The Montana Legislature can be a daunting institution to keep tabs on. As the 2025 legislative session gears up, MTFP is producing a series of video and text pieces intended to help our readers track their lawmakers and make sense of the headlines they’ll see in the months to come. Up today: a look at how you can weigh in as a public commenter.You can find committeehearing times on the schedule posted on the Legislature’s website, or on the pages specific to particular bills on the official bill tracker. Committees will typically hear several bills during a given meeting, so attendees hoping to offer comment should be prepared to wait for lawmakers to discuss other bills. You can also comment virtually, though you’ll need to register in advance, typically at least two hours before the hearing begins.In addition, you can provide comments to a committee about a bill its members are reviewing via the legislative website. You can also call the Legislature’s information desk at 406-444-4800 to leave a message for a specific lawmaker or a committee. Many lawmakers also post their contact information on the legislative website if you want to reach out directly.Through the legislative website, you can also identify your senator and representative and search legislation by issue.Regardless of how you reach out, it’s worth remembering that legislators work through hundreds of bills each month. Being as clear and concise in your comments as possible will often make it easier for your point to hit its mark. LATEST STORIES For homeless seniors, getting into stable housing takes a village — and a lot of luck Older Montanans especially are struggling because housing costs have skyrocketed since 2021, in part because of the rise of remote work. The state has one of the nation’s fastest-growing homeless populations, according to federal data. by Aaron Bolton, MTPR 01.17.202501.17.2025 Nonprofit pushes for tougher DUI laws amid spike in fatalities According to the Montana Department of Transportation, 335 people were killed in the state between 2019 and 2022 in crashes involving a driver with a blood-alcohol concentration beyond the legal limit. by Justin Franz 01.17.202501.17.2025 Montana Free Press chosen for 2025 CatchLight cohort of newsroom partners This spring, Montana Free Press will join local news outlets across the United States in the first cohort of a national visual journalism initiative led by CatchLight, a San Francisco-based visual media organization that seeks to provide inclusive, accurate, and locally contextualized information to the public through accessible and high-quality visual journalism. by MTFP Staff 01.16.202501.16.2025 The post Explained: Providing public comment at the Legislature appeared first on Montana Free Press.