HELENA — The Montana Legislature’s 69th session is now officially underway, as the House and Senate convened for the first time on Monday.
The first day of the 90-day session isn’t focused on political issues or votes, but on ceremony and celebration. At noon, the Senate and House each gathered in their respective chambers for swearing-in ceremonies.
District Court Judge Matthew Cuffe, of Lincoln County, administered the oath of office to 50 senators, while Richland County Justice of the Peace Luke Savage administered the oath to 100 representatives.
- How much snow did we get?
- 2 teens dead in 4-vehicle crash
- Recent obituaries on KRTV
- Great Falls teen battles rare thyroid cancer
Even for lawmakers who’ve been in the Capitol a long time, this day still means a lot. Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, and Rep. Mary Caferro, D-Helena, are each starting their 11th legislative session.
“For me personally, it’s still the same as it’s always been – very excited, and I’m very eager to represent the people that voted for me to come here,” Caferro said.
“You do get more used to being sworn in, but it's still an amazing place to be part of – the pictures, the ceremony, the pomp,” said Jones. “It reminds you that you're one of a group of a few folks who get to stand up and represent for Montana, and so it’s always special.”
The newly seated House has 58 Republicans and 42 Democrats, while the Senate has 32 Republicans and 18 Democrats. Though Republicans still have strong majorities, they’re short of the two-thirds supermajority they held during the 2023 session.
Men make up just under two-thirds of the Legislature, and women one-third. There are also one non-binary and one transgender female lawmaker. 12 lawmakers are Native American.
Caferro said she’s still struck by the value of having part-time “citizen legislators” in Montana.
“We all represent our communities, and when we come here, we're representing people we go to church with, we represent people who we cheer on the local football team together with,” she said. “I always say we weave a great, diverse quilt and do a very good job representing Montana.”
Jones said, despite the differences between lawmakers, there’s always room for them to find ways to work together.
“We may adamantly disagree on issues, but everybody got elected by a similar number of people, and most folks are coming here because they want to make a difference,” he said. “So the better you can understand folks, the better you can get to know folks and their story, the more likely it is you can find some common ground for the benefit of the state.”
The celebrations only last for a day, and the work really begins on Tuesday, when legislative committees start their regular schedules – including hearing the first group of bills.
