Happy Wednesday, Beacon readers! Mariah Thomas here, and feeling very excited about the spring weather we’re having. I even broke out my Chacos this week!
For today’s roundup, I’ve got a new update in the ongoing saga around Senate Bill 437, the last bill signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte from the 2025 legislative session. The governor and speaker of the House signed the legislation just last week, nearly a year after the session wrapped up, in a maneuver to try to avoid it being grouped into an ongoing legal challenge about a similar piece of legislation from 2023.
SB 437 was carried by Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila. The legislation defined male and female as binary in state law, which also comes with the effect of eliminating legal recognition of Montanans who are transgender, nonbinary or intersex. The bill is similar to 2023’s Senate Bill 458, also carried by Glimm. When Republicans passed SB 458 in 2023, it drew two lawsuits. One resulted in a court striking the law down. The other suit remains pending.
But Rep. Brandon Ler, R-Sidney, the speaker of the House, said in a statement SB 437 “should be evaluated on its own merits, not folded into broader challenges.”
On Monday, Upper Seven Law — the firm representing the plaintiffs in the ongoing suit about SB 458 — filed a supplemental complaint in Missoula County District Court challenging 2025’s SB 437.
“The State enacted SB 437 to perpetuate the same harms against Plaintiffs and other transgender, intersex, and Two Spirit Montanans that this Court had already ruled unconstitutional,” the filing states. “Allowing Plaintiffs to supplement their complaint to challenge these continued harms is therefore appropriate.”
The filing also requests SB 437 not go into effect until the case is decided. It claims the bill violates the plaintiffs’ privacy rights and denies them equal protection under the law.
Gianforte and Ler, the House speaker, released a statement April 1 after a group sued to stop SB 437 from going into effect promising the state would defend the law.
“We are proud of our work to defend the values of the Montanans we represent,” the statement said. “To no one’s surprise, activists have moved to add this law into ongoing litigation to stop it from going into effect. The Legislature acted deliberately with that possibility in mind. The State of Montana will defend this duly enacted law and ensure it gets a fair hearing in Montana’s judiciary.”
All this, and the next session is less than a year away…
And that’s what I’ve got for you this Wednesday. Onto the rest of the Daily Roundup!
FWP Proposes Conserving Thompson River Timberland Bordering Cabinet Mountains
If approved, the two-phase project would permanently restrict development on 47,907 acres of working forest owned by Green Diamond Resource Company while protecting public access and wildlife habitat
New Samaritan House Director Renews Focus on Homeless Shelter Expansion, Sets Sights on Strengthening Partnerships
Executive Director Cassidy Kipp shifts into her new role advocating for the Flathead Valley's most vulnerable population as the shelter’s expansion continues and programming evolves
Finalist for UM’s Presidency Makes His Case for Top Job
Jeremiah Shinn, current interim president at Boise State, discussed his thoughts on higher education and the future of the Missoula university at a series of community events
Republicans in the Montana Legislature introduced a record number of constitutional amendments this session. Nearly all of them are failing to make it on the ballot.
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