Conservative Group Issues Comprehensive Report Card on 2025 Montana Legislature

HELENA — A conservative advocacy group has released a comprehensive three-part analysis of the 2025 Montana Legislature, categorizing bills as “bad,” “terrible,” and “should have passed” while issuing scorecards rating Republican lawmakers on key votes.

Montanans for Limited Government (MTFLG) published the extensive review covering the 69th Legislature’s 85-day session, which saw 1,765 bills introduced from 4,495 requests. The organization’s analysis spans legislation that became law, bills that failed, and individual voting records of Republican legislators.

“The amount of legislation this session was overwhelming,” MTFLG said in response to questions about their expanded analysis. “It seemed easier to break things into parts.”

Mission and Methodology

MTFLG describes its mission as advancing “policies of limited government, economic freedom, and responsible individual liberty” while working to “place liberty-minded, constitutional conservatives in public offices.” The organization maintains anonymity for its members to protect them from potential reprisals.

The group’s scorecard focused exclusively on Republican legislators, tracking votes on eight bills including the biennial budget, property tax measures, Medicaid expansion, and what they termed “slush funds.”

“Far too many legislators claim to be Republican and/or conservative. This creates voter expectation of performance,” MTFLG explained. “Votes reveal the truth of whether they are one of those, both of those, or neither of those. Democrats, on the other hand, are unreservedly open about their ideology and it’s clearly reflected in their votes.”

“Bad Bills” That Became Law

Among the legislation MTFLG opposed that became law were cultural and aesthetic grants (HB 9), increased regulation and fees on fish ponds and game bird farms (HB 74, HB 105), and the STARS Act education measure (HB 252). The group also criticized a bill allowing abortion clinics to become experimental treatment centers (SB 535).

“Notable” Conservative Victories

The organization praised several bills that aligned with conservative priorities, including legislation creating the crime of grooming children (HB 82), privacy in spaces protections (HB 121), immigration status checks during lawful stops (HB 278), and prohibitions on red flag gun laws (HB 809).

Other supported measures included the “Free to Speak Act” (HB 400), education laws related to human sexuality instruction (HB 471), Medicaid work requirements (HB 687), and bans on foreign funding for ballot measures (HB 818).

Failed Priorities

MTFLG expressed disappointment over several bills they supported that failed to advance, including repealing state tax on social security income (HB 148), the “Defend the Guard” bill (HB 404), prohibitions on employing unauthorized immigrants (HB 536), and weather modification restrictions (SB 473).

When asked about the outcomes, MTFLG said they were “disappointed, but not surprised.”

Looking ahead to the 2027 session, the group identified two top priorities for reintroduction: “Defend the Guard” and repealing state tax on social security income.

Republican Scorecard Results

The organization’s scorecard rated Republican legislators on eight key votes, with positions opposing the biennial budget (HB 2), property tax measures (HB 231, SB 542), Medicaid expansion (HB 245), and two bills they labeled “slush funds” (HB 863, HB 924). They supported lower income tax rates (HB 337) and property tax relief (SB 90).

MTFLG identified 47 “standout legislators” who scored highest on their evaluation, including 26 House members and 21 senators. The list includes representatives like Larry Brewster, Ed Byrne, Caleb Hinkle, and Katie Zolnikov, along with senators such as Becky Beard, Daniel Emrich, Theresa Manzella, and Daniel Zolnikov.

The complete scorecard shows the lowest-scoring Republican legislators included Eric Tilleman (0%), Ken Walsh (12.5%), David Bedey (12.5%), Steve Gist (12.5%), and Curtis Cochrane (25%).

Electoral Impact

The group confirmed plans to reference these scorecards in future elections, potentially making their evaluations a factor in Republican primary races.

“Absolutely,” MTFLG responded when asked about using the scorecards electorally.

The comprehensive analysis represents one of the most detailed conservative evaluations of a Montana legislative session, offering insight into how advocacy groups assess lawmaker performance and prioritize future legislative battles.