Archives West Finding Aid

The Montana State Legislature is made up of two chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Constitution of Montana limits the size of the Senate to no fewer than 40 and no more than 50 members and the size of the House of Representatives to no fewer than 80 and no more than 100 members. Each house is responsible for choosing its officers, creating committees and establishing its own rules. The Montana Legislature meets for 90 days every odd numbered year, beginning the first Monday in January, or the following Wednesday if the first Monday is New Years Day. The first State Legislature convened on November 23, 1889, fifteen days after Montana became a state. Each following Legislature has been numbered sequentially.

The 1st Montana Legislature met from November 23rd, 1889 to February 20, 1890. The leaders of the Senate were John Rickards (R-President). In 1889, voting irregularities led to a dispute over the outcome of legislative elections in Silver Bow County. The dispute was never resolved because the law didn't clearly explain how to certify the election of legislators. So each party sent its own five legislators from Silver Bow County to Helena, and Montana actually had a Democrat House and a Republican House, which met separately. The Speaker of the Democrat House was Charles Blakely, and the Speaker of the Republican House was Aaron Witter.

Sources:The Constitution of the State of Montana as adopted by the Constitutional Convention March 22, 1972, and as ratified by the people, June 6, 1972, referendum no. 68, "A GUIDE TO THE MONTANA LEGISLATURE," The Montana Legislature,; “Montana Legislative Leadership 1889 – Present”.