 (2021) case:

"I'm glad to see the Supreme Court realize that they messed up by intruding into the Legislature's internal rules and are withdrawing their original decision. We in the Legislature eagerly await the Court's new opinion to ensure that it does not also unconstitutionally violate the separation of powers between our branches of government.

At the same time, I'm extremely disappointed to see that the Court is trying to have it both ways, maintaining that they're still going to award taxpayer money to their liberal lawyer allies even after they remove most of their 'evidence' that such a handout is warranted. It's a shame that the Court continues to give liberal plaintiffs preferential treatment compared to conservatives who've filed similar lawsuits in the past."

Ellsworth and House Speaker Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, had previously filed an amicus brief with the Court arguing that the Court had no business intruding on the Legislature's internal rules.