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Governor signs suite of bills changing Montana’s environmental laws

Peyton Olson| May 1, 2025| News

By Micah Drew, Daily Montanan

The Legislature passed five new laws in response to the Held v. Montana climate change decision handed down last year

Gov. Greg Gianforte speaks before a bill signing ceremony for a suite of bills that make changes to Montana’s environmental laws. (Micah Drew/Daily Montanan)

Three state representatives joined Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte for a bill signing ceremony for five new laws making changes to the Montana Environmental Policy Act.

“At its simplest, MEPA is a process that ensures that we think about the potential environmental impacts of our decisions,” Gianforte said in remarks to press. “Last year, the Montana Supreme Court issued a series of rulings that led us to develop solutions to reduce potential litigation and provide certainty to Montana businesses, large and small, that are trying to make a living here in our state.”

The suite of laws came as a direct response to the decision in the Held vs. Montana lawsuit, in which a district court judge found that the state could not limit the analysis of greenhouse gas emissions during the environmental review process.

 

Read the full story.

Last modified: May 22, 2025

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