Tag Archives: Montana Supreme Court

Montana Supreme Court Strikes Down 4 ‘Unconstitutional’ Voting Laws Passed by GOP

The laws disproportionately impacted the ability of Native people to participate in voting, the court noted.

By Julia Conley. Published 3-28-2024 by Common Dreams

Image: Democracy Chronicles/flickr

Native rights groups were among those applauding a decision by the Montana Supreme Court late Wednesday as four voting restrictions, passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss, were struck down as “unconstitutional.”

The sweeping 2021 laws had ended same-day voter registration, eliminated the use of student ID cards as a form of identification for voters, banned the distribution of absentee ballots to teenagers who would turn 18 by Election Day, and prohibited third parties from collecting ballots and returning them on behalf of voters.

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‘Our Voices Are Actually Being Heard’: Historic Youth Climate Trial Begins in Montana

“I think a victory for the Montana youth would really set the stage, provide a strong foundation for many of these other youth climate cases,” said one law professor in the state.

By Jessica Corbett. Published 6-12-2023 by Common Dreams

The plaintiffs in Held v. State of Montana Photo: Western Environmental Law Center/Twitter

The first-ever constitutional climate trial in the United States—the result of 16 youth suing the Montana government for promoting and supporting fossil fuels that dangerously warm up the planet—kicked off in Helena on Monday.

“Going to trial means a chance for me and my fellow plaintiffs to have our climate injuries recognized and a solution realized. It means our voices are actually being heard by the courts, the government, the people who serve to protect us as citizens, and Montana’s youth,” Grace, one of the 16 young people behind Held v. State of Montanasaid in a statement earlier this year.

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