[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6100370,"mediaKeyId","2813626-04503b23fff42fa60c8e7e88e1690de9","parentId",2813626,"title","Heated hearing on HB 547 over Butte-Silver Bow fire governance exposes deep divisions between paid and volunteer departments","audioSeconds",7756,"startMs",2324000,"endMs",10080000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813626-04503b23fff42fa60c8e7e88e1690de9&start=2324&end=10080","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813626-04503b23fff42fa60c8e7e88e1690de9/thumbnail_2324000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6100370/Montana/Heated-hearing-on-HB-547-over-Butte-Silver-Bow-fire-governance-exposes-deep-divisions-between-paid-and-volunteer-departments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100370-7d90e2ee2fcd95e61c994eaae111fd03/orig.mp4?Expires=1770921575&Signature=Vg1UJfREjx4zg~fdbPfgvIRhNGRNPW42X1-Y3L4cQlR4V5H1H33GYbMzf3ffj6INKiFB7TYNZUjQWJMiTW1GxNHRsAeQA0RM0qnKRsycnM81zna2FN6vjemeScUz4RExXijDGjM7XfslBBCiEYksTYdzRWQyR69q~Br75RLf0OxMCpYrBxVBKpfTDGfcfje1jiTmorwTT-XIDf-0iBXWcG7i-IRf2WNLn~0Y~UnljNbzKhqzQs2iz-wtIbuiaQTxBfMqyx6jF44-SGUNgNJVgksHkCyGXyJJB4GuqsDd5QvtIXMfX16bTTuWppr4VCKXVTQ4SlS102T~lCSAhhnzVg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana Legislature","date","2025-03-28T00:00:00Z","article","Representative Scott DeMaris (sponsor) opened the hearing on House Bill 547 as a narrow, targeted repeal aimed only at the consolidated city–county government of Butte-Silver Bow. The bill seeks to remove sections of Title 7 that sponsors say conflict with Butte Silver Bow's 1977 charter and prevent the county from implementing a single director of fire services with operational authority across paid and volunteer departments.

Sponsor and supporters described the bill as a \"cleanup\" restoring the local charter. \"What we need in our community is chain of command,\" said JP Gallagher, chief executive of Butte-Silver Bow, who testified in favor of the bill and asked the committee for a due pass in the interest of public safety. Multiple paid firefighters, union leaders and the county's safety and health coordinator told the committee that inconsistent training, unclear incident command and fragmented budgeting among nine volunteer departments and the paid department create risk on emergency scenes. The paid department's testimony included operational details: the jurisdiction includes two career stations with 16 apparatus and 38 career personnel, plus nine volunteer departments with 27 pieces of apparatus and roughly 133 volunteer personnel (figures provided by testimony).

Proponents stressed the proposal would not eliminate volunteers, affect volunteer pensions or raise taxes; Representative DeMaris said he added explicit language to preserve pensions. \"This is a local control bill, point blank, plain and simple,\" said John Liebel of IAFF Local 96.

Opponents — including several Butte-Silver Bow commissioners, rural fire-district trustees and volunteer chiefs — urged the committee to reject or table the measure because of process and substance. Commissioner Trudy Healy testified she and the full county commission had not taken a position and said the bill had moved forward without adequate notice to the commission or the volunteer districts. Attorneys and trustees representing rural districts pointed to a 1987 Montana Attorney General opinion they said protects preexisting rural fire-district rights during consolidation and warned the bill would remove long-standing statutory protections for rural districts. \"This bill was drafted and brought forward without any solution to a Butte Silver Bow problem,\" said Jason Willoughby of the Racetrack Rural Fire District.

Several volunteer chiefs and trustees described local distrust and fear that the bill would centralize authority, hamper trustees' control over assets and budgets, and push volunteers out of service. Testimony included multiple procedural complaints that volunteers and trustees received limited notice and time to review the draft. Opponents also said the bill would not resolve local disputes and urged local mediation and stakeholder negotiation instead.

Committee members questioned witnesses about the sequence of events: proponents cited an independent comprehensive fire study that they said justified the change; opponents said they had not been given adequate time to respond. Sponsor DeMaris said he is willing to work with stakeholders on amendments and emphasized the bill affects only the two consolidated governments in Montana (Butte-Silver Bow and Anaconda-Deer Lodge) because of their charters.

No vote or formal committee action is recorded in the transcript. The hearing lasted more than two hours and included dozens of proponents and opponents, many of whom emphasized safety, training standards and local control. The record shows deep divisions between paid personnel and many volunteer districts over the appropriate balance of local autonomy, operational command and funding.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Local Government - Friday, Mar 28, 2025 15:22 - 18:30","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Scott DeMaris presented House Bill 547 to remove statutory language that, proponents said, prevents Butte-Silver Bow from implementing the fire-organization structure in its 1977 consolidation charter.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MT, Montana","taxId",77694,"location","Montana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6100375,"Committee hears brief support for Peter Fontana's reappointment to Board of Real Estate Appraisers",296,1994000,2290000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813626-04503b23fff42fa60c8e7e88e1690de9&start=1994&end=2290","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813626-04503b23fff42fa60c8e7e88e1690de9/thumbnail_1994000.jpg","/articles/6100375/Montana/Committee-hears-brief-support-for-Peter-Fontanas-reappointment-to-Board-of-Real-Estate-Appraisers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100375-e196e1987cad7bed1772e53e6c448bd6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770921575&Signature=Bo9xMG7miAIvqf4-H~oaNtdvNei4PXhrw24SeLSWTZMXcLydmooNQLcqpGhmaWJjUn3XiNTICvuDPdV41B7yjQ6OwuDnGn9OUV-aojoUHlTbBYOGxvUOfTTvnOsY3lSmnaOZqxqwSGFYGolqFJuRxyMKKPvRaYshvspzwGPpuAVGLvE4OvShZPrJcBC7lSm470XlYEFMgfVjALJk9k5SM9vVhL109aFZcv3WlRgTI6Mtb4nG~laq7RhluPjAW0kDMvQvY7c2lretOxbCWRlt9kuZJCqbAg0uCE1z0Mm10wCuJjCh5L0RpXGHFGu2pxPEr~qG7yc-euKKl79Q~pimBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Forrest Mandeville introduced Senate Resolution 48 to confirm Peter Fontana's appointment to the Montana Board of Real Estate Appraisers. The attached Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) materials show the board consists of four licensed real-estate appraisers and one public member, serving four-year terms.

Dylan Klapmeier, Governor Gianforte's education and workforce policy advisor, appeared as a proponent and described Fontana's qualifications and service on local boards. Quinlan O'Connor, chief legal counsel for DLI, also testified in support. Peter Fontana appeared remotely and said he currently serves as the board's chair and that the board has worked on red-tape reduction and on lowering barriers of entry for aspiring appraisers.

There were no opponents or informational witnesses recorded in the transcript, and the committee recorded no questions of substance or votes in the provided excerpt. The hearing closed with a request for a do-pass recommendation from proponents.","Senate Resolution 48 received unopposed proponent testimony supporting the governor's appointment of Peter Fontana to the Board of Real Estate Appraisers; Fontana and state labor-industry officials appeared in support.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6100380,"Bill to raise nuisance-complaint threshold draws mixed response; amendment sought for health exceptions",537,1415000,1952000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813626-04503b23fff42fa60c8e7e88e1690de9&start=1415&end=1952","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813626-04503b23fff42fa60c8e7e88e1690de9/thumbnail_1415000.jpg","/articles/6100380/Montana/Bill-to-raise-nuisance-complaint-threshold-draws-mixed-response-amendment-sought-for-health-exceptions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100380-48ac907edb753c299a421f272878c13d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770921575&Signature=VWES-dcqCqEZANnORlyItKQj6b3JFSeHRjSbHmIieCWiJlxahNFt0FVcy57kFIfKF90P1SYjNr3XMtuaRFrTa1AwtXK6WxszPMtLqFBNQN~pJO1jGUy~dXBv6MEyZSRl0BwJkSfATO8VYS5tCU3soiPXu7dbtVwH2~S1boXlXoDOyoSMSI53X7CsgtrA685yUY8-AcLj2kmERadCyKsda~R-BXfzC~SIJj4myk2D49HdkOw9KkaPv5PvH~1VSh5V7ZklwRvSTbelNjMtKr54Pecd6uQD-zP2kmIlqwPslvRPYinzZkp8BmI6t~br8H6VsPx0e3FNuy14wMfHzliEPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Steve Gist presented House Bill 742 as a change to local-code enforcement that would require three property-owner complaints within a quarter mile before a county compliance officer may conduct a site inspection for community decay or nuisance complaints. Under current law a single property owner complaint may trigger an inspection; the bill would raise that minimum to reduce nuisance claims driven by neighbor disputes, the sponsor said.

\"What we're doing is looking in code here... complaints must be received by at least 3 property owners,\" Gist told the committee. He said the change is intended to encourage neighbors to work together and relieve compliance officers from responding to isolated or subjective complaints.

Officials from local government and public health offered different views. Jennifer Olson, government affairs director for the Montana League of Cities and Towns, urged the committee to pass the bill as a tool for clarity and local-level education and enforcement. Shannon Terrio, Environmental Health Director at Missoula Public Health, testified in opposition to parts of the bill and urged an amendment: she supported raising the complaint threshold for routine complaints but urged an explicit exception so counties could act immediately when an inspector determines a direct health hazard exists.

Terrio noted enforcement is complex where mental-health or hoarding issues are involved and said \"getting three complaints from property owners within a quarter of a mile could be difficult\" in severe cases. Representative Gist said he supported adding language to allow counties to proceed without three complaints when a direct public-health threat is present; he closed the hearing by thanking Terrio for her input.

The transcript records proponents and an on-record request for an amendment; no committee vote or formal action appears in the provided record.","House Bill 742 would require at least three property-owner complaints within a quarter-mile to trigger a county nuisance inspection; public-health officials urged an exception for immediate health threats.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6100385,"Committee hears support for HB 621 to protect confidentiality in first-responder peer support programs",731,688000,1419000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813626-04503b23fff42fa60c8e7e88e1690de9&start=688&end=1419","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813626-04503b23fff42fa60c8e7e88e1690de9/thumbnail_688000.jpg","/articles/6100385/Montana/Committee-hears-support-for-HB-621-to-protect-confidentiality-in-first-responder-peer-support-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100385-4002d5cd291bfc269e0ea8d80bb970d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770921575&Signature=Bb~dg0gAZ9wsXA2u5nabQ3R-qLHCTunU8H7RJZR-9SQ4WZ6XZzy-SXjQw3N78PpeeUjw1-WWtXX4mwEwHRecFjfeSGi30qZ31LBIyoIjnOR0-ywffI4hBUslL8AKrux4MeGWZylR92SvbKtgvTCmSBHlQEAcLNVktCi-bZIk~ieqEFTlfl0Z6ZMOxUqq9TlLUPKix-xTCfJXB3~wbOOR4fCncLtrl5UUCnX9FPZ8AkpoOcYj8hevKbUwqxqD7B1IKoa57ezootmJ3v1mLOvdpmygMwn-h31SCEyXUIVdw8KNS~jNPL7VC3FY4U3uHV4JWwfhJ0zPP0IGZ8f7RU~98w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Steve Gist introduced House Bill 621 on behalf of first responders and agencies across Montana. The bill would authorize law enforcement, fire, EMS and other emergency-service agencies to establish peer support programs whose communications are afforded confidentiality, with narrowly drawn exceptions.

Supporters told the Senate Local Government Committee that peer support teams help first responders address cumulative stress, post-traumatic stress and other mental-health challenges. \"This bill is to keep that fear from becoming some first responder's fate because they were too afraid to share what's going on with them,\" said Jeff Bragg of the Cascade County Sheriff's Office. Bragg and other proponents described officer-involved shootings, suicides and family breakdowns as real harms that peer support seeks to prevent.

Bill sponsor Representative Steve Gist described the measure as a baseline for peer support programs and urged the committee to advance it. \"Peer to peer helps first responders stay in the game, stay employed, stay happily married, stay out of drugs, stay out of alcohol,\" Gist said in his closing remarks.

Witnesses from statewide organizations — including the Montana Police Protective Association, the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association and the Montana State Firefighters Association — said confidential peer-to-peer conversations encourage employees to seek help without fear of later being compelled to disclose traumatic material in court. Dan Smith of the Montana Police Protective Association and Nannette Gilbertson of the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association both testified in support.

Testimony outlined the bill's confidentiality carve-outs: conversations would not be protected when the peer-support participant has committed or plans to commit a crime or indicates intent to harm themselves or others. Proponents also emphasized that programs should permit people to use multiple peer supporters and be integrated with existing wellness and chaplaincy services.

Committee members asked few questions during the hearing. No formal vote or amendment was recorded in the transcript; the hearing closed with the sponsor offering brief remarks and the committee moving on to the next agenda item.","Lawmakers heard testimony supporting House Bill 621, which would allow police, fire, EMS and other emergency agencies to create peer-to-peer support programs with specified confidentiality protections and limited exceptions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Heated hearing on HB 547 over Butte-Silver Bow fire governance exposes deep divisions between paid and volunteer departments

Committee hears brief support for Peter Fontana's reappointment to Board of Real Estate Appraisers

Bill to raise nuisance-complaint threshold draws mixed response; amendment sought for health exceptions

Committee hears support for HB 621 to protect confidentiality in first-responder peer support programs