Montana Legislature (59th: 2005) records
Scope and Contents
This collection includes the minutes of joint, conference, and free conference committees; House of Representatives and Senate standing and select committees; bills and resolutions; journals and status reports of the regular session and the December 2005 special session. The collection also contains miscellany material including a bill subject index and sponsor bill list.
Dates
- Creation: 2004-2005
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Biographical / Historical
The Montana State Legislature is made up of two chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Constitution of Montana limits the size of the Senate to no fewer than 40 and no more than 50 members and the size of the House of Representatives to no fewer than 80 and no more than 100 members. Each house is responsible for choosing its officers, creating committees and establishing its own rules. The Montana Legislature meets for 90 days every odd numbered year, beginning the first Monday in January, or the following Wednesday if the first Monday is New Years Day. The first State Legislature convened on November 23, 1889, fifteen days after Montana became a state. Each following Legislature has been numbered sequentially.
The 59th Montana Legislature met from January 3rd to April 26th, 2005. There were 17 standing committees in the Senate, 17 standing committees in the House, and 8 joint committees or subcommittees. The leaders of the Senate were Jon Tester (D-President), Dan Harrington (D-President Pro Tempore), Jon Ellingson (D-Majority Leader), Carolyn Squires and Trudi Schmidt (D-Majority Whips), Bob Keenan (R-Minority Leader) and Corey Stapleton and Robert Story (R-Minority Whips). The leaders of the House were Gary Matthews (D-Speaker), David Wanzenried (D-Majority Leader), John Parker (D-Majority Floor Leader), Bob Bergren and Gail Gutsche (D-Majority Whips), Roy Brown (R-Minority Leader), Michael Lange (R-Minority Floor Leader), Debby Barrett and Dennis Himmelberger (R-Minority Whips). The transmittal dates were March 1st, 18th, and 30th, and April 4th, 6th, 14th, 16th, 18th and 20th.
Sources: The Constitution of the State of Montana as adopted by the Constitutional Convention March 22, 1972, and as ratified by the people, June 6, 1972, referendum no. 68, http://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca_toc/Constitution.htm; "Organization of the Montana Legislature," The Montana Legislature, http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/About-the-Legislature/organization.asp; "2005 Legislative Session," The Montana Legislature, http://leg.mt.gov/css/Sessions/59th/default.asp
Extent
32.4 linear feet
Abstract
Collection contains records (2004-2005) of the 59th Montana Legislature including minutes of joint, conference, and free conference committees; House of Representatives and Senate standing and select committees; bills and resolutions; journals and status reports, and miscellany of the regular session and the December 2005 special session. For online access to committee hearing minutes and digital audio recordings visit the Montana Legislature website.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into two subgroups, Regular Session and Special Session.
The subgroup Regular Session is organized into four series, House and Senate Joint Committees, House of Representatives, Senate, and Miscellany. The series House and Senate Joint Committees is organized into four subseries, Joint Subcommittee Minutes (arranged alphabetically by committee name), Joint Select Committees Minutes (arranged alphabetically by committee name), Conference Committee Minutes (arranged numerically by House and then Senate bill number), and Free Conference Committee Minutes (arranged numerically by House and then Senate bill number). The series House of Representatives is organized into seven subseries House Standing Committee Minutes (arranged alphabetically by committee name), House Select Committee Minutes (arranged alphabetically by committee name), House Bills (arranged numerically by bill number), House Joint Resolutions (arranged numerically by bill number), House Resolutions (arranged numerically by bill number), House Bill Status Reports (arranged chronologically), and House Journals (arranged chronologically). The series Senate is organized into six subseries, Senate Standing Committee Minutes (arranged alphabetically by committee name), Senate Bills (arranged numerically by bill number), Senate Joint Resolutions (arranged numerically by bill number), Senate Resolutions (arranged numerically by bill number), Senate Status Reports (arranged chronologically), and Senate Journals (arranged chronologically).
The subgroup Special Session is organized into two series, House of Representatives, and Senate. The House of Representatives series is organized into five subseries, House Standing Committee Minutes (arranged alphabetically by committee name), House Bills (arranged numerically by bill number), House Joint Resolutions (arranged numerically by bill number), House Bill Status Reports (arranged chronologically), and House Journals (arranged chronologically). The Senate series is organized into five series, Senate Standing Committee Minutes (arranged alphabetically by committee name), Senate Bills (arranged numerically by bill number), Senate Resolutions (arranged numerically by bill number), Senate Bill Status Reports (arranged chronologically), and Senate Journals (arranged chronologically).
Physical Location
33:3-4 ; 54:3-4
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquisition information available upon request.
Existence and Location of Copies
Committee hearings are available on audio cassette and digital video cassette at MHS. Committee hearings minutes and digital audio recordings also available on the Montana Legislature website.
Separated Materials
OVERSIZE MATERIAL: oversize box, and multimedia collection.
Physical Description
2,364 cassette tapes
Processing Information
processed in 2005
- Title
- Guide to the Montana Legislature (59th: 2005) records, 2004-2005
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Karen Bjork, 2006
- Date
- 2006
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Repository Details
Part of the Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives Repository
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201 United States
406-444-2681
406-444-2696 (Fax)
mhslibrary@mt.gov