State administration committee to examine lobbying and ballot collection laws

• February 21 2020

Lobbying and ballot collection laws will take center stage at the State Administration and Veterans' Affairs Interim Committee (SAVA) meeting in Helena Feb. 27.  The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in room 137 of the Capitol. 

The morning session will feature preliminary bill drafts proposing lobbying law revisions to:

• clarify that lobbying relates only to promoting or opposing the introduction or enactment of legislation by legislators or the legislature;
• provide that the total lobbying fee be deposited to the state general fund; and
• revise when and how money spent on lobbying is reported. 

The afternoon agenda will highlight ballot collection laws as the committee examines:

• the Montana Ballot Interference Prevention Act (2018);
• recent court challenges of a similar law in Arizona; and
• ballot collection laws in other states.

Public comment is welcome as scheduled on the agenda. The agenda, along with other meeting materials, is available online at the committee's meeting materials webpage. 

To watch or listen live, visit  www.leg.mt.gov, click on the streaming schedule and then select SAVA's meeting. The meeting will also be broadcast on the Montana Public Affairs Network (MPAN). 

For more information, please visit the committee's website  at https://leg.mt.gov/committees/interim/2019sava/ or contact Sheri Scurr, committee staff, at sscurr@mt.gov or 406-444-3596.