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Two bills giving the Legislature and other elected officials more oversight of emergency declarations and local health mandates passed the Montana House Monday. House Bill 121 and House Bill 230 are the products of several related proposals brought by lawmakers in response to local health orders that some have criticized for failing to consider their effects on local economies or failing to include elected officials in the decision-making. Broadly, the two bills would limit the authority of public health officials and the governor. Both passed...
Wading into a public debate that has grown heated on social media, the House Local Government Committee held a hearing Thursday afternoon for House Bill 121, which would limit the authority of public health officers and health boards, and give elected bodies more power in setting public health policies and orders. The measure is part of a broader effort by Republican lawmakers, telegraphed after the November elections, in response to local health department directives and former Gov. Steve Bullock’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. Opponents t...
