The law, which goes into effect in October, will gut patients’ ability to take legal action if they believe they didn’t receive proper care due to a conscientious objection by a provider or an institution, such as a hospital.

In the 2023 legislative session, Republicans introduced 13 bills attempting to limit abortion access, a substantial uptick from the seven anti-abortion bills brought by legislators in 2021, four in 2019, and two in 2017, 2015 and 2013.

A February 2023 poll showed that 75% of Montanans oppose changes to our constitutional right to privacy, a right that affirms our ability to make personal healthcare decisions about when or whether to have children. Yet our Montana Sexual & Reproductive Health Collective members continue to track 11 anti-abortion bills still under consideration — including two potential constitutional amendments.

“It really feels like they are attacking abortion care for lower income folks and folks who may rely on public assistance or Medicaid funding. And so, I think looking at low income folks and then folks who have just systemically and institutionally run into barriers to healthcare, so, you know, communities of color, LGBTQ people, transgender people, I think are those who are going to potentially run into continued barriers,” Leighton said.

They also said it’s likely that some of the bills will end up in Montana’s courts.

“The sad reality is that they're -- they're passing these knowing that it will be a waste of taxpayer time and money because they will be litigated later. Knowing, knowing that they're unconstitutional,” Leighton said.

This legislative session some legislators have stopped listening to their constituents and experts as they adopt new laws and regulations. These legislators are not hearing and are not willing to listen to reasonable arguments to amend or reject bad bills. The debate and passage in the House of HB 303, the Medical Ethics and Diversity Act, exemplifies this legislative deafness.

Zephyr said Regier’s characterization the bill was focused on procedures and not people doesn’t accurately reflect its broad language, including definitions for health care service that span from research to any service performed or provided by a medical practitioner.

Industry opponents included the Montana Medical Association, Montana Hospital Association, Montana chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Montana Nurses Association, the Montana Primary Care Association, Planned Parenthood of Montana and Blue Mountain Clinic, all of whom said the bill would undermine the medical profession’s obligation to act in the best interest of patients. The ACLU of Montana and the Montana Human Rights Network lodged additional opponent testimony, saying HB 303 would lead to patients being denied care “with impunity.”