ASMSU political team opens communication between students and state legislators

The state legislature in Helena may seem an unreachable place for many students who want to effect social and political change. But as the state legislative session gets underway, politically organized ASMSU students are bridging the gap between students and legislators.

To do so, last fall ASMSU hired Lorelei Michael-Owens as ASMSU’s lobbyist, a new position. Michael-Owens’s main job is to testify on state bills that pertain to students and MSU as a whole.

“In Helena, there is not a lot of representation of young people,” said Katie Fire Thunder, ASMSU’s student political action director. “I think having a lobbyist that is particularly close to students and are students themselves is a really great opportunity for legislators and representatives to hear directly from students.”

By definition, a lobbyist is someone who takes part in an organized attempt to influence legislators. In MSU’s case, the lobbyist acts on behalf of student interests.

Students have a unique perspective on issues affecting Montanans, ASMSU lobbyist Lorelei Michael-Owens, a junior studying political science and history, said. “We have a lot to learn from them and they have a lot to learn from us.”

Prior to the start of the session on Jan. 2, the ASMSU Senate and Legislative Committee drafted a set of legislative priorities to address during the state legislative session, which runs until May 6.

The priorities are in place so that Michael-Owens knows which bills to focus on and advocate for in the legislative session, said Fire Thunder. These prerogatives were voted on and approved by the ASMSU Senate with the thought that those particular issues affect their constituents the most.

“A big one we’re [hearing] a lot of is reproductive rights and right to privacy,” said Fire Thunder. “Montana is in a place where we are the only state in the western area that provides abortion currently and that, for many, doesn’t feel like a guaranteed place to be in for very long. With the overturn of Roe vs. Wade, it feels scary to see what might come up in the next legislative session on policies to make access to abortion services harder.”

Other legislative priorities that the ASMSU Legislative Committee drafted to send to Helena include affordable food and housing, mental health and climate change.

“Watching the session, in particular, is really interesting because we have a Republican supermajority,” said Fire Thunder. “We’re watching a lot of different things, trying to figure out what is the best way to navigate that right now.”

There are a few upcoming house bills that ASMSU is watching develop, Michael-Owens said. House Bill 31 would revise alcohol beverage laws pertaining to academic brewer licenses.

“MSU has the Malt Quality Research Lab, but MSU isn’t permitted to have a brewer’s license, so they have to have all of their fermenting done offsite,” Michael-Owens said. Having a brewer’s license would reduce production costs and allow on-campus research.

House Bill 233 “would require that if a potential tenant does not get a rental unit and was charged an application fee that the fee would be returned (subtracting administrative costs to the landlord),” Michael-Owens said. Considering that many tenants in Bozeman are students who apply to multiple properties, this bill would ensure that students get some of their application fees back if they don’t get the property.

House Bill 457 would criminalize the use of date rape drugs such as Rohypnol, categorizing the use of them as assault and a criminal offense. “Unfortunately, college students are a demographic that are at a higher risk for incidents of assault with the use of date rape drugs,” said Michael-Owens. Bill sponsor Representative Alice Buckley worked with MSU’s Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA) to develop the bill.

Michael-Owens testified in support of these bills. HB 31 passed the House and Senate and has been sent to enrolling, meaning that the final copy has passed through the House and Senate. HB 233, however, has currently been tabled in committee. The hearing for HB 457 took place on Friday, Feb. 17th.

As the legislative session continues, Fire Thunder and Michael-Owens encouraged students to reach out about issues they feel passionate about and feel should be discussed. Stop by the DISC, SUB 185, on Wednesdays from 5:15-6:15 p.m. for ‘DISCourse and Nuggets’, or reach out to Michael-Owens directly at asmsulobbyist@montana.edu.

“The people closest to the issue know how to solve the problems,” said Fire Thunder.