Montana Judicial Branch

The meeting included discussions and decisions on several key appointments. The commission on technology saw the reappointment of John Mudd and Franklin Runge. Appointments to the District Court Council included Janice Klempel and Jason Riphenburg, with clarifications made regarding their ex-officio status. Tanis Holm was appointed to the Uniform District Court Rules Commission, and John Lacey was appointed to the Board of Bar Examiners. Additionally, public comments regarding amending the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) rules were addressed, with a follow-up meeting scheduled.

The meeting focused on wrapping up the community of practice, reflecting on the journey, and discussing ways to continue forward with the cultivated spirit and learning. Key topics included fostering meaningful collaboration, preserving Indian families, empowering their connection to culture, and gathering valuable learning. The discussion also covered strengthening cultural connections for kids and improving tribal community outreach and education.

The meeting's purpose is to foster collaboration among people involved in IQUA to preserve and empower Indian families and their connection to their culture. The meeting focused on enabling dialogue to support the exploration of challenging problems and new possibilities, as well as gathering valuable learning and co-creating new knowledge. The discussion included crowdsourcing top ICWA-related issues impacting the community, strengthening cultural connections for children, and tribal community outreach and education.

The meeting of the Montana ICWA community of practice focused on fostering collaboration to preserve and empower Indian families' connection to their culture. Discussions included updates on Senate Bill 147, which aimed to reauthorize the 2023 Montana ICWA and included amendments to improve the child welfare system. The House Human Services Committee proposed an amendment to strip additional provisions to the 2023 bill, but lift the sunset. The bill creating Indigenous People's Day passed both the Senate and the House and was sent to the governor for signature.

The meeting included discussions and decisions on several key appointments. The court reappointed and appointed members to the Commission on Rules of Evidence and the Sentence Review Division. Additionally, appointments and reappointments were made to the Commission on Technology, recognizing retiring members and filling vacant positions.