Click here to live chat with one of our writers between 9am-5pm CST.
Montana House of Representatives
| Montana House of Representatives | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | Lower house |
| Term limits: | 4 terms (8 years) |
| 2012 session start: | No regular session in 2012 |
| Website: | Official House Page |
| Leadership | |
| House Speaker: | Mike Milburn , (R) |
| Majority Leader: | Tom McGillvray, (R) |
| Minority leader: | Jon Sesso , (D) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 100 |
| Democratic Party (32) Republican Party (68) | |
| Length of term: | 2 years |
| Authority: | Art V, Montana Constitution |
| Salary: | $82.64/day + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 2, 2010 (100 seats) |
| Next election: | November 6, 2012 (100 seats) |
| Redistricting: | Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission |
Contents |
Sessions
Article V of the Montana Constitution establishes when the Montana State Legislature, of which the House is a part, is to be in session. Section 6 of Article V states that the Legislature is to meet in every odd-numbered year in a regular session of at most ninety legislative days. However, Section 6 allows any Legislature to increase the limit on the length of any subsequent session. Section 6 also allows for the Legislature to meet in special session when convened by the Governor of Montana or when a special session is requested by a majority of the Legislature's members.
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the House will not be in regular session.
2011
In 2011, the House was in session from January 3 through April 28. [3]
The bill submission deadline in 2011 was January 14.
2010
In 2010, the House was not in session.[4]
2009
The 61st session of the Montana legislature convened on January 5, 2009 and adjourned on April 25, 2009.
Elections
2012
Elections for the office of Montana House of Representatives will be held in Montana on November 6, 2012. All 100 seats will be up for election.
The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was March 12, 2012. The primary election day will be June 5, 2012.[5]
Montana state representatives are subject to term limits, and may not serve more than four two-year terms. In 2012, 16 state representatives will be termed-out of office.
2010
Elections for the office of Montana's state house representatives were held in Montana on November 2, 2010.
The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was March 15, 2010. The primary election day was June 8, 2010.
In 2010, the candidates for state house raised a total of $1,611,045 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were: [6]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Guymon, Shawn | $11,470 |
| Plum Creek Timber | $9,250 |
| Shaw, Ray L | $8,750 |
| Olson, Mary Lane | $7,254 |
| National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors | $6,680 |
| Hunter, Charles L (Chuck) | $6,570 |
| Montana Contractors Association | $6,420 |
| Clark, Christy | $6,357 |
| Treasure State PAC | $6,330 |
| Bonogofsky, Debra M | $5,815 |
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Montana House of Representatives, a candidate must be:[7]
- A resident of the state for at least one year next preceding the general election
- A resident of the county for six months preceding the general election if it contains one or more districts or of the district if it contains all or parts of more than one county.
Vacancies
| How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures |
 |
If there is a vacancy in the House, the Board of County Commissioners that represent the vacant seat must select a replacement. The Secretary of State must notify the Board of County Commissioners and the county central committee of the political party that holds the vacant seat no later than seven days after the vacancy happened. The county central committee has 45 days after receiving notice from the Secretary of State to provide a list of candidates to the Board of County Commissioners. The board must select a replacement no later than 15 days after receiving the list of candidates. If the House is in session, the selection must be made no later than five days after receiving a candidate list[8]. Any person selected to fill a House seat serves for the remainder of the unfilled term[9].
Representatives
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2010, members of the Montana House of Representatives are paid $82.64/day. Per diem is $103.69/day.[10]
The $82.64/day that Montana representatives are paid as of 2010 is a decrease over the $82.67/day they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. Per diem has increased from $98.75/day in 2007 to $103.69/day in 2010.[11]
When sworn in
Montana legislators assume office the first Monday of January following the election. If a senator is elected to fill a vacancy, the term of service begins the day after the election.
Partisan composition
- See also: Partisan composition of state houses
| Party | As of May 2012 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 32 | |
| Republican Party | 68 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Leadership
The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body. [12]
Current leadership
2010 Leadership
Current members
Standing committees
There are a total of 16 standing committees in the Montana House:
- Agriculture
- Appropriations
- Business and Labor
- Education
- Ethics
- Federal Relations, Energy, and Telecommunications
- Fish, Wildlife, and Parks
- Human Services
- Judiciary
- Legislative Administration
- Local Government
- Natural Resources
- Rules
- State Administration
- Taxation
- Transportation
External links
- Official website of the Montana House of Representatives
- Official list of the current members of the Montana House of Representatives
- Project Vote Smart on the Montana House of Representatives
- Montana 2010 election results
References
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ Montana Legislature
- ↑ Session information for Montana Legislature
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State "2012 Elections Candidate Information"
- ↑ Follow the Money: "Montana House 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Montana State Constitution - Qualifications for running for legislature
- ↑ Montana Legislature "Montana Election Law"(Referenced Statute 5-2-402 (3) (a)-(c))
- ↑ Montana Legislature "Montana Election Law"(Referenced Statute 5-2-405 (1)-(2))
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
- ↑ Montana House Leadership
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
State of Montana Helena (capital) |
|---|---|
| Ballot Measures |
List of Montana ballot measures | Local measures | School bond issues | Ballot measure laws | Initiative laws | History of I&R | History of direct democracy | Campaign Finance Requirements | Recall process | |
| Government |
Montana State Constitution | House of Representatives | Senate | Commissioner of Political Practices | Legislative Services Division | Legislative Auditor | |
| State executive officers |
Governor | Lieutenant Governor | Attorney General | Secretary of State | Director of the Department of Revenue | State Auditor | Superintendent of Public Instruction | Commissioner of Securities and Insurance | Director of Agriculture | Director of Natural Resources and Conservation | Commissioner of Labor and Industry | Public Service Commission | |
| Judiciary |
Montana Supreme Court | Supreme Court elections | District Courts | Judicial Nominating Commission | Judicial news | Judicial activist organizations | |
| Transparency Topics |
Public Records Act | Transparency Checklist | Government corruption reports | Transparency Legislation | Open Records procedures | Transparency Advocates | Transparency blogs | State budget | Taxpayer-funded lobbying associations | |
| Divisions |
State |
List of Counties |
List of Cities |
List of School Districts | |
