Archives West Finding Aid

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 63rd Montana Legislature met from January 7th to April 24th, 2013. There were 16 standing committees in the Senate and 16 standing committees in the House, as designated by the 2013 Rules. The leaders of the Senate were Jeff Essmann (President), Debby Barrett (President Pro Tempore), Art Wittich (Majority Leader), Eric Moore, Janna Taylor, and Llew Jones (Majority Whips), Jon Sesso (Minority Leader), and Robyn Driscoll and Cliff Larsen (Minority Whips). The leaders of the House were Mark Blasdel (Speaker), Austin Knudsen (Speaker Pro Tempore), Gordon Vance (Majority Leader), Mike Cuffe, Cary Smith, Jeffrey Welborn, Christy Clark (Majority Whips), Chuck Hunter (D-Minority Leader), Margaret MacDonald, and Edie McClafferty (Minority Whips), and Bryce Bennett (Minority Caucus Chair). The transmittal dates were January 24th, February 28th, March 28th, and April 5th, 8th, 16th, 18th and 22th.

Sources:Montana State Legislature Session Information ;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, "A GUIDE TO THE MONTANA LEGISLATURE," The Montana Legislature,; “Montana Legislative Leadership 1889 – Present”.