Lawmakers Highlight Affordability, Taxes as Priorities as Legislature Convenes

The 69th Montana Legislature opened Monday, Jan. 6 in Helena with both Republicans and Democrats highlighting affordability as one of the issues that will dominate the 90-day session.

Republicans have a 32-18 majority in the Senate and a 58-42 majority in the House this session, but after redistricting, they no longer hold the supermajority they held in 2023.

At the first Senate session Monday afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, said Montanans just need to look at their checkbooks to see what Republicans have done for affordability and his party expects to keep up that momentum this session.

“ And I invite our colleagues across the aisle to join Republicans in passing that legislation that Montanans certainly want to see. We also have bills to reduce income taxes,” McGillvray said. “Montana voters, Montana people, want to keep more of their own money.”

At a press conference Monday morning, Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, said the Democratic party will champion legislation that restores freedom, fairness and affordability — things he said he believes were lost under the Republican supermajority last session, especially with property taxes and housing affordability.

“ Every day that we fail to deliver for Montanans on this very clear need, the problem grows. It had years to fester under Republican leadership and it’s time we address it now,” Flowers said.

The Montana Legislature meets every two years for a 90-day working session.

Clayton Murphy is a reporter with the UM Legislative News Service, a partnership of the University of Montana School of Journalism, the Montana Broadcasters Association, the Montana Newspaper Association and the Greater Montana Foundation. Murphy can be reached at clayton.murphy@umconnect.umt.edu.