The 2023 Montana Legislative Session is a crucial one - for the climate, clean energy, our constitution, and more. Your voice matters! 

​We don't have a lobbyist but we're lucky to have partner groups that are in Helena day in and day out. We'll follow their lead, lending our voice when it matters most. So what can you do?

  1. Be inspired with rallies at the Capitol - check in with MEIC or Montana Conservation Voters for more of these this session,
  2. Engage with MEIC and others (scroll down), and
  3. Respond to action alerts, via our eNewsletter (sign up HERE!) or the links below. There will be times where adding our voice can really help defeat a bad bill or pass a good one.
​
Keep scrolling for easy ways to be involved.
And Thank you.
Picture
Snow folks for climate action!
Vertical Divider

A great Legislative Day of Climate Action - Jan 20th

Close to 400 people came to Helena for a fantastic rally! Families for a Livable Climate,  Climate Smart, Faith & Climate Action Montana, MT Interfaith Power & Light, the Sierra Club, MEIC, and many others came together for a collective climate action day at the Capitol. Thanks to our Board member Gwen Lankford for sharing her wisdom. The Missoulian did a nice write up including wonderful photos and video!  Advocates rally for climate action at the Capitol.

Current Action Alerts
The links below will take you to the Montana Environmental Information Center’s website where you can read more and comment via their action center. (Thank you MEIC!) You can also reach your senator, representative, or particular committees directly by phone or email - see sidebar at the right.
NO on SB 208: Stand up for local control on energy issues
This "ban on bans" bill would prevent state building code from including any language that prohibits or limits the use of any energy resources AND would deny local governments power to “prohibit or impede the connection” of any fossil fuel infrastructure, preventing cities and counties from implementing energy stretch codes or regulations.
No on HB 220: Oppose new energy planning committee and protect existing law
This bill would undermine a 2019 law and the recent rules adopted by the Public Service Commission (PSC) that greatly improve the resource planning process and bring more transparency to the process acquiring more energy generation resources (e.g., power plants).
NO on SB 228: Let local governments protect public health and safety from oil or gas infrastructure and projects. In another attack on local control, local governments would be forced to allow methane gas power plants, petroleum refineries, pipelines & other fossil fuel infrastructure in their communities. The bill even appears to prevent local government from mitigating the impact of these facilities.
No on HB 241: Protect solar energy and local control
Last year, the state adopted updated building codes including a voluntary stretch code that jurisdictions can implement to incentivize development with an eye to making future solar projects cheaper and more efficient (aka “solar-ready”). This bill would ban solar-ready stretch codes and undermine local control.
Vertical Divider

How to Participate and Advocate

The MT Legislature's website:  Get to know it and use the "Have Your Say" button to easily testify or comment. 
Key things to know:
  • You can still testify virtually! You do have to register by 5 pm the day before. 
  • ​You can call the Capitol at 406-444-4800 and request to leave messages for the committee members or an individual legislator. Leave a message Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (8 a.m. until adjournment on Saturdays).
  • Not sure who your representative is? Look them up HERE. ​
  • You can send an email.  Write to a committee or individual legislator via the online form below.
More ways to connect, act, & add your voice
Picture
​MEIC: The Montana Environmental Information Center is amazing in all they do! 
At the legislature everyday, they've been at this for decades.  ​
  • Sign up for their e-alerts HERE.
  • Their 2023 Legislature page + bill tracker are good to keep bookmarked. Seriously, their Bill Tracker is targeted, simple to use, and amazing. Not all will be climate and energy focused - but it's easy to find what interests you.  
  • ​MEIC hosts information sessions every Thursday at 4:30pm through April to make sure you are prepared to participate and know what' bills need our input. If you get their e-alerts, you'll get an invitation or simply click this link every Thursday at 4:30.
More generally, if you care about our constitution and democracy:

  • The folks at Montana Free Press are tracking the entire legislature every day. Check them out and sign up for their free Capitolized newsletter.
  • Forward Montana has a weekly guide to what's happening - sign up for What the Helena!

Write a Letter to the Editor

2023 Tabled Bills

Yes on SB 147: Support creation of state energy conservation standards (Tabled 1/25)
If passed, this bill would incentivize conservation and energy efficiency programs, and ensure that utilities are doing all they can to consider conservation and energy efficiency investments.
No on SB 97: protect renewable energy projects from a 500% tax on production (Tabled 1/25)
This bill would disincentivize the development of large wind projects in Montana and would be a huge setback to efforts to decarbonize our state’s electricity supply.
Connect with these Partners
Picture
Photo credit: Tim Spangler
Testifying for a healthy climate

Solar Jobs Rally in Helena, 2017