Matt Regier is an American businessman and politician who serves as the

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

of the

Montana House of Representatives The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years. Composition of the House :''67th Legislature – 2021� ...

. He has represented the 4th district in the Montana House of Representatives as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

since 2017.

Early life and education

Regier was born in

Kalispell, Montana Kalispell (, Montana Salish: Ql̓ispé, Kutenai language: kqayaqawakⱡuʔnam) is a city in, and the county seat of, Flathead County, Montana, United States. The 2020 census put Kalispell's population at 24,558. In Montana's northwest region, ...

. Regier's father is

Keith Regier Keith Regier (born 1951) is an American politician, business owner, and retired teacher from Montana. Regier is a Republican member of Montana Senate for District 3. He served as a member of the Montana House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017. ...

, a member of the

Montana Legislature The Montana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Montana. It is composed of the 100-member Montana House of Representatives and the 50-member Montana Senate. The Montana Constitution dictates that the legislature me ...

. Regier's mother is Jolene Regier. In 2005, Regier earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business from

University of Montana The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana. UM is a flagship institution of the Montana University System and its second largest campus. UM reported 10,962 undergraduate and graduate students in the fal ...

Career

As a businessman, Regier is the owner of Stillwater Sod Corporation. Regier is also a real estate investor. On November 8, 2016, Regier won the election and became a Republican member of

for District 4. Regier defeated Deborah Gentry with 77.17% of the vote. On November 6, 2018, as an incumbent, Regier won the election and continued serving District 4. Regier defeated Kwen Shirley with 75.80% of the vote. In 2023 he was elected Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives. The 2023 Legislative Session was marked by the fact that Republicans occupied a supermajority in both houses. On April 18, 2023, Democratic representative

Zooey Zephyr Zooey Zephyr is an American politician and university administrator, who is the Representative for the 100th district of the Montana House of Representatives. She was elected in the 2022 Montana House of Representatives election, making her the f ...

, the only

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...

member in the House, criticized supporters of Senate Bill 99, saying, "I hope the next time there’s an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands.” Senate Bill 99 prohibits gender-affirming medical care for trans minors. Regier, as House Speaker, refused to let her speak on any subsequent bills even though she had not been

censure A censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. In parliamentary procedure, it is a debatable main motion that could be adopted by a majority vote. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a spir ...

d, saying that it was "up to imto maintain decorum here on the House floor" and "to protect the dignity and integrity". He said he would not allow her to speak until she apologized; she rejected the offer. On April 26, Zephyr was barred from the House floor for the remainder of the 2023 session. Four days later, Zephyr filed a lawsuit against Regier and the state of Montana with legal support from the Montana ACLU.

Personal life

Regier and his family lived in

. Regier resides in

Columbia Falls, Montana Columbia Falls is a city along the Flathead River in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,308 at the 2020 census. Columbia Falls has been ranked as one of the best and safest places to live in Montana. History The ...

References

External links

Matt Regier at ballotpedia.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Regier, Matt 21st-century American politicians Living people People from Columbia Falls, Montana People from Kalispell, Montana Politicians from Kalispell, Montana Republican Party members of the Montana House of Representatives Speakers of the Montana House of Representatives University of Montana alumni Year of birth missing (living people)

Early life and education

Career

Personal life

See also

References

External links