This story was originally published by Montana Free Press at montanafreepress.org.
After a decade of failed attempts, members of Montana’s American Indian Caucus were stunned when a bill establishing Indigenous Peoples Day as a legal state holiday flew through the Senate with bipartisan support, clearing the chamber last month.
The initial success of the legislation, which faced significant criticism last session, is indicative of a larger pattern. At this legislative session’s halfway point, members of the American Indian Caucus say they’re generally having more success this year when it comes to advancing their priority bills.
The American Indian Caucusis an informal group of about a dozen Native American state lawmakers who work together to advance legislation they say is good for Indian Country, guided by the principle that what’s good for Indian Country is good for Montana as a whole. In the Republican-dominated Legislature, the mostly Democratic caucus operates as a minority within a minority. …