House Bill No. [insert bill number] proposes significant revisions to the laws governing statewide ballot issues in Montana. The bill mandates that the Secretary of State conduct a poll of the legislature on each statewide initiative submitted, requiring the results of this poll to be included on the ballot. Specifically, within five working days after the petition submission deadline, the Secretary of State must send a ballot to each legislator, allowing them to express their support, opposition, or neutrality regarding the initiative. The results of this legislative poll will be summarized in the voter information pamphlet and on the ballot itself, detailing how legislators from each political party voted on the initiative.

Additionally, the bill amends existing sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to incorporate these new requirements. Notably, it removes the requirement for rebuttal arguments in the voter information pamphlet and adds provisions for including the summary results of the legislative poll and referral votes for both initiatives and referendums. The bill is designed to enhance transparency and provide voters with insights into legislative opinions on ballot issues, with an immediate effective date upon passage and applicability to initiatives submitted after the effective date.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 13-27-401, 13-27-501
HB0375_1(1): 13-27-401, 13-27-501
HB0375_1(2): 13-27-401, 13-27-501
HB0375_1(3): 13-27-401, 13-27-501
HB0375_1(4): 13-27-401, 13-27-501
HB0375_1: 13-27-401, 13-27-501