As established and defined by the

Montana Constitution The Constitution of the State of Montana is the primary legal document providing for the self-governance of the U.S. State of Montana. It establishes and defines the powers of the three branches of the government of Montana, and the rights o ...

, the government of the State of Montana is composed of three branches, the Executive, Judicial, and

Legislative A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...

. The powers of initiative and referendum are reserved for the citizens of Montana. The second and current state constitution was enacted in 1972. Among its changes, it stipulated that all Montanans' access to their government is a constitutionally protected right, and it includes the right to examine documents or to observe the deliberations of all public bodies or agencies of state government and its subdivisions.

Legislative Branch

Like the federal government and 48 other states, Montana has a bicameral legislature composed of two chambers, a 100-member

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

and a 50-member Senate. Legislators are elected by popular vote. As of 1992 term limits were enacted limiting House members to four 2-year terms, and Senate members to two 4-year terms. The

Montana State 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 meet ...

convenes only on odd-numbered years, and for 90-day periods. In addition, state law allows for the legislature to be convened in special session by the governor or at the written request of a majority of the members. As of 2005, the Montana Legislature has been convened in special session thirty times in its history.

Executive branch

The daily administration of the state’s laws, as defined in the Montana Code Annotated, are carried out by the chief executive—the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

, and their second in command the Lieutenant Governor, the Secretary Of State, the Attorney General, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Auditor, and by the staff and employees of the 14 executive branch agencies. Acknowledging the importance of providing for an orderly arrangement in the administrative organization of state government, the number of principal departments from which all executive and administrative offices, boards, bureaus, commissions, agencies and instrumentalities of the executive branch (except for the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, and auditor) must perform their respective functions, powers, and duties, is constitutionally limited to not more than 20 principal departments.Montana Constitution Article VI Section 7.20, "''Departments''" Currently the state operates with 14 principal departments. Provision is made within the state constitution for the establishment of temporary commissions not allocated within a department.

Executive branch agencies

Commissions, Councils, Boards and Offices

Advisory Council on Aging
Aeronautics Board
Banking Board
Board of Crime Control
Board of Environmental Review
Board of Housing
Board of Investments
Board of Pardons and Parole
Board of Public Assistance
Board of Public Education
Board of Research and Commercialization
Brain Injury Advisory Council
Burial Preservation Board
Capital Finance Advisory Council
Capitol Complex Advisory Council
Child & Family Services Advisory Councils
Children's Special Health Services Advisory Council
Coal Board
Commissioner of Political Practices
Consensus Council
Council on Homelessness
County Printing Board
Disability Advisory Council
Early Childhood Advisory Council
Economic Development Advisory Council
Electronic Government Advisory Council
HIV/AIDS Advisory Council
Information Technology Board
Interagency Coordinating Council
Land Information Advisory Council
Medicaid Drug Use Review Board
Mental Health Oversight Advisory Council
Montana Arts Council
Montana Heritage Commission
Montana Lottery
Montana State Fund
Office of Public Instruction
Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education
Office of the State Public Defender
Petroleum Board
Provider Rates & Services Commission
Public Employees Retirement System
Public Service Commission
Publishing Policy Committee
Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission
State Tax Appeal Board
Statewide Independent Living Council
Statewide Interoperability Executive Council
Teachers Retirement Board
Tobacco Prevention Advisory Board
Tourism Advisory Council
Transportation Commission
Vocational Rehabilitation Council
Worklife Wellness Advisory Council

Judicial Branch

The highest court in the state is the

Montana Supreme Court The Montana Supreme Court is the highest court of the state court system in the U.S. state of Montana. It is established and its powers defined by Article VII of the 1972 Montana Constitution. It is primarily an appellate court which reviews ...

. The court hears cases pertaining to the disputes involving Montana State Government, and interprets; state statutes, the State constitution, and administrative rules. Unlike most state court systems and the federal judiciary, Montana does not have an intermediate appellate court; the State Supreme Court must hear all appeals. The Montana Supreme Court has other duties, including lawyer discipline and revisions of various rules, such as the Montana Rules of Civil and Appellate Procedure, the Rules of Professional Conduct that apply to Montana lawyers, and the Rules of Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement that govern lawyer discipline cases. On occasion, the Montana Supreme Court also must determine whether to impose judicial discipline as recommended by the Judicial Standards Commission. The Montana Water Court adjudicates matters of water rights within the state. The Judicial power of the State of Montana is vested in the following: *The Supreme Court, consisting of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices *The District Courts *The Workers' Compensation Court *The Water Court *The Courts of Limited Jurisdiction, which include Justice Courts, Municipal Courts, and City Courts.

References

External links

Montana Code Annotated (MCA

Montana State Legislatur

State of Montana, Agency Listing

{{Governments of the United States Government of Montana, Montana State Government