What's Happening in Helena? Legislative Update 2/9/15

ACLU of Montana Public Policy Director Niki Zupanic reports in on which legislation we support, which we oppose and which upcoming bills we are watching.

Legislative Update for February 9

Highlights from February 2 - 7

We supported two pro-privacy bills: HB 74 by Rep. Lynch (D - Butte) updates our data breach notification laws and SB 209 by Sen. Rosendale (R - Glendive) restricts the use of data collected by a vehicle event data recorder (sometimes called a car "black box").

We supported HB 139 by Rep. McConnell (D - Missoula) to suspend the requirement that the Office of Public Defender attempt to collect fees from people during their period of incarceration.

We supported HB 330 by Rep. Schwaderer (R - Superior) to limit local law enforcements ability to receive certain types of military grade equipment from federal surplus programs and to require greater notice and transparency when such equipment is acquired.

We supported HB 331 by Rep. Schwaderer (R - Superior) to require the state to remove the derogatory term "half-breed" from official place names.

We supported HB 343 by Rep. Bryce Bennett (D - Missoula), which would prohibit employees from requiring employees to turn over passwords to personal email and online media accounts.

We supported SJ 3 by Sen. Driscoll (D - Billings) calling for a legislative study of the state's contractual relationship with Corrections Corporation of America and the operations of the Crossroads Correctional Center in Shelby.
 
Bills ACLU of Montana is Testifying on this Week

The House Judiciary Committee will hear three pro-privacy bills on Monday morning.  We support all three. HB 333 by Rep. Schwaderer (R - Superior) revises laws related to publicly operated cameras to prevent misuse and to limit retention of images. HB 344 by Rep. Zolnikov (R - Billings) generally prohibits the use of automatic license plate scanners. HB 345, also by Rep. Zolnikov, restricts the use of data collected by a vehicle event data recorder (sometimes called a car "black box").

We oppose HB 37 by Rep. Monforton (R - Bozeman), which will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning. This bill would change our rules of evidence so that prosecutors could now introduce evidence of prior acts in an attempt to prove a defendant's guilt in certain sexual and domestic violence cases.

Two committees will hear bills on each side of the right to die debate on Tuesday morning. We oppose HB 328 by Rep. Tschida (R - Missoula), which would undo the protections in the Baxter decision and would allow doctors to be prosecuted for homicide if they offer aid in dying to a patient.

We support SB 202 by Sen. Dick Barrett (D - Missoula), which would provide a framework of regulations and protections for physician aid in dying. The House Judiciary Committee will hear HB 328 and the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear SB 202.

We strongly support HB 370 by Rep. "Doc" Moore (R - Missoula) to repeal the death penalty. The House Judiciary committee will hear this bill on Friday morning. The bill will repeal the death penalty and replace it with life without possibility of parole.
 
Other bills we are watching this week:
 
Monday

 
 
Tuesday

 
 
Wednesday

 
 
Thursday