Montana State Legislature

Special Sessions

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Special Sessions 1889 - Present

Note: The Senate of the 20th Legislative Assembly resolved itself into a Court of Impeachment for the trial of Montana Secretary of State Charles T. Stewart on March 21, 1927. Stewart resigned that same month.

Legislature	Called by	Duration	Subject
65th	Gov. Steve Bullock	Nov. 14 to Nov. 15, 2017	Approve fund balance and other transfers as submitted by the Office of Budget and Program Planning; provide for a two-month employer contribution holiday to the state employee group benefits plan; temporarily suspend employer share contributions to the judges' retirement system; revise the sale of new liquor licenses by requiring an auction of newly created licenses; eliminate the transportation and combined block grant payments and suspend the coal fired generating unit payment for the current biennium; revise the state fire assessment to apply to all parcels; temporarily increase the accommodations and rental car tax rates to increase general fund revenues to offset state fire costs; authorize a management fee on excess investment holdings of the Montana State Fund to offset state fire costs; provide appropriations for fire suppression costs and emergency funds for FY 2018 and FY 2019; require third-party reservation intermediaries to pay and remit the lodging facility use tax; and, confirm judicial appointments.
60th	Gov. Brian Schweitzer	Sept. 5, 2007	Appropriate money for fire suppression and disaster response and recovery activities in 2008-2009; approve additional spending authority for emergencies and disasters and eliminate time restrictions applicable to disaster and emergency declarations during fire season.
60th	Gov. Brian Schweitzer	May 10, 2007 to May 15, 2007	Enact general appropriations bill for ordinary expenses of legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government and for public schools for biennium ending June 30, 2009; appropriate money for capital projects and information technology capital projects; provide funding for public elementary and secondary schools, authorize optional full-time kindergarten, establish quality educator loan and forgiveness program, and revise Governor's postsecondary scholarship program; enact tax legislation that provides both permanent and one-time-only tax reductions and rebates for Montanans, improves tax compliance, and expands business equipment property tax exemption; provide property tax incentives for new investment in conversion, transport, and manufacturing related to, and research and development of renewable energy, new technology energy, and clean coal energy; and create education trust fund with revenue raised by revisions to tax treatment of income and dividends of real estate investment trusts.
59th	Gov. Brian Schweitzer	Dec. 14, 2005	Enact funding system for Montana public elementary and secondary schools based on definition of "quality" educationcontained in Senate Bill 152, in compliance with Article X, Section 1, of Montana Constitution and in fulfillment of requirements of Montana Supreme Court decision in Columbia Falls Elementary School v. State of Montana and remaining within a balanced budget, as required by Article VIII, Section 9, of Montana Constitution.
57th	Gov. Judy Martz	Sept. 13, 2002	Amend House Bill 2, Chapter 23, Special Laws of August 2002, for sole purpose of providing immediate effective date and providing retroactive applicability date of Aug. 26, 2002.
57th	Gov. Judy Martz	Aug. 5, 2002 to Aug. 11, 2002	Consider action on legislation 1) approving fund balance transfers as submitted by Office of Budget and Program Planning; 2) reducing general fund expenditures, including those exempted by Section 17-7-140 MCA, House Bill 2, any other appropriation bill, statutory appropriation, or language appropriation; 3) reducing non-general fund appropriations and non-budgeted transfers when reduction will increase general fund balance and any necessary statutory amendments to effectuate legislative reductions; 4) reducing general fund shortfall in revenue; and 5) amending House Bill 41 and Senate Bill 495 to provide for guarantee account in state special revenue fund.
56th	Gov. Marc Racicot; Legislature	May 8, 2000 to May 11, 2000	Governor: Appropriations for economic development programs funded by Chapter 563, Laws of 1999 (declared unconstitutional by Supreme Court Jan. 20, 2000); clarify Chapter 269 bonding authority; and confirm judicial appointees. Legislature: Reduce taxes; loans from coal tax fund to midsized businesses; alternative livestock license moratorium; open-pit mining reclamation; oppose Missouri River designation; aviation fuel tax; tobacco settlement trust fund; insurance information and privacy; and federal estate tax.
56th	Gov. Marc Racicot	June 15, 1999 to June 16, 1999	Ratify Crow-Montana reserved water rights compact; settlement for Crow claim regarding Montana coal severance tax; exempt certain speeding violations from surcharge.
53rd	Gov. Marc Racicot	Nov. 29, 1993 to Dec. 18, 1993	Balance 1994 biennium state budget; property tax reform; pension tax refunds; state building maintenance; oil drilling; confirmation of appointees; budget modifications.
52nd	Gov. Stan Stephens	July 6, 1992 to July 18, 1992	Update revenue estimates; balance 1992 biennium state budget; consider fund transfers; sales tax proposal; reform tax structure; hazardous waste moratorium; agency liquor store agreements; drought relief.
52nd	Gov. Stan Stephens	Jan. 6, 1992 to Jan. 17, 1992	Balance 1993 biennium state budget; consider privatization of liquor stores; revise payment schedule for estimated tax payments.
51st	Gov. Stan Stephens	May 21, 1990 to May 25, 1990	Correct exemptions on natural gas production taxation; workers' compensation unfunded liability; prison construction issues.
51st	Gov. Stan Stephens	June 19, 1989 to July 14, 1989	Education equalization; state spending limitations; new and ongoing revenue sources; office hours for cities and towns; disband Commerce Dept. litigation bureau; revise taxation of retirement income.
49th	Gov. Ted Schwinden	June 16, 1986 to July 1, 1986	State appropriations and budget changes; taxes on fuels and regulated utilities.
49th	Gov. Ted Schwinden	March 24, 1986 to March 29, 1986	Liability limits; revenue bonds; special elections; economic assistance.
49th	Gov. Ted Schwinden	June 28, 1985	To correct action on vehicle fees.
48th	Gov. Ted Schwinden	Dec. 12, 1983 to Dec. 17, 1983	Veterans' and Disabled Citizens' Law.
47th	Gov. Ted Schwinden	June 21, 1982 to June 26, 1982	Problems at Montana State Prison and in adult corrections programs.
47th	Gov. Ted Schwinden	Nov. 16, 1981 to Nov. 24, 1981	Appropriation of federal block grant funds.
44th	Gov. Thomas Judge	Aug. 4, 1975	Six-mill levy for University System.
43rd	Legislature	March 12, 1973	Finish work of regular session.
42nd	Gov. Forrest Anderson	June 7, 1971 to June 25, 1971	Continuation of topics from previous special session.
42nd	Gov. Forrest Anderson	March 8, 1971 to April 3, 1971	Long-range building 23 days program; sales tax appropriations.
41st	Gov. Forrest Anderson	March 10, 1969 to March 19, 1969	Supplemental appropriation.
40th	Gov. Tim Babcock	March 3, 1967 to March 18, 1967	Miscellaneous appropriations.
23rd	Gov. Frank Cooney	Nov. 27, 1933 to Jan. 19, 1934	Depression and federal programs for relief and recovery; impeachment brought against Governor and Secretary of State
18th	Gov. Joseph Dixon	Jan. 22, 1924 to Jan. 29, 1924	Legislative appropriations null and void due to Supreme Court decision on gubernatorial veto.
17th	Gov. Joseph Dixon	March 5, 1921 March 22, 1921	Tuberculosis sanitarium; tax collection system; school funding; inheritance tax.
16th	Gov. Sam Stewart	July 29, 1919 to Aug. 11, 1919	Drought relief; highway construction; women's suffrage.
15th	Gov. Sam Stewart	Feb. 14, 1918 to Feb. 25, 1918	Seed grain law; protect soldiers' and sailors' rights in their absence; state council of defense and state home guard; enact legislation to punish treasonable, seditious, and disloyal utterances and acts.
11th	Gov. Edwin Norris	Dec. 27, 1909 to Dec. 30, 1909	Additional bonds for construction of Capitol wings; appropriation for Publicity Department; Bureau of Agriculture, Labor, and Industry.
8th	Gov. Joseph Toole	Dec. 1, 1903 to Dec. 11, 1903	Labor disputes; mining litigation; district judges.
8th	Gov. Joseph Toole	May 26, 1903	Louisiana Purchase Exposition.