Republican House Speaker Austin Knudsen is using his parliamentary power to kill a measure allowing counties to hold an all-mail ballot in Montana’s May 25 special congressional election. Knudsen has refused to schedule a floor vote on House Bill 83, which Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock sent back to the House on April 7, with amendments giving counties the option to conduct an all-mail ballot. Without a floor vote, the bill is dead – unless at least 60 House members vote to overrule Knudsen’s decision, which is unlikely. In a statement Tuesday, Bullock said Knudsen is “playing procedural games to prevent this (bill) from reaching the House floor.”
“All he’s accomplishing is spending more taxpayer money to get fewer people to vote,” the governor told MTN News.
A spokeswoman for Knudsen said Tuesday the House has already “vetted” the all-mail ballot proposal and rejected it, calling it “bad policy.” The 2017 Legislature, entering its final week or so, has plenty of other work to finish and doesn’t need another vote on the mail ballot proposal, she said.
Knudsen’s refusal to send the bill to the House floor appears to be the final chapter of the contentious proposal, which had the support of most county election officials in Montana but fell victim to a mostly partisan split at the Legislature.
Full Article: MT House speaker kills mail-ballot bill with parliamentary power – KXLH.com | Helena, Montana.