The Montana Department of Administration has reversed a rule that had restricted permits for weekend rallies at the state Capitol, following public pushback and an apparent shift in how the administration framed the change. The Department of Administration had previously disallowed weekend gatherings, including organizers setting up equipment and using state resources for those events, according to the General Services Division website.
The reversal came after the department updated its guidance last Friday, the General Services Division site said, after the dispute drew attention from lawmakers and groups planning demonstrations on Saturdays. As MSI previously reported, Montana had moved to bar permits for most weekend Capitol rallies in a way that complicated planning for the “No Kings” demonstrations in that chain.
The new guidance restores permits for weekend events at the state Capitol, according to the General Services Division website. The department’s initial weekend restriction had been linked to limitations on the use of state resources during weekend gatherings, according to reporting distributed through The Associated Press.
The change also followed testimony from Department of Administration Director Misty Ann Giles to a legislative budget committee. Giles told the committee she would revisit the permit rule after initially stating that the change to close on weekends was “no big deal,” according to the General Services Division website summary.
In earlier remarks described in reporting, a Department of Administration spokesperson had said the weekend closure was intended to save money, while Giles later emphasized the operational strain on state staff. Reporting said Giles told the committee that she has five staff members who work events and that weekend work would put additional stress on state resources.
Organizer Barbara Barnes, with Indivisible Helena, said the group received word from the agency that it was suspending the new policy and planned to stage the “No Kings” rally at the Capitol flag plaza. Barnes told Montana Free Press that the group would still submit paperwork to the agency as it prepared for the Saturday event, which is scheduled for March 28 from noon to 1 p.m. in Helena.
Barnes said Indivisible Helena planned to meet with Department of Administration officials on Wednesday at the Capitol. The Department of Administration did not respond to Montana Free Press’s request for comment on Monday, according to the AP-distributed report.
After the initial weekend permit restriction emerged earlier this month, nearly all of Montana’s Democratic caucus signed a letter to Gov. Greg Gianforte asking that the state reconsider the permit policy. The letter said the rule would prevent Montanans from expressing their opinions.
At the legislative hearing where Giles was questioned, Rep. Luke Muszkiewicz, D-Helena, told Montana Free Press on Monday that he welcomed the administration’s willingness to reconsider the policy. Muszkiewicz said he appreciated Giles’ candor before the committee and her willingness to revisit the department’s approach, and he said he remained thankful to Capitol workers who make public access possible.