News & Commentary

My father came to this country when he was 15 years old; my mother arrived when she was 19 years old. I value and love my diverse family. I am full of such pride in the ways that my parents served this country.

Instead of concerning themselves with jobs, the economy, access to healthcare, and other issues of concern to Montanans, Republicans are spending their time focusing on unconstitutional attempts to ban abortion. Nearly twenty anti-abortion bills have been filed this session, and four have already passed second reading in the House. Republicans are moving these bills forward at breakneck speed without concern for whether they benefit Montanans. The broad array of measures, from attempts to limit access to medication abortions early in pregnancy to bans on abortions later in pregnancy, make plain the goal: to make abortion completely unavailable in Montana. These bills represent the worst kind of government overreach, placing the government between patients and the medical care they need and deserve, criminalizing medical professionals, and attempting to scare and intimidate patients with outrageous misinformation. This interference is not only morally wrong; it is in flagrant violation of the Montana Constitution.

If passed into law, HB 112 and HB 113 will cause irrevocable harm to trans youth. We’re disappointed to see that the House Judiciary Committee is more interested in passing hateful laws than supporting trans youth in Montana.  As these bills move to the floor of the House, we hope lawmakers listen to Montana business leaders, medical professionals and associations, religious leaders, parents, and trans youth and oppose these harmful bills.  If these discriminatory bills pass -- we will sue, and we will win.  Trying to defend laws in court that stigmatize and target trans youth doesn’t seem like a good use of taxpayer dollars to us.  

Voting is a fundamental right and the cornerstone of our democracy.  Yet, we know that too many populations in Montana, including Indigenous communities, have historically been -- and continue to be -- disenfranchised. Montana lawmakers should be working to expand access to the ballot. Instead some are introducing legislation like HB 176 that attacks voting rights by making it harder for people to access the ballot. Knowing that Montanans overwhelmingly rejected these same voter restrictions in 2014 is another reason lawmakers should oppose this bill. Caitlin Borgmann, Executive Director, ACLU of Montana

“We hope to see lawmakers take the momentum from the 2019 session and continue to support solutions to bring justice to Native people and communities.  Reauthorizing the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Person Task Force and grant program is an important step forward. In addition, establishing a Missing Persons Review Committee and a Missing Persons Response Team training grant program is crucial in that it will unite communities and people of different backgrounds and authorize both the state-wide analysis and community-based solutions and training that are necessary to bring justice and safety to communities. It’s impossible to overstate the harms the MMIW epidemic has had -- and continues to have -- on the lives of Native people across Montana and across the country. As a community, for years we have mourned the deaths and disappearances of far too many family and community members with no justice in sight. No family or community is immune to the pain caused by this tragic epidemic. When it comes to MMIW, these bills are essential to begin to eliminate the barriers to justice faced by Native people.”

"Make no mistake: these bills target and attack trans youth and will cause them serious and lasting harm. We cannot let fear mongering and lies about what it means to be transgender result in laws that would stigmatize trans youth, harm families and communities, and drive businesses away from Montana. Trans youth deserve respect and dignity for everything they are. These anti-trans bills are not welcome in Montana. If they pass the legislature, there’s no doubt -- we will sue." Caitlin Borgmann, ACLU of Montana Executive Director

More than 150 business leaders from across Montana have signed onto a letter that will be sent to members of the House Judiciary Committee asking lawmakers to oppose anti-trans legislation, HB 112 and HB 113. Both bills were introduced by Rep. John Fuller (R-Kalispell).

In a ruling Friday, the Montana Supreme Court vacated Steven Keefe’s life without parole sentences and remanded his case to the Eighth Judicial District Court for resentencing. Steven Keefe is represented by Phillips Black and ACLU of Montana. “Today, the Montana Supreme Court recognized what many other courts already have – that sentencing a juvenile to life without parole is akin to a death sentence," said John Mills, Steven Keefe’s attorney and principal attorney at the Phillips Black Project. "By vacating the life without parole sentences, the Court gives Steven Keefe the opportunity to present evidence of his significant rehabilitation. As a result of this order, we expect that the Eighth Judicial District Court will provide Mr. Keefe with a sentence that gives him a hope for release. Mr. Keefe committed a serious crime in 1985 when he was 17 years old and was sentenced to die in prison. It was the height of nationwide concern about a wave of teenage super predators, unfounded fears that never came to pass in Montana or any other state. Mr. Keefe has used his three and a half decades in prison to reflect on the pain he caused and has expressed sincere remorse to spiritual advisors and mental health counselors. He has shown a strong work ethic and has continually received high marks from his supervisors, as the past and present wardens of the prison have attested. His Catholic faith and participation in programs for self-improvement have placed him on a path toward redemption and rehabilitation. He has done everything in his power to turn his life around.”