Montana Laws | National Law Review

Montana is the 4th largest US state by area, at just over 147,000 sq.miles, but ranks only 43rd in terms of population, with just over 1 million inhabitants in the state. It is the 3rd most-sparsely populated of the US states. It was the 41st state admitted to the Union on November 8, 1889.

Ranching and agriculture are the primary sources of the state’s economic production. Oil, gas, hard-rock mining, and lumber, are among other contributing factors to the state’s economy. And, tourism is the fastest-growing economic sector. Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, are among the most visited tourist-attractions in the state. The state has thousands of named rivers and creeks running through it, with 450-miles being prominently known for blue-ribbon trout fishing.

In addition to the three tourist attractions, Montana has several other protected lands in the state. The National Bison Range, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Center, and Bighole National Battlefield, are among the protected lands in the state. Montana is also a hub for microbreweries in the US. It is ranked third in the US for the number of craft microbreweries throughout the state. The state is also prominently known for its year-round outdoor sports activities including: golf, horseback riding, cycling, and skiing, among other popular outdoor activities.

Throughout its voting history, the state has elected a Democratic President only 11 occasions, and voted Republican in 21-elections. The state has three electoral college votes in each Presidential election.

The government of the State of Montana is composed of three branches, the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative. The powers of initiative and referendum are reserved for the citizens of Montana.

The Executive branch is led by the chief executive—the Governor, and his second in command the Lieutenant Governor, the Secretary Of State, the Attorney General, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Auditor, and by the staff and employees of the 14 executive branch agencies.

The Legislative branch consists of a bicameral legislature, like the majority of other states. The state’s House of Representatives has 100 members, and the state senate has 50. The Montana State Legislature convenes in odd number years, for 90 day periods.

The Judicial branch in the State of Montana consists of the Supreme Court, comprised of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. There are District courts, Water Court and other Courts of Limited Jurisdiction; including the Justice Courts Municipal Courts, and City Courts. Additionally, the state has a Workers’ Compensation Court with jurisdiction over worker’s compensation issues in the state.

The National Law Review covers state news from Montana as it unfolds. Minimum wage and labor/employment related coverage, biosimilars and energy stories, marijuana legalization, tax-reform, and federal agency news, are among the leading stories visitors will find online. The National Law Review continually updates legal stories, so visitors will always find relevant content related to the state, its citizens, and the US in general.

Date	Title	Organization
26 Mar	Ninth Circuit to Review Montana’s Nutrient Variance Approach: What You Need To Know	Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP
26 Dec	Indian Nations Law Update - December 2019	Godfrey & Kahn S.C.
21 Nov	Indian Nations Law Update - November 2019	Godfrey & Kahn S.C.
23 Oct	Vape Lung Outbreak Inspires E-Cigarette Bans Across the Country	Stark & Stark
7 Oct	A Stipulated Judgment Amount Is Not Necessarily the Measure of Bad Faith Damages	Wiggin and Dana LLP
24 Sep	Ninth Circuit Rules Montana’s Ban on Political Robocalls is Unconstitutional	Faegre Drinker
13 Sep	First Amendment Morass: Ninth Circuit Strikes Down Statute Regulating Automated Calls on the Basis of Content—Misses The Irony	Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP
10 Sep	Court Stays Yacht-Wreck Coverage Action Pending Concurrent Proceeding to Vacate Arbitration Award in Favor of Insurers	Carlton Fields
4 Sep	Montana Dinosaur Fossils: A Bone to Pick in Ownership	Steptoe & Johnson PLLC
12 Aug	Recent Rocky Mountain State Law Blockchain Developments	Greenberg Traurig, LLP
1 Aug	The Energizer – Volume 49	K&L Gates
1 Aug	Rocky Mountain States Make Headway in Blockchain-Related Legislation	Greenberg Traurig, LLP
26 Jun	SCOTUS Will Review EPA’s Authority to Control Superfund Cleanups at Company’s Request	Schiff Hardin LLP
21 May	Indian Nations Newsletter May 2019	Godfrey & Kahn S.C.
26 Apr	McDermottPlus Check-Up: April 26, 2019	McDermott Will & Emery
16 Apr	Despite Sophisticated Acquisition Contract, Allocation of CERCLA Liability Unclear	Beveridge & Diamond PC
18 Jan	Employers Take Note: Minimum Wages Increase in States Across the Country	Polsinelli PC
18 Dec	Mixed Results for Employers on Marijuana – Two Federal Courts Refuse to Find State Marijuana Laws Preempted by Federal Law	Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.
4 Dec	Will Hemp-Derived CBD Be Fully Legal with Passage of the 2018 Farm Bill? Not Quite…	Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP
8 Nov	BLM Drops Sage-Grouse Habitat from Oil & Gas Auction	Covington & Burling LLP
8 Aug	Indian Nations Law Update - August 2018	Godfrey & Kahn S.C.
11 May	Montana Supreme Court Undercuts CERCLA, Permits Property Owners to Pursue Restoration Damages Claim	Beveridge & Diamond PC
26 Feb	States Battle to Resurrect Net Neutrality Rules	Covington & Burling LLP
4 Jan	New Year, New Minimum Wage Hikes	Polsinelli PC
26 Dec	Many State and Local Minimum Wage Increases Will Go Into Effect on January 1, 2018	Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.
20 Dec	Roundup of Minimum Wage Increases for 2018	Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.
19 Apr	New State Substitution Laws, and a Busy Spring for Biosimilars	Mintz
6 Jan	Many States Are Increasing Their Minimum Wage In 2017	Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
16 Nov	Growing Acceptance Nationwide: More States Approve Marijuana Use	Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.
11 Nov	Voters Approve New Marijuana Laws in Eight States	Armstrong Teasdale
5 Aug	August 2016 Tax Credits & Incentives Update	Horwood Marcus & Berk Chartered
17 Jun	DC Circuit Court Rejects States’ Challenge of Blue Sky Preemption Under Regulation A+	Katten
16 Mar	Montana’s Revised Medical Marijuana Law Survives Constitutional Challenge	Jackson Lewis P.C.
4 Nov	October 2015 Tax Credits and Incentives Update	Horwood Marcus & Berk Chartered
21 Oct	States Challenge New SEC Rules on Small Public Offerings	Greenberg Traurig, LLP
4 Aug	Montana Is 20th State To Restrict Employer Access To Personal Social Media Accounts	Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP
21 Jul	Montana Joins Majority of Courts Holding That Insurers Must Establish Prejudice to Disclaim Coverage Based on an Insured’s Late Notice	Proskauer Rose LLP
3 Jul	Nine States Join Interstate Medical Licensure Compact	Covington & Burling LLP
9 Jun	Montana Supreme Court Affirms Rule Requiring Insurer to Demonstrate Prejudice Resulting from Insured’s Late Notice	Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP
5 Jun	States Challenge Blue Sky Preemption Under Regulation A+	Katten
28 May	States Continue to Protect the Personal Social Media Accounts of Employees, with Oregon Likely to Add an Interesting Twist	Jackson Lewis P.C.
7 May	Update on State Breach Notification Laws: Wyoming, Montana and Alabama	McDermott Will & Emery
24 Apr	New Montana Law Protects Employee Social Media Accounts	Proskauer Rose LLP
21 Apr	Montana to Join Growing List of States Limiting Access to Social Media?	Jackson Lewis P.C.
14 Apr	Update on State Breach Notification Laws	McDermott Will & Emery
10 Mar	State Data Breach Notification Law Updates	Mintz
13 Jan	State Minimum Wage Increases Effective 2015	Jackson Lewis P.C.
18 Dec	Federal Spending Bill Creates Controversy Over Federal Government’s Position on Medical Marijuana	Jackson Lewis P.C.
5 Dec	Daubert Decisions Not Just for District Courts Anymore	IMS ExpertServices
5 Dec	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Announces ESA Protection for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse	Covington & Burling LLP