Greg Gianforte

Gianforte announced a $1.2 million investment to increase psychiatric bed capacity for children in Montana, with the funding distributed between the state's two mental health providers. The investment was drawn from a $300 million fund designated for rebuilding the state's mental health system. According to state officials, previous allocations from this fund had already opened or reopened 52 psychiatric beds for children in the state.

Gianforte signed legislation defining sex as binary in state law and eliminating legal recognition of transgender, nonbinary, and intersex individuals in Montana. The bill was passed by the Republican-controlled legislature in 2025 and delayed by House Speaker Brandon Ler for approximately one year while existing lawsuits challenging a similar 2023 law remained pending. Following Ler's signature, Gianforte enacted the measure, which is expected to be subject to legal challenge by plaintiffs in the ongoing litigation.

At a Mountain States Policy Center event in February 2026, Gianforte announced that implementing a flat income tax rate of 4.7% for all Montana taxpayers was a goal heading into the 2027 Legislative session. Gianforte has signed legislation reducing state income tax rates since taking office in 2020, with the highest bracket declining from 6.9% in 2021 to 5.4% in 2027 under House Bill 337 passed during the 2025 session. Gianforte stated that a flat tax structure would be difficult for future legislatures to reverse since any increase would apply to all taxpayers.

Gianforte designated a flat income tax as a top priority for the 2027 Montana Legislature, proposing to set one tax rate applicable to all income-tax payers in the state. Legislative fiscal analysts projected the proposal would reduce state revenue by approximately $100 million annually. The governor stated that a flat tax structure would make future rate increases difficult for subsequent legislatures, as any increase would apply uniformly across all taxpayers.

Gianforte and Attorney General Austin Knudsen launched an investigation into a possible violation of Montana's "sanctuary city" ban. The investigation was announced in February 2026 as part of state efforts to enforce restrictions on sanctuary city policies. The specific details of the alleged violation and targeted jurisdiction were not disclosed in the available reporting.

Gianforte designated a state Licensing Reform Task Force to reduce licensing requirements for certain industries in response to employment gaps and labor shortages in fields including health care, construction, and corrections. The task force, comprising representatives from health care industries, land surveying, engineering, and state government, held its first meeting in Helena in February 2026. The group was directed to submit a report with recommended changes to licensing requirements by September 2026.

Gianforte formally requested that Attorney General Austin Knudsen investigate whether Helena officials violated Montana's 2021 law banning sanctuary city policies, which prohibits municipalities from adopting regulations that prevent local law enforcement from detaining undocumented immigrants sought by federal authorities. The investigation was prompted by Helena's passage of a resolution stating that city police will not make arrests based solely on immigration status and will limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement actions. Gianforte stated that violations could result in fines of $10,000 for every five days of non-compliance and warned other municipalities against adopting similar policies.

Governor Gianforte announced a formal investigation into the City of Helena to determine whether a recently passed city resolution restricting municipal cooperation with federal law enforcement violates House Bill 200, a 2021 state law that Gianforte signed prohibiting sanctuary cities in Montana. Gianforte stated the Helena resolution constitutes a "potentially direct violation" of state law and indicated that penalties may be imposed if the city is found to be in breach. Attorney General Austin Knudsen stated that potential penalties could include fines of $10,000 for every five days of non-compliance and withholding of state funds, and he encouraged the city to pursue legislative changes if it disagreed with the law.

Gianforte and Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen sent a letter to all Montana school districts encouraging support for local "Club America" chapters, an initiative by conservative organization Turning Point USA to engage high school students. Gianforte made the announcement at the Montana Capitol on February 4, 2026, where approximately 50 high school students gathered in support. The letter requested that schools facilitate the creation of Club America chapters in their respective districts.

Gianforte submitted a letter to President Trump requesting $6.5 million in federal disaster relief funding following a windstorm that affected Montana in December 2025. The requested funds were designated to assist 49 of Montana's 56 counties and most of the state's tribal nations in recovery efforts. Gianforte's office estimated the total statewide financial impact from the storm at $13.5 million, with additional recovery costs to be covered by insurance and NorthWestern Energy.

Gianforte declined to suspend Public Service Commissioner Brad Molnar from the Montana Public Service Commission despite a request from Commissioner Jennifer Fielder to do so during an ongoing harassment investigation. Gianforte determined he lacked sufficient cause to suspend Molnar, who remained under investigation by an internal response team for allegations including harassment, impeding the review, and retaliation. The governor's decision followed a court proceeding in which Molnar initially blocked the suspension before the court reversed its position and allowed for gubernatorial intervention.

Gianforte announced that Montana received $233 million in federal funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, making Montana the fourth-largest recipient among the 50 states. The funding will be directed toward five initiatives including upgrading telehealth infrastructure, increasing healthcare employment, providing healthcare services in schools, decreasing emergency room visits, and digitizing rural health records. The state health department will submit a revised budget to CMS and partner with the Montana Office of Rural Health to convene biannual stakeholder meetings beginning in January 2026.

Governor Gianforte appointed Eric Strauss, deputy director of the Montana Department of Corrections, to serve as director of the agency effective January 6, 2026, following the departure of Brian Gootkin who was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as United States Marshal for the District of Montana. Strauss will oversee an annual budget of approximately $313 million and will direct operations of the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge, the Montana Women's Prison in Billings, a facility in Boulder, a youth facility in Miles City, and four contract facilities including locations in Arizona and Mississippi. Strauss previously served as deputy director since December 2024 and held nine years of experience as administrator for the Employment Standards Division at the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.

In September 2025, Gianforte sent a letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick encouraging the location of a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Community Engagement Office in Bozeman at Montana State University. The Patent and Trademark Office subsequently announced in December 2025 that MSU would be selected as the first site for a new Community Engagement Office, replacing services previously provided by the Rocky Mountain Regional Outreach Office in Denver. The office, which is expected to open within approximately one year, will serve inventors and startups across Montana, Colorado, Idaho, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming, with a focus on supporting workforce development in advanced manufacturing and computing.

Gianforte requested that President Donald Trump issue a major disaster declaration for northwestern Montana following severe flooding that damaged critical infrastructure in Lincoln County, Sanders County, and the Blackfeet Nation. The declaration would authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide assistance for repairing utilities, roads, bridges, and water treatment facilities affected by the flooding. Gianforte characterized federal assistance as essential to support the affected communities.

Youth climate activists filed a petition with the Montana Supreme Court in December 2025 challenging three laws passed by the 2025 Legislature—House Bills 285 and 291, and Senate Bill 221—alleging they violate the state constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment. The petition names Governor Gianforte and the Department of Environmental Quality as defendants and seeks to overturn the legislation, which modified the Montana Environmental Policy Act and the Montana Clean Air Act by limiting greenhouse gas analysis in environmental reviews and preventing the state from adopting air pollution standards more stringent than federal requirements. The challenged laws were enacted in direct response to the Montana Supreme Court's 2024 ruling in Held v. Montana, which had upheld youth plaintiffs' constitutional right to a clean environment and invalidated previous restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions analysis.

American Prairie filed a lawsuit in Lewis and Clark County District Court against the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation under the Gianforte administration, seeking to compel issuance of a grazing lease for bison operations on state trust lands. The organization submitted a completed application in 2019 for the lease renewal, which the DNRC has not acted upon despite Montana Environmental Policy Act requirements that the agency complete public scoping within 60 days and an environmental review within 90 days. American Prairie also filed for a writ of mandamus to force the agency to issue the permit, alleging that the DNRC has applied contradictory legal rationale and granted similar permits to other applicants including Ted Turner's operations.

Governor Gianforte convened a roundtable of experts approximately two years prior to implement property tax reforms in Montana. According to preliminary data from the Department of Revenue, 80 percent of residences experienced a decrease of more than 5 percent in their property tax bills between 2024 and 2025, compared to the previous legal framework under which only approximately 15 percent would have received such reductions. Gianforte stated that the reforms were designed to provide long-term property tax relief for Montanans in their homes.

Gianforte announced that Montana's new graduated property tax system, implemented in 2025, resulted in an average $500 reduction in property tax bills for approximately 80 percent of residential property taxpayers. The tiered system assigns higher tax rates to higher-value properties and lower rates to moderately priced homes. The governor stated that the data demonstrated the policy was successful for Montana residents, though some lawmakers expressed concerns about the impact on retired homeowners with fixed incomes living in areas where property values have increased substantially.

State Senator Barry Usher, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, filed three complaints against Montana Supreme Court Justice Laurie McKinnon with the Judicial Standards Commission in August 2025. The complaints alleged that McKinnon violated judicial norms by failing to silence an attorney during a panel she moderated, had a conflict of interest in deciding the legality of legislation affecting the Supreme Court's structure, and failed to recuse herself in a dispute with the Legislature over emails. Two of the three complaints had been previously decided by the earlier Judicial Standards Commission, and one central issue was rejected by the United States Supreme Court.

Gianforte announced Montana's submission of a five-year proposal to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for the $1 billion Rural Health Transformation Program, which aims to develop the rural healthcare workforce, stabilize facility finances, expand innovation, and increase prevention. The state anticipates receiving notification of funding approval in late December 2025. The federal program is authorized to provide up to $50 billion nationally through 2030 to participating states for stabilizing and restructuring rural hospitals and essential health care providers.

Gianforte declined to use surplus funding from a state financial assistance program to supplement SNAP benefits during a federal government shutdown, stating that without a commitment of federal reimbursement the state could not legally use those funds. The decision came after lawmakers questioned whether the state could access the surplus to bridge a gap in nutrition assistance payments while the federal government addressed funding shortfalls. Gianforte announced his position at a news conference held at a Livingston nonprofit that distributes food to food banks across Montana.

Gianforte declined a request from the Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and state Democratic leadership to use state reserve funds to cover Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments during a federal benefits freeze in November 2025. The governor stated that the state would not provide such funding and attributed the situation to the federal government shutdown. Gianforte's decision meant that Montana tribes and other organizations proceeded independently to establish food assistance programs for affected residents.

Governor Gianforte declined a request from health organizations and food banks to allocate $14 million in state funds to cover Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits during a federal shutdown that halted SNAP payments in November 2025. Gianforte stated that the state cannot fund a federal program without guarantees of federal reimbursement, though his office indicated he views the benefits as vital for vulnerable Montanans. Democratic lawmakers countered that the state legislature had previously authorized the use of the debt and liability free account, which contained $268 million, specifically to address such federal funding gaps, and that Gianforte possessed the authority to act independently of federal gridlock.

During a federal shutdown in October 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would not distribute Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in November. State legislative staff informed lawmakers that Gianforte had access to approximately $15 million in state funds that could cover the gap in food assistance payments for low-income families. When asked whether he would use state funds for SNAP, Gianforte's office responded with a statement attributing the situation to federal officials rather than directly addressing the question of deploying state resources.

Governor Gianforte joined Montana's four-member federal delegation in signing a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in October 2025 regarding the American Prairie bison restoration project on Bureau of Land Management land. The letter contended that American Prairie's grazing rights, granted by the Interior Department in 2022, conflict with Montana's agricultural economy and raised concerns about potential transmission of brucellosis between bison and cattle herds. The state and livestock industry groups had previously appealed the federal decision granting American Prairie those grazing rights.

Governor Gianforte appointed Seth Cunningham and Edward Zink to two new district court benches in Yellowstone County that were appropriated by the state Legislature earlier in 2025. Cunningham, an attorney at The Brown Law Firm in Billings, brings experience in civil law practice, while Zink transitions to the judiciary after decades of prosecuting criminal cases as a Deputy Chief Yellowstone County Attorney. The appointments fill judicial positions created through legislative action to expand the district court's capacity in the county.

Gianforte approved a $21 million appropriation from House Bill 5 to fund the installation of new water infrastructure at Montana State Prison, addressing failures in systems built in the 1970s that had experienced multiple breaks. Gianforte also signed an emergency declaration that authorized additional funds from the Governor's Emergency Appropriation to cover costs of temporary water and sanitation measures, including portable toilets, showers, and water transport from the City of Deer Lodge. The water infrastructure project will be expedited as part of the larger $211 million reconstruction effort at the prison facility in Deer Lodge.

The Bureau of Land Management rejected a bid by Navajo Transitional Energy Company for a federal coal lease in Montana's Powder River Basin after the company offered $186,000 for 167 million tons of coal, approximately a fraction of a penny per ton and well below the estimated fair market value required under the Minerals Leasing Act. The rejected bid prompted the BLM to postpone a separate coal lease auction in Wyoming where Navajo Transitional was also the sole interested bidder. The low bidding activity occurred as the Trump administration and Montana's congressional delegation pursued legislation to expand coal leasing opportunities across eastern Montana, including a recent Senate vote to roll back restrictions on federal coal leases in the Miles City BLM office region.

Kurt Alme was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana following his appointment in an interim capacity by President Donald Trump in March 2025. Alme previously served as Montana's state budget director under Governor Greg Gianforte and as an assistant U.S. Attorney for Montana from 2017 to 2020. The U.S. Attorney for Montana leads the prosecution of federal crimes occurring in the district, including drug trafficking and violent crime on Indian reservations, and represents the federal government in civil cases.

Gianforte, along with the state Legislature, approved more than $26 million in funding for a new 32-bed state-run mental health facility in eastern Montana designated to serve patients involved in the criminal justice system. The state health department subsequently solicited proposals from cities and towns in eastern Montana interested in hosting the facility, with Billings and Yellowstone County identified as front-running locations. The facility was designed to address demand for forensic mental health services that has exceeded capacity at existing institutions, including the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs.

Governor Gianforte appointed Allen Morris Jones of Bozeman as Montana Poet Laureate for 2025–2027, as announced by the Montana Arts Council. Jones is an author and publisher with a 30-year career in writing and publishing who has published more than 100 poems, essays, and other works. His recent poetry collection "Mumblebus" won the High Plains Book Award and was named an honor book by the Montana Book Awards.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte attended a groundbreaking ceremony on September 25, 2025, to celebrate an expansion of the U.S. Antimony Corporation's smelting facility outside Thompson Falls, the only operating antimony smelter in the United States. The $15 million expansion project is approximately 40% complete and is expected to increase production by 400% while adding roughly 25 jobs to Sanders County. Following the expansion announcement, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded the company a $245 million sole-source contract through the Defense Logistics Agency to supply antimony metal for the National Defense Stockpile.

Gianforte attended a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for an expansion of United States Antimony Corporation's critical mineral mining and processing facility in Thompson Falls. The expansion was announced in April and follows the company's securing of a $245 million federal contract to supply the National Defense Stockpile with antimony. The company stated the expansion would increase production sixfold at a cost under $1.4 billion, create 22 new jobs, and produce more than 300 standard tons of metals monthly.

Governor Gianforte signed an executive order establishing the 406 JOBS initiative, a workforce training program designed to increase Montana's labor-force participation. The initiative focuses on four job pathways—apprenticeships, college, entrepreneurship, and the military—across six targeted industries including healthcare, construction and trades, hospitality and recreation, advanced manufacturing and computing, education and child care, and financial and professional services. The Montana Department of Labor and Industry is conducting a "Montanans at Work" tour across 15 cities and towns to promote the initiative and connect businesses, educators, and workforce development organizations with employment resources.

Governor Gianforte directed state officials to resume planning for a behavioral health facility in eastern Montana in a letter to the Board of Investments dated September 10, 2025. The directive restarted a planning process that had previously caused concern among local officials in the region, with the facility planned for the Yellowstone County area. Gianforte stated the project was important to the state's capacity to provide behavioral health services and called for completion of the project while ensuring transparency, fairness, and public involvement in the planning process.

Governor Gianforte signed an executive order on Wednesday establishing an energy task force to address growing electricity demands in Montana. The task force is scheduled to produce a written report with short- and long-term recommendations and strategies for increasing affordable and reliable energy options by mid-September of the following year, with its first meeting set for September 22. Gianforte's executive order emphasized an "all-of-the-above energy" strategy and "American-made energy," encompassing both nonrenewable resources such as coal and natural gas and renewable resources such as solar and wind.

A Montana district court judge blocked Governor Gianforte from intervening in a suspension request regarding Public Service Commission President Brad Molnar, who faced an internal investigation into allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Judge Mike Menahan ruled that PSC Vice President Jennifer Fielder did not properly request Molnar's suspension through appropriate channels. Molnar denied the allegations and contended the investigation was politically motivated.

A Montana district court judge granted a temporary restraining order that blocked Governor Gianforte's ability to intervene in an ongoing personnel dispute at the Montana Public Service Commission. The order was issued hours after PSC President Brad Molnar's attorney filed a complaint seeking to prevent the governor from suspending Molnar during a pending internal misconduct investigation. The temporary block remains in effect pending further court proceedings on the merits of the case.

A Lewis and Clark County District Court judge temporarily blocked Governor Gianforte's ability to suspend Brad Molnar, president of the Montana Public Service Commission, pending the outcome of an internal investigation into Molnar's conduct. Judge Mike Menahan issued the order only hours after Molnar's attorney filed an initial complaint seeking to temporarily prohibit the governor from intervening in the PSC's internal matter. Molnar had been under investigation by PSC staff regarding allegations of unprofessional conduct unrelated to his regulatory work at the commission.

The Trump administration's Administration for Children and Families sent a letter to Montana's health department demanding the state revise school curricula to remove all references to gender identity and transgender and gender non-conforming people, conditioning $540,000 in federal funding for teen pregnancy prevention programs and services for at-risk youth on compliance with these demands. State health department spokesperson Jon Ebelt confirmed the state would comply with the administration's request. The affected funds support health education programs in schools including relationship skills, adolescent development, and healthy life skills reaching approximately 1,400 students annually.

Gianforte stated that Montana's National Guard troops had not been requested for deployment to Washington D.C. following President Trump's deployment of Guard units to the nation's capital, though he indicated the state's troops may assist U.S. Customs and Border Patrol operations within Montana. When asked whether he would answer a hypothetical request to deploy troops to aid municipal law enforcement, Gianforte declined to provide a direct response. Gianforte has previously authorized National Guard deployments to the southern border.

Governor Gianforte toured a recently renovated women's prison facility in Boulder on August 26, 2025, alongside Department of Corrections Director Brian Gootkin and local officials. The Montana Department of Corrections is considering a next phase of expansion at the Boulder facility as part of broader prison capacity increases across the state. The expansion plans address growing female inmate populations for which the state has no out-of-state housing options available.

Governor Gianforte toured a recently renovated women's prison facility in Boulder on August 26, 2025, as the Montana Department of Corrections evaluates expansion of the facility. The tour was part of the state's broader prison capacity expansion effort, which has exceeded half a billion dollars under Gianforte's administration and has primarily focused on addressing overcrowding in the male inmate population. Prison officials have indicated to lawmakers that expansion consideration is needed for the growing female inmate population, which lacks out-of-state housing options available to male inmates.

Gianforte indicated plans to sign a bill defining biological sex as binary that was delayed in enactment by the Montana House Speaker to avoid immediate legal challenge. The bill is nearly identical to a 2023 policy currently tied up in court proceedings, with two district court judges having previously blocked the earlier law. Gianforte's signing would occur following the Speaker's procedural delay and subsequent transmission of the legislation to the governor's office.

Gianforte signed a first-of-its-kind agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to co-manage 200,000 acres in northwest Montana. The agreement was discussed at a Congressional Western Caucus conference in the Flathead region where federal and state officials convened to address natural resource management. The co-management arrangement represents an expansion of state involvement in the administration of federal forest lands.

Washington-based Puget Sound Energy completed construction of the Beaver Creek Wind Farm in Stillwater County, Montana, approximately 21 miles north of Rapelje, with the facility beginning operations in less than one year. The wind farm will initially produce 286 megawatts of electricity, equivalent to powering approximately 68,000 homes. Governor Gianforte released a statement characterizing the project as an example of harnessing Montana's natural resources while strengthening the state's economy.

Governor Gianforte attended the soft opening of a Job Service Office on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Lame Deer on August 15, 2025. The office was established through a joint resolution between the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and the Montana Department of Labor and Industry to provide employment and vocational training services to tribal members. The opening marked the first such labor office to open on the reservation in decades and was part of a broader statewide workforce development initiative.

Montana settled a federal lawsuit filed by Disability Rights Montana and two students with disabilities, with a judge ordering the settlement on August 15, 2025. Under the agreement, Montana will no longer use the exception that previously allowed the state to discontinue education services for most students with disabilities at age 18, and will instead continue providing services to students with disabilities up to age 22 through individualized education programs. The lawsuit had been filed against Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen and Governor Gianforte, contending that the state's prior policy violated federal law.

Governor Gianforte introduced a property tax reduction bill proposal during a town hall meeting in Billings. The legislation, which was subsequently enacted, established a rebate program providing Montana homeowners up to $400 in property tax relief for the 2025 tax year. Homeowners who owned and lived in their Montana residences for at least seven months in 2024 became eligible to apply for the rebates beginning in August 2025.

Montana's Department of Revenue announced that Kristan Barbour, who has headed the Cannabis Control Division since 2021, will lead the newly consolidated Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD). The consolidation merges the state's cannabis regulatory office with the alcohol regulatory office, which had operated separately for approximately 50 years. Barbour's appointment was announced following concerns raised by both the alcohol and cannabis industries regarding the merger of the two regulatory functions.

Gianforte signed an executive order on August 11, 2025, establishing the "406 JOBS" workforce training initiative, which he announced at the Boeing manufacturing facility in Helena alongside Department of Labor and Industry Commissioner Sarah Swanson. The initiative designates four employment pathways, zero work barriers, and six high-demand sectors as its framework, and was designed to help Montana access federal grant funding under Trump administration executive orders while addressing declining labor force participation. The administration stated the program builds on previous efforts to expand apprenticeships in Montana, which grew by 25 percent over four years to include more than 3,100 enrollees.

Gianforte signed an executive order on August 10, 2025, to establish the "406 JOBS" workforce training initiative, which the governor stated would help the state access federal grant funding under Trump administration executive orders and increase labor force participation rates that have declined over the past year. The initiative, announced at the Boeing manufacturing facility in Helena, provides four pathways to employment and removes barriers to work across six high-demand sectors. The Gianforte administration has previously advanced apprenticeships and small business ownership programs in Montana, and the legislature also passed legislation signed by Gianforte to allow apprenticeships to lead to occupational licenses for nearly three dozen professions.

The Gianforte administration submitted comments to the Bureau of Land Management requesting that the agency open additional coal lands in eastern Montana's Powder River Basin for future leasing. The administration stated that the two options presented by the BLM did not sufficiently expand coal leasing availability in the region. The comments were filed during the final day of a public comment period on the BLM's proposal to reconsider future coal leases in the Miles City and Buffalo field offices.

A state employee filed suit against Governor Gianforte challenging his appointment of state representative Marta Bertoglio to serve as director of the Montana Department of Commerce in June 2025. Bertoglio resigned from her position in the state legislature following her appointment to lead the agency. The lawsuit contends that appointing sitting or recently sitting legislators to executive branch positions violates Montana's constitutional provisions regarding separation of powers.

A lawsuit filed in August 2025 challenged Gianforte's appointment of Marta Bertoglio as director of the Department of Commerce, alleging the appointment violated a Montana Constitutional provision prohibiting governors from appointing sitting legislators to civil offices. Bertoglio held her legislative seat at the time of her June appointment to lead the department. Gianforte's legal counsel argued the position does not constitute a civil office under the state's constitutional definition because it operates under the governor's supervision, while the State Solicitor General contended the restriction did not apply because Bertoglio had resigned from the legislature before taking the position.

Gianforte appointed state representative Marta Bertoglios to serve as director of the Montana Department of Commerce in mid-June, and Bertoglios subsequently resigned from her legislative position. A state employee filed suit against Gianforte and others in August, contending that the appointment of a sitting legislator to lead a state agency violated the state constitution.

Gianforte released state funds to support law enforcement operations in the search for murder suspect Michael Paul Brown following a shooting at The Owl Bar in Anaconda that resulted in four deaths on August 1, 2025. The funding was announced during a press conference held in Anaconda on Tuesday alongside Attorney General Austin Knudsen. Gianforte stated that the Montana Department of Justice would prosecute the suspect to the full extent of the law once apprehended.

Governor Gianforte appointed Jessica Flint from the Alliance for Defending Freedom to the Criminal Justice Oversight Council, replacing the previous representative from the American Civil Liberties Union. The appointment was co-signed in a letter of support by Montana's entire congressional delegation, four statewide elected officials, approximately 40 legislators, and other Republican officials. The replacement prompted objections from criminal justice advocacy organizations including the Montana Innocence Project, Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and other social justice groups who questioned the appointee's relevant expertise.

Governor Gianforte signed into law a package of four bipartisan bills that restrict private insurers' ability to require prior authorization before covering certain drugs and treatments. Prior authorization is a practice in which insurance companies require health care providers to demonstrate medical necessity before approving coverage for specific care. The measures take effect later in 2025 or in early 2026.

Gianforte appointed a religious liberty advocate to the Criminal Justice Oversight Council, a body created by the Legislature to review criminal justice policies and proposals between legislative sessions. Disability Rights Montana and a coalition of Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the governor's office objecting to the appointment, with the advocacy group's executive director stating the appointee lacked demonstrated expertise in protecting civil rights within the criminal justice system.

Governor Gianforte signed the state budget in June 2025, which included funding for two additional district court judges in Yellowstone County, bringing the total from eight to ten judges. The District Court Council's 2025 workload review determined that Yellowstone County needed more than five judges to effectively manage its caseload, making it the state's most overloaded judicial district. Chief Justice Cory Swanson acknowledged Gianforte's support for the additional judgeships in a July 18 letter.

Gianforte opened an appointment process to fill two additional district court judgeships in Yellowstone County after the state legislature approved funding for the positions in the 2026 budget. The number of district court judges in the county will increase from eight to ten with these appointments. This expansion was identified as necessary by the District Court Council's 2024 workload review, which found Yellowstone County required more than five additional judges to effectively manage its caseload.

Governor Gianforte issued vetoes of more than two dozen bills during the 2025 legislative session, but Montana lawmakers successfully overrode two of these vetoes with the necessary two-thirds majority votes from both chambers. The two bills that were enacted despite Gianforte's vetoes included legislation to reimburse county jails for holding individuals awaiting mental health bed placement and a bill to provide funding for Colstrip to develop its own water system. Of the remaining vetoes, most failed to achieve the supermajority support needed to overturn the governor's rejection.

Gianforte vetoed 26 bills during the 2025 Montana legislative session, with the legislature successfully overriding two of these vetoes. One overridden veto involved legislation to reimburse county jails for holding individuals awaiting mental health beds, which secured 101 votes in the override process. The other overridden veto concerned a bill to send money to Colstrip, both of which had received approval from at least two-thirds of lawmakers during the session.

Governor Gianforte removed a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana from the Criminal Justice Oversight Council and replaced the position with Jessica Flint, the state government relations manager for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a religious and conservative-leaning legal organization. The ACLU representative, Henry Seaton, had held the seat designated by state law for a civil rights advocate and resigned only days before the council's next meeting. Both Flint and Seaton are registered lobbyists for their respective organizations.

Gianforte announced the expansion of fiber broadband infrastructure in rural Montana in collaboration with Visionary Broadband during a ceremony held in Whitehall on Wednesday. The project includes completion of fiber broadband service in Hardin and construction underway in Butte and Whitehall, with plans to extend connectivity to nearly 500,000 Montanans in additional communities including Cardwell, Piedmont, Pipestone, Twin Bridges, and Waterloo. The federal government provided nearly 120 million dollars to the state's broadband grant program through ConnectMT under the Capital Projects Fund of the American Rescue Plan Act.

Gov. Gianforte announced the expansion of a fiber broadband network in rural Montana in collaboration with internet provider Visionary Broadband during a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Whitehall on Wednesday. The expansion includes completion of a fiber broadband project in Hardin and ongoing construction in Butte and Whitehall, with service expected to extend to communities including Whitehall, Hardin, Cardwell, Piedmont, Pipestone, Twin Bridges, and Waterloo. The project is expected to reach nearly 500,000 Montanans with improved broadband access.

Governor Gianforte's office announced that Montana will launch its first registered teacher apprenticeship program, receiving $4 million in federal grants to support the initiative across forty school districts beginning in 2026. The program will include 150 registered teacher apprentices and 40 youth pre-apprentices who will start in summer 2026, with participants earning wages while completing coursework and becoming licensed K-12 teachers in Montana. The state is developing the program framework through a partnership between Montana's Department of Labor and Industry, the Coalition of Advocates for Montana's Public Schools, the Montana Office of Public Instruction, and the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen appointed Billings attorney Emily Jones to the Montana Judicial Standards Commission, which handles disciplinary complaints against judges and issues recommendations to the Supreme Court regarding discipline or removal. Knudsen stated in an announcement that Jones's legal experience and dedication to justice qualified her for the position. Jones said she was committed to promoting accountability and transparency in the judicial system.

Governor Gianforte announced on November 15, 2024, that Dustin Temple, director of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, would retire from the position at the end of the year. Temple had served as director since June 2023, following two decades of employment at the agency in various roles including deputy director and chief of administration. Gianforte's office designated Marina Yoshioka, the agency's chief operating officer, to serve as acting director.

Montana's Supreme Court ruled in June 2025 that state legislation passed in 2021 restricting abortion access violated the Montana Constitution's privacy protections, upholding a lower court decision that had struck down the laws. The legislation in question would have prohibited abortions after 20 weeks, restricted medication abortions, and required providers to obtain parental consent before showing ultrasounds or playing fetal heartbeats to patients. Gianforte responded to the ruling by stating it lacked common sense and characterizing the justices as activists.

Governor Gianforte administered the oath of office to Brigadier General Trenton J. Gibson, promoting him to adjutant general of the Montana National Guard and director of Military Affairs during a change of command ceremony at Fort Harrison on June 8, 2025. Gibson replaced Maj. Gen. Pete Hronek, who announced his retirement. The ceremony was attended by nearly 600 people and included a flyover and military cavalry charge by the 6th Montana Cavalry.

The U.S. Department of Interior approved Signal Peak Energy's permit to expand coal extraction operations at the Bull Mountain mine in Montana. The approval authorizes the extraction of 22.8 million tons of federal coal and 23.4 million tons of adjacent non-federal coal, extending the mine's operations for an additional nine years. Governor Gianforte's office did not issue a statement regarding the permit approval in the article.

Governor Gianforte signed Senate Bill 535 during the 2025 legislative session, making Montana the first state to legalize licensed centers specializing in experimental treatments. The bill, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Ken Bogner, creates a regulatory framework allowing providers to operate what supporters described as "one stop shops" for experimental therapies. The legislation expands upon Montana's existing "Right to Try" laws by providing doctors with an established pathway to administer experimental treatments to patients seeking alternative care options.

Gianforte vetoed House Bill 762, legislation that would have funded a $2.6 million study of watercraft use on approximately 966 miles across 16 of Montana's busiest rivers. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Josh Seckinger, would have directed the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to conduct surveys identifying the types and numbers of private and commercial watercraft on those river stretches, with reports due by October 1, 2026 and 2028. The study would have documented recreational watercraft including drift boats, rafts, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards, as well as commercial watercraft used for fishing, guiding, and outfitting operations.

Governor Gianforte appointed Ian Wargo, a civil engineer and licensed guide from Kalispell, to serve as northwest Montana's representative on the state Fish and Wildlife Commission. Wargo's seven-year term expires January 2, 2032, and the appointment was announced by the governor's office in May 2025. Wargo previously served on advisory boards for elk and mule deer management in Montana and the Region 1 Citizen's Advisory Commission.

The Montana Supreme Court ruled against Governor Gianforte's administration in a case concerning attorney fees and public records access. The case centered on Gianforte's refusal to release records related to his decision to remove a "bad actor" designation against mining company RECO, which was challenged by Montana Environmental Information Center and Earthworks. The court sided with the organizations on the constitutional right-to-know provision but denied their claim for attorney's fees.

Governor Gianforte vetoed Senate Bill 274 and Senate Bill 405 on May 23, 2025, citing spending concerns. Both bills, sponsored by Republican Senator Mike Yakawich from Billings, had passed the Republican-led Montana Legislature with bipartisan support and sought to lower barriers to certain health care services by allowing seniors and people with disabilities to access home or community-based services already reimbursable under the state's Medicaid program without waiting for their applications to be processed. The state health agency estimated the bills could result in approximately 160 additional people annually receiving home nurse care, meal delivery, or other services during their application evaluation period.

Governor Gianforte signed House Bill 814 in May 2025, legislation that restricts which flags may be displayed on Montana government property. The bill, sponsored by Representative Braxton Mitchell, prohibits government entities from flying flags representing political parties, races, sexual orientations, genders, or political ideologies, while carving out exceptions for official state and federal flags, tribal nations, foreign nations, cities, schools, law enforcement, and military displays as well as flags with historical significance. The law permits display of the POW/MIA flag and other historically recognized flags such as the 13-star Betsy Ross flag and the Gadsden flag.

Gianforte vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have restricted the governor's ability to withhold certain documents from public access following a state Supreme Court ruling that expanded executive privilege over communications with advisers. Gianforte also vetoed a separate measure that would have made state Supreme Court deliberations public. In his veto letters, Gianforte stated that branches of government require privacy to function effectively.

Gianforte signed House Bill 932 into law, which allocates a portion of Montana's marijuana sales tax revenue to conservation funding. The legislation creates a special account for wildlife crossing construction and establishes a "habitat legacy account" with approximately $12 million annually to fund wildlife and habitat conservation projects on public and private lands throughout the state. The law was developed following advocacy by conservation groups and represents part of a broader policy dividing nearly $60 million in annual marijuana sales revenue.

Gianforte announced the appointment of Colonel Trenton J. Gibson to serve as head of Montana's Department of Military Affairs, replacing Adjutant General Peter Hronek, who retired on June 7 after four decades of military service. Gibson, who has served in the Montana National Guard since 1995, was director of the Youth Challenge Academy and commanded the Montana Army National Guard Regional Support Group in Butte at the time of his appointment. The Department of Military Affairs oversees the Montana National Guard, disaster and emergency management, homeland security, veterans affairs, and law enforcement support.

Maj. Gen. J. Peter Hronek, Montana adjutant general and director of Military Affairs, announced his retirement effective next month. Governor Gianforte appointed Col. Trenton J. Gibson to succeed Hronek as head of the Montana National Guard, with a change of command ceremony scheduled for June 9. Hronek had served in the position since December 2020 and completed three combat tours in Saudi Arabia.

Governor Gianforte signed House Bill 224 in May 2025, which increases fines for individuals who negligently or knowingly introduce aquatic invasive species such as zebra and quagga mussels into Montana waters via boats or attempt to avoid inspection check stations. The bill establishes multiple penalty tiers for violations under the Montana Invasive Species Act, which was originally enacted in 2008. The increased penalties represent approximately fifty percent higher fines for the lowest-level offenses compared to the previous penalty structure.

Gianforte signed Senate Bill 393, sponsored by Senator Greg Hertz, which allocates $6 million in state funding toward a law enforcement agreement between Lake County and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal government on the Flatland Indian Reservation. The funding is intended to address financial disparities in the multi-jurisdictional law enforcement relationship that has been a subject of dispute between the county and tribal governments. The allocation is not designed as an ongoing state expense but rather as a one-time investment to help resolve jurisdictional and financial coordination between the two entities.

Gianforte signed two companion bills containing property tax changes passed by the Montana Legislature in 2025. The legislation includes a homestead exemption that shifts tax burden toward second homes, short-term rentals, and large businesses while reducing taxes on primary residences and small businesses, alongside increased rates on higher-value homes. The package also provides one-time $400 rebates for homeowners in 2025 to offset projected property tax increases resulting from rising residential property values.

Governor Gianforte vetoed House Bill 610 in May 2025, legislation that would have allowed Montana Medicaid recipients diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder to access certain antipsychotic medications without prior authorization from the Department of Public Health and Human Services. The bill would have eliminated the requirement for state health department advanced approval before patients could use their insurance coverage to pay for these prescription drugs. The veto prevented the removal of a process that currently requires Medicaid enrollees to obtain permission before accessing antipsychotic medications or face out-of-pocket costs.

Governor Gianforte vetoed House Bill 271, sponsored by Representative Ed Stafman, which sought to limit a protection recognized by the Montana Supreme Court over certain communications between the governor and agency heads. Gianforte also vetoed a second bill aimed at expanding public records access in response to his recent assertions of executive privilege. In his veto letter, Gianforte cited a recent Montana Supreme Court ruling that determined such confidentiality protections were necessary for the integrity of government.

The Montana Department of Commerce unveiled a new state brand during an event in Miles City on May 17, 2025, marking the first rebrand of the state in over a decade. Governor Gianforte attended the unveiling ceremony alongside Department of Commerce leadership and local representatives. The new brand was designed to represent Montana's diverse locations and people and to communicate the state's character to audiences beyond its borders.

Gianforte signed a property tax relief package in May 2025 that had passed through the Montana Legislature the previous month. The legislation, which includes House Bill 241 and Senate Bill 354, creates a system that lowers property taxes for primary homeowners and long-term rentals while eventually raising them on second homes, short-term rentals, large businesses, and utilities. The package is subject to a pending lawsuit that could affect implementation of the tax rebate provisions.

Gianforte submitted budget requests for a long-term plan to reshape Montana's mental health system, which lawmakers approved during the 2025 legislative session. The approved funding included nearly $40 million across 10 initiatives to bolster services at community mental health clinics, expand case management services, increase staffing at the state hospital, and support a new mental health facility for criminal defendants. The funding mechanisms rely partly on Medicaid expansion, which lawmakers renewed during the same session.

Gianforte signed House Bill 533, sponsored by Rep. Curtis Schomer, which requires insurance companies to provide Montana homeowners with wildfire risk scores used to determine coverage and rates within 30 days of request. The legislation mandates disclosure of the current risk score, possible future score ranges, the score's creator and creation date, and the methodology used to calculate the score. Gianforte also signed additional bills addressing Montana's wildland fire policies ahead of the 2025 wildfire season.

Gianforte signed House Bill 867 into law, which increases the age limit for individuals enrolled in Montana's Medicaid expansion who must fulfill community engagement requirements to maintain eligibility. The bill also signed into law legislation aimed at simplifying enrollment processes for eligible individuals in the state's Medicaid program. These measures were enacted after the legislative session had concluded and prior to the scheduled sunset of Medicaid expansion.

Gianforte signed legislation in May 2025 requiring landlords with more than four properties to refund rental application fees to unsuccessful applicants, though landlords may deduct costs for background checks and similar services. The bill received bipartisan support in the Montana legislature, passing both chambers by two-thirds margins. The law applies specifically to large property management companies and rental application practices in Montana.

Governor Gianforte signed into law a bipartisan bill allocating more than $100 million over two years to increase starting teacher salaries in Montana through the STARS Act. The legislation sets aside funds to incentivize school districts to raise wages for early-career teachers above a specified threshold. According to a December 2024 report from the state Department of Labor and Industry, entry-level teachers in Montana earned an average of $28,900, among the lowest salaries in the country.

Governor Gianforte vetoed House Bill 366, which would have phased out the use of polystyrene single-use food containers in Montana over 4.5 years beginning in 2026. The bill would have prohibited restaurants and other food services from using the containers, commonly known as Styrofoam. In his veto letter, Gianforte stated that the measure constituted government overreach and that Montana should remain a sanctuary for freedom and free enterprise.

Governor Gianforte vetoed House Bill 388 on May 7, 2025, which would have phased out polystyrene single-use food containers in Montana over a 4½-year period beginning in 2026. In his veto letter, Gianforte stated that the measure constituted federal overreach and that Montana should remain a sanctuary for freedom and free enterprise rather than implementing such regulatory requirements. The governor argued that state government should avoid excessive spending and regulation while maintaining lower taxes.

Montana lawmakers passed Senate Bill 542 and House Bill 231, a statewide property tax relief package expected to be signed into law by Governor Gianforte, which reduces property tax revenue for municipalities including Billings. The legislation directs local governments with charter-imposed mill levy caps to levy the number of mills needed in 2026 to generate the same property tax revenue as the previous year, effectively overriding local charter restrictions. The Billings City Council decided in May 2025 to comply with the state mandate despite the conflict with the city's local charter.

Governor Gianforte signed House Bill 381 into law on May 6, 2025, requiring property managers who operate four or more rental units to refund application fees charged to prospective renters who do not successfully lease a property, minus any services performed for that applicant. The bill takes effect on October 1, 2025. The legislation was part of a broader housing and property tax relief package proposed by House Democrats intended to address rising housing costs in Montana.

Gianforte signed five bills on May 1, 2025, that modify the Montana Environmental Policy Act and other state environmental regulations. The legislation was developed in response to the Montana Supreme Court's December 2024 decision in Held v. Montana, a case filed by youth plaintiffs challenging the state's violation of constitutional rights to a clean and healthful environment and stable climate system. The bills address the court's ruling that greenhouse gas analyses must be included in the state's environmental review process.

During the 2025 Montana legislative session, Governor Gianforte pushed the Legislature to advance House Bill 446, which would make it a crime for a person to knowingly expose their genitals or intimate parts to someone of the opposite sex assigned at birth in public places including bathrooms, locker rooms, schools, parks, and businesses. The bill had previously advanced out of the Legislature in March with an amendment from Senator Cora Neumann that narrowed its scope. Gianforte's actions to promote additional legislative measures on transgender issues occurred as the legislative session neared its conclusion.

Governor Gianforte signed House Bill 337 into law on April 28, 2025, reducing Montana's top income tax rate from 6.84 percent to 6.31 percent in 2026 and 6.3 percent in 2027. The legislation expands income tax eligibility for the bottom tax bracket, raising the threshold from $21,000 to $26,400 for single filers. This represents the third income tax reduction enacted during Gianforte's governorship within a five-year period.

Gianforte signed legislation reducing Montana's income tax rate by 0.5 percent, which was half the 1 percent reduction he had proposed to the legislature. The bill is projected to result in approximately $170 in annual savings for a single worker earning $50,000. The legislation also expanded the state's match of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit from 10 percent to 20 percent for eligible low-income earners.

House Bill 564, sponsored by Representative Joshua Seckinger, passed the Montana Senate and was sent to Governor Gianforte's desk for consideration. The bill would require Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to conduct a study of 966 miles of the state's busiest river stretches, documenting the number and types of watercraft used during summer months between May 15 and September 15 over a fifteen-year period at an estimated cost of $2.5 million. The department would be required to produce biennial reports on the study findings in 2026 and 2028, including data on private drift boats, rafts, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, tubes, and commercial watercraft used for fishing, outfitting, and guiding activities.

Governor Gianforte signed Senate Bill 99 in 2023, legislation that prohibits puberty blockers, hormonal therapies, surgeries, and other medical treatments for transgender youth. The law was sponsored by Sen. John Fuller and passed during the 2023 legislative session by the Republican-controlled Montana Legislature. A federal judge is currently considering whether to issue a permanent block of the law following a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Montana and other legal organizations.

The Montana Legislature passed House Bill 337, a major income tax cut bill that reduces the top income tax rate over a two-year period and expands eligibility for the lowest income tax bracket. Governor Gianforte indicated on Thursday that he plans to sign the legislation. The bill is projected to cost the state general fund a combined $756 million by the middle of 2029.

Governor Gianforte vetoed legislation in the previous legislative session that would have provided funding to Lake County for law enforcement on the Flathead Reservation under Public Law 280, citing that the state was not financially responsible. In the current session, negotiations between Gianforte's office, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and Lake County officials produced new legislation allocating $6 million to the county over two years, contingent on the tribes and county developing a law enforcement plan that does not rely on state resources. The bill has passed both chambers of the Montana Legislature and awaits Gianforte's signature.

Gianforte signed the STARS Act, legislation passed by the Montana Legislature designed to increase starting teacher wages, which rank among the lowest in the nation. The law provides funding specifically targeted at boosting compensation for newly hired educators to improve teacher recruitment. The act does not address wage increases for experienced teachers, leaving some veteran educators without additional compensation under the new policy.

Gianforte visited Habitat for Humanity housing construction in Butte on April 16, 2025, to highlight state investments in affordable housing initiatives. Gianforte commended state lawmakers for enacting pro-housing reforms in the 2025 legislative session and investing more than $150 million to increase the supply of affordable workforce housing. Gianforte requested an additional $100 million in one-time funding from the legislature to further expand affordable housing availability.

Gianforte visited Butte on April 16, 2025, to promote his administration's affordable housing initiatives and called on lawmakers to allocate $100 million in additional funding for housing construction. He highlighted a partnership between Habitat for Humanity and the National Affordable Housing Network that produced seven single-family homes funded in part through the Montana HOMES Program, which provides low-interest state loans for workforce housing projects. Gianforte stated that the existing HOMES Program, which received a one-time $100 million state general fund injection in 2023, has supported 1,000 new housing units under construction.

Governor Gianforte backed a property tax relief proposal that would shift tax burdens onto second home owners, short-term rentals, and large businesses while allowing primary residences and small businesses to apply for tax breaks. The bill was amended to include one-time $400 property tax rebates for homeowners in 2025 and language addressing local government tax collection restrictions. A competing Democratic-backed bill, which Republican lawmakers modified, would broadly lower property tax rates for residential, agricultural, and some commercial properties while requiring homeowners to apply for a $50,000 tax exemption limited to primary residences.

Gianforte's preferred property tax reform proposal, House Bill 231, sponsored by Rep. Llew Jones, was amended and passed out of committee on April 17, 2025. The bill was designed to lower property taxes on primary residences, long-term rentals, and commercial businesses while increasing taxes on short-term rentals and second homes to offset lost revenue. The Senate Taxation Committee added amendments including a larger immediate rate reduction, rebates up to $400, exemptions for certain reservation property, and potential multi-year funding for two municipalities.

Gianforte visited Missoula on April 9, 2025, to advocate for House Bill 231, known as the Homestead Rate Cut, which would reduce property taxes for Montana homeowners and small businesses. According to Gianforte, the bill would lower property taxes by approximately 14 percent for primary residences and 16 percent for small businesses, while also extending tax relief to renters. The Homestead Rate Cut passed the Montana House but had not yet advanced through the Senate Taxation Committee at the time of Gianforte's visit.

Governor Gianforte and Republican lawmakers prioritized legislation to establish partisan judicial elections in Montana during the 2025 legislative session. Four separate bills addressing judicial election systems all failed, including two that would have required judicial candidates to run under party labels and two that would have made party affiliation optional. Some Republican lawmakers joined Democrats in voting against the proposals, citing concerns that partisan elections would polarize the judiciary and undermine judicial branch integrity.

Gianforte proposed House Bill 231, a homestead exemption policy developed through his property tax task force that would lower property tax levies for primary Montana residences and small businesses while raising taxes for second homes and short-term rentals through a complex redistribution formula. The Senate Taxation Committee voted down the proposal 5-3 on Wednesday, with committee chair Greg Hertz stating the bill had become too complicated. Gianforte stated at a press conference Thursday that he was disappointed by the rejection and sought revival of the proposal.

Gianforte introduced property tax reduction and income tax bills during the 2025 Montana legislative session as priority measures for his administration. The Senate Taxation Committee voted to table three major tax relief bills, halting their progress through the legislative process on Wednesday. The tabled bills included a Democratic-backed property tax relief measure and Gianforte's preferred income tax and property tax proposals.

Governor Gianforte visited Billings on April 3, 2025, to present his proposed biennial budget plan for public safety spending to law enforcement and criminal justice officials. The budget proposal includes $150 million to expand the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge by adding 500 beds. Gianforte's plan addresses capacity constraints at the state prison that have created overcrowding in local jails throughout Montana.

Gianforte signed House Bill 121, which requires individuals to use gender-specific public accommodations based on their reproductive anatomy at birth. A Missoula County District Court judge blocked enforcement of the law while litigation proceeds, finding that plaintiffs challenging the statute were likely to succeed in demonstrating violations of privacy rights. The law had become immediately effective upon Gianforte's signature the previous week.

Governor Gianforte signed House Bill 121 into law on March 27, 2025, which requires multi-stall bathrooms, locker rooms, and sleeping areas in government-funded buildings to be designated as male or female. The University of Montana began replacing gender-neutral restroom signs on seven multi-stall restrooms containing 28 stalls in immediate compliance with the legislation. A Missoula judge issued a temporary block of the bill less than a week after it was signed into law.

Governor Gianforte signed the "bathroom bill" into law in early April 2025, which restricted restroom access based on biological sex. A Missoula District Court judge issued a temporary restraining order on April 2, 2025, blocking enforcement of the law after the ACLU of Montana and Legal Voice filed suit on behalf of transgender plaintiffs who argued the law violated their rights to privacy and equal protection. The temporary restraining order allowed transgender individuals to continue using restrooms aligned with their gender identity pending further court proceedings.

Gianforte signed House Bill 15 on April 1, 2025, at Prickly Pear Elementary School in East Helena, which allocates $52 million to the state's base budget for kindergarten through twelfth grade public schools to account for inflation over the past two years. The bill represents the maximum inflationary adjustment permitted under current law. Gianforte signed the legislation alongside Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen.

Gianforte received legislation sponsored by Whitefish Democratic Senator Dave Fern that expands the permitted uses of resort tax revenue collected by Montana resort communities to include workforce housing. The bill allows communities that collect resort taxes to allocate those funds toward affordable housing for local and seasonal workers in addition to existing uses such as police services, property tax relief, and local infrastructure. The measure awaits Gianforte's signature following passage by the Montana legislature.

Governor Gianforte introduced House Bill 231, a property tax proposal that faced difficulties gaining support in the Montana legislature. Rep. Llew Jones, who carried the bill on behalf of the governor, indicated in a private email to lobbyists that an alternative property tax proposal sponsored by Rep. Ed Byrne had become the preferred option for implementing tax cuts. Jones acknowledged in the email that while he believed HB 231 was more beneficial for most groups, he was prepared to advance in the direction of the alternative proposal.

Gianforte signed House Bill 2582 on March 28, 2025, renewing Montana's Medicaid expansion into law. The bill, sponsored by Representative Ed Buttrey, a Republican from Great Falls, extends health care coverage for approximately 77,000 Montanans through the joint state-federal program. The legislation removes the sunset clause that would have required future legislative consideration to continue the policy.

Gianforte signed legislation on March 28, 2025, that renews Montana's Medicaid expansion program and removes its sunset provision, making the program permanent. The expansion had been scheduled to expire later in 2025 without legislative action. The program currently provides health coverage to approximately 75,000 low-income Montanans whose incomes exceed traditional Medicaid thresholds but fall below levels needed to purchase private coverage.

Governor Gianforte introduced Senate Bill 224 and Senate Bill 225 as priority legislation during the 2025 legislative session, with both bills receiving their first committee hearings in March 2025. Senate Bill 224 would cut income tax rates while Senate Bill 225 would expand the business equipment tax exemption. Gianforte spoke at a rally on Friday at the Montana State Capitol to promote the income tax cut proposal, which he stated would be his third tax cut to the rate since taking office.

Gianforte signed House Bill 2451 on March 28, 2025, renewing Montana's Medicaid expansion and extending health care coverage to approximately 77,000 Montanans. The bill, sponsored by Representative Ed Buttrey, a Republican from Great Falls, maintains Medicaid expansion in its current form but removes the sunset provision that would have required future legislative consideration of the policy. The signing was characterized as a significant achievement by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers who prioritized preserving health care access during the 2025 legislative session.

Governor Gianforte visited Bonner Elementary School on Wednesday to discuss legislation allocating an additional $100 million for teacher pay increases in Montana. The bill, known as the STARS Act, builds on the TEACH Act passed and expanded over the last two legislative sessions. During the visit, Gianforte toured classrooms, held a roundtable discussion on the STARS Act, and praised the school's cellphone-free policies during school hours.

Gianforte signed House Bill 409, legislation that changes the criteria courts must use when determining whether to grant preliminary injunctions or temporary restraining orders in legal cases. The law replaces the Montana Supreme Court's "sliding scale" approach to evaluating injunction requests with a more rigid methodology. The bill was characterized by Gianforte as "landmark" reform and represents part of a broader legislative effort to regulate judicial procedures.

Gianforte hosted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at the Montana State Capitol on March 24, 2025, to advance an effort to convene a convention of state delegations to amend the U.S. Constitution to require Congress pass a balanced federal budget. The proposal, known as an Article V convention, would require 34 states to pass resolutions supporting the convention before it could be convened to develop potential amendments for ratification. According to DeSantis, 27 states had already agreed to support a balanced budget amendment convention, with Montana and Idaho potentially bringing that number to 29.

Gianforte pitched the TEACH Act as a program to provide schools additional funding to raise teacher pay above approximately $36,700 for early-career educators. The number of Montana school districts participating in the TEACH Act increased to 138 for the 2025-26 academic year, more than double the participation from the previous year, according to the Office of Public Instruction. The increase in participation was attributed primarily to expanded outreach and improved communication efforts by the state.

On Thursday, the Department of the Interior announced that the Spring Creek Coal Mine near Decker in Eastern Montana's Big Horn County received approval to expand into an area holding nearly 80 million tons of coal. The expansion extends the mine's operational life by up to 16 years and allows the facility, which currently employs approximately 280 full-time workers, to continue coal production at levels between 10 to 15 million tons annually. Coal extracted from the mine is transported by rail to power plants in Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, and Washington, as well as internationally to Japan and South Korea.

Governor Gianforte stated during a March 6 press conference that he supports the Trump Administration's tariff decisions and expressed confidence that Montana would continue developing international relationships for its agricultural commodities. Gianforte characterized the administration's approach as the president standing up for American interests in trading relationships. The statement came as Montana grain producers and businesses reported significant uncertainty about tariff impacts, with fertilizer costs rising approximately 33 percent since January.

Governor Greg Gianforte nominated John Mercer to fill a vacancy on the Lake County District Court bench created when the previous election winner resigned following drug charges. Mercer is a former legislator and Polson attorney who was previously appointed to the position in 2023 following District Judge Kim Christopherson's resignation. The nomination allows Mercer to serve the remainder of the term until the seat is decided in future elections.

Montana's legislature passed HB 245, which would maintain the state's Medicaid expansion program by eliminating a sunset provision scheduled for later in 2025. The bill preserves existing work requirements for the expansion program and was sent to Governor Gianforte's desk for signature in late February 2025. Gianforte stated during a press conference that he had included expansion funding in his budget proposal and indicated he looked forward to making a final determination on the legislation.

House Bill 231, which originated from Governor Gianforte's property tax task force, advanced from the House Appropriations Committee after being amended to link its passage to a Democratic alternative bill on property tax relief. The bill would reduce property tax obligations for primary Montana homeowners and small businesses while increasing the tax burden on out-of-state and second homeowners, large businesses, and agricultural lands. The bipartisan proposal now proceeds to the full House for consideration, and if approved, will move to the state Senate.

Montana's Medicaid expansion renewal bill advanced through the state Senate on February 21, 2025, with more than half of senators voting in favor of the legislation. The bill would maintain the state's Medicaid expansion program, which provides health insurance to individuals earning above traditional Medicaid thresholds but below the cost of private insurance, and includes provisions allowing the state to request federal permission to implement work requirements. The legislation awaits Governor Gianforte's signature to become law.

Governor Gianforte signed Senate Bill 438 in 2023, legislation that defined "sex" as binary in Montana law. A Missoula County District Court judge permanently blocked the law in February 2025, ruling that it violated the constitutional right to privacy for transgender, intersex, and Two Spirit Montanans. The court found the law's language unconstitutionally vague and determined it discriminated against these populations under the state constitution.

Gianforte included $150 million in his budget proposal to fund state prison expansion, addressing capacity issues in Montana's correctional system. The allocation was made in response to overcrowding in county jails across the state, with 127 people held in county facilities awaiting transport to state prisons. The Department of Corrections also contracts with out-of-state facilities in Arizona and Mississippi to house Montana inmates as a temporary measure.

House Bill 83, introduced by Representative Tyson Running Wolf, creates a special revenue account for Montana's Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force and allocates $1 million in state funding to the account. The bill passed both the House and Senate and now awaits Governor Gianforte's signature. The legislation addresses the task force's previous inability to raise funds through grants, gifts, or donations to support operations including training, equipment, and other expenses.

The Montana Legislature passed House Bill 121, which would require state and local government facilities to segregate bathrooms, changing areas, and sleeping quarters based on sex assigned at birth. The bill awaited Governor Gianforte's signature as of February 13, 2025. Local governments, domestic violence shelters, and other public facilities across Montana began preparing for the bill's implementation, which would take effect immediately upon the governor's signature.

House Bill 121, sponsored by Representative Kerri Seekins-Crowe of Billings, passed the Montana Senate on Tuesday in a party-line 25-18 vote and is proceeding to Governor Gianforte's desk for consideration. The bill would restrict bathroom, locker room, and sleeping area access in certain facilities to align with sex assigned at birth rather than gender identity. A spokesperson from the governor's office stated that Gianforte will carefully consider the legislation once it reaches his desk.

House Bill 121, passed by the Montana Legislature along party lines, would require individuals to use multi-occupancy public accommodations based on chromosomal makeup and reproductive biology regardless of gender identity. The bill applies to public buildings, publicly funded domestic violence shelters, schools, and correctional facilities, with enforcement responsibility assigned to state and local government entities that would face civil liability for violations. The measure awaited Governor Gianforte's signature after he indicated support for it the previous month.

Governor Gianforte outlined a tax reduction plan that would lower Montana's top income tax rate by half a percentage point in each of the next two years, moving the state toward a flat tax structure with both brackets at approximately 4.9 percent. Gianforte's approach differs from legislative proposals such as Senate Bill 203, which would expand the lower tax bracket to $100,000 for individual filers and $200,000 for married couples filing jointly. The governor stated his ultimate goal is eliminating progressive taxation entirely so all Montanans pay the same income tax rate.

Gianforte's budget included funding for one step-down facility to support Montana State Hospital patients transitioning to community care. Health department director Charlie Brereton stated that preliminary legislation under development would establish additional step-down facilities beyond what Gianforte proposed. These facilities would provide a care level between the intensive services of the state hospital and minimal community-based support.

Governor Gianforte's property tax task force recommended three bills addressing local mill levies, which allow local governments to raise additional funds for services such as libraries, police, and fire stations. The bills, which began moving through the Legislature, are designed to restrict local government spending authority over property tax levies. The legislation drew opposition from representatives of schools, firefighters, police departments, and municipalities.

Gianforte's administration revived efforts to eliminate Montana's Board of Public Assistance, a panel that hears appeals from individuals denied public assistance including Medicaid, food aid, and temporary financial assistance. The state Department of Public Health and Human Services requested legislation to disband the board, characterizing the action as reducing regulatory burden, which had previously been proposed in 2023 as part of the governor's "Red Tape Relief" initiative. The Montana state Senate passed the bill sponsored by state Senator Jeremy Trebas on a 45-5 vote in February 2025, with the measure requiring subsequent approval from the state House of Representatives.

Governor Gianforte indicated during his January State of the State address that he would sign legislation to add party labels to Montana judicial elections. Senate Bill 42 and House Bill 295 represent competing proposals in the legislature to implement partisan judicial elections, with SB 42 requiring judicial candidates to declare party affiliation. If enacted, Montana would join a small number of states that designate party labels on judicial ballots.

Gianforte's administration is reviewing proposed capital projects to revamp Montana's behavioral health system, including relocating the Intensive Behavior Center from Boulder to either Helena or Butte at an estimated cost of up to $13.3 million, establishing a step-down facility of approximately 16 beds in Helena, and investing $19.2 million to upgrade infrastructure at the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs. The Behavioral Health System for Future Generations Commission authorized state health department director Charlie Brereton to recommend these projects to Gianforte in December, drawing from a $75 million pool earmarked for infrastructure within a larger $300 million behavioral health system revamp fund. Gianforte must approve the projects, which the health department plans to present to legislative committees as needed for funding authorization.

Gianforte backed the STARS Act, a Montana legislative proposal that would allocate up to $100 million to the state's public school system. The bill includes funding to increase starting teacher salaries, provide bonus payments to schools that graduate students with career or college credits, and permit high-cost housing districts to seek additional voter-approved support. Gianforte's endorsement joined backing from the state superintendent, the Frontier Institute, and the Montana public school teachers' labor union.

Gianforte called on Montana lawmakers to address prison overcrowding by requesting 500 additional beds at the Deer Lodge prison facility, supplementing the $200 million the Legislature had previously approved for that facility. The Montana Department of Corrections has transferred approximately 360 inmates to a CoreCivic facility in Arizona since November 2023 and began transferring an additional 240 inmates to a facility in Mississippi to relieve overcrowding in county jails. These transfers were implemented to address the backlog of over 400 state inmates being held in county jails awaiting placement in state correctional facilities.

Gianforte's administration is pursuing a proposed revamping of Montana's behavioral health system that includes relocating a developmental disability facility, expanding renovations at the Montana State Hospital, and establishing a Helena psychiatric hospital unit. The administration proposes allocating approximately $30 million from a $300 million fund established by 2024 legislation to support these capital projects. The changes are intended to address service gaps and prepare individuals with mental illness and developmental disabilities for community reintegration.

Gianforte announced a $4 million investment to Carroll College and the University of Montana to help fund startup costs for physician assistant programs at both institutions and an occupational therapy program at the University of Montana. The funding represented an allocation from $800 million in resources secured the previous year to improve Montana's behavioral health and developmental disabilities service systems. Gianforte stated the investment aimed to increase the number of healthcare providers in the state and expand educational opportunities within rural health care systems.

Governor Gianforte announced a $4 million investment to support startup costs for physician assistant programs at Carroll College and the University of Montana, as well as an occupational therapy program at the University of Montana. Carroll College received $800,464 of the total allocation while the University of Montana received $1,899,232, according to state officials. The funding aims to increase the number of healthcare providers available in Montana.

Gianforte called for $150 million in funding during the 2025 legislative session to construct approximately 500 additional beds at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge. The request came during his State of the State address, where he cited the need for expanded prison capacity as Montana held 364 inmates in out-of-state private facilities as of January 20, 2025, up from approximately 200 in August 2024. The proposed infrastructure allocation remains subject to continued discussion by lawmakers during the 69th Legislative Session.

Governor Gianforte, along with other Republican lawmakers, advocated for making Montana's judicial elections partisan, meaning judges would run with a political party's letter behind their names. Senator Daniel Emrich introduced legislation to implement this change, arguing it would increase transparency by allowing the public to see what candidates represent. Montana has used nonpartisan judicial elections since 1935, a system that would be altered by the proposed legislation.

Governor Gianforte appointed Jillien Streit, a financial controller for Flat Acre Farms in Chester, to lead the Montana Department of Agriculture. Streit replaces former Director Christy Clark, whom Gianforte appointed in December to lead Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Streit is a Chester native and past president of the Hill-Liberty-Blaine County Farm Bureau who founded a grain merchandising company, Stricks Ag, in 2013.

During his State of the State Address in January 2025, Gianforte called on Montana lawmakers to pass legislation addressing social media's effects on children, specifically proposing cell-phone free schools, mandatory parental consent for minor social media accounts, and a ban on collecting data from minors. Gianforte also advocated for implementing a curfew or blackout on social media use for children, stating that "kids need more rest, not more reels on Instagram." The proposals represent Gianforte's directive to the legislature to enact multiple bills targeting youth social media access and usage during the 2025 legislative session.

Governor Gianforte endorsed making Montana judicial races partisan during his State of the State address on Monday. The Senate Judiciary Committee heard Senate Bill 34, produced by the select committee on judicial oversight, which would require judicial candidates to declare a party affiliation for the first time in Montana since 1913. Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras testified in support of the measure on behalf of the administration.

Gianforte signed Senate Bill 59 into law on January 16, 2025, making it the first bill of the 2025 legislative session to become law. The bill, sponsored by Senator Mike Cuffe, designates a bridge across Highway 37 in Libby to honor Vietnam War veteran Staff Sergeant Arthur J. Rambo, who was awarded the Silver Star after his death in combat in 1969 at age 24. The bridge dedication recognizes Rambo and other fallen service members for their military service.

Gianforte filed a lawsuit in federal district court challenging Yellowstone National Park's new bison management plan, arguing that the National Park Service violated federal law by failing to engage with Montana in a meaningful and transparent manner as required. The suit, filed jointly with the Montana Department of Livestock and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, contends that the plan relies on deficient analysis and increases the risk of brucellosis transmission to livestock by allowing larger bison herds that will migrate onto surrounding ranchlands. Gianforte had expressed criticism of the park service's approach to bison management since the agency began drafting the plan in 2022.

The Montana Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 decision that Gianforte may withhold certain documents from public access by claiming executive privilege, but only if he demonstrates in a lower court that keeping those files private is essential to his constitutional duties. The case involved documents containing advice from state agencies regarding Gianforte's response to legislative bills, which his attorneys argued must remain confidential to ensure candid counsel from advisors. A district court judge will now determine whether Gianforte has the right to keep the specific documents in question private.

The Montana Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 decision that Governor Gianforte may withhold from public disclosure advice provided by his advisors regarding whether to sign or veto legislation, recognizing a gubernatorial privilege under Montana's 1972 constitution. The decision reversed a December 2022 District Court ruling that had found Gianforte possessed no such privilege to keep the documents private. Justice Jim Shea authored the majority opinion, finding that certain tasks of the governor require candid advice from administration members and that disclosure could theoretically inhibit advisors' willingness to provide such counsel.

Gianforte filed a lawsuit in Billings District Court on December 30, 2024, challenging Yellowstone National Park's bison management plan and naming the National Park Service, Department of Interior, and park leadership as defendants. The lawsuit contends that the new bison plan fails to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Park Service Organic Act, and the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act. Gianforte's administration, along with the Montana departments of Livestock and Fish, Wildlife and Parks, initiated the legal action asserting the plan was developed without meaningful consultation and collaboration with the State of Montana.