Tom Heacock, a resident of St. Regis and Denley Loge, House District 14 Representative invited residents to bring their questions and comments to an open house Saturday, Jan. 30 in the St. Regis Community Center.

The Montana Legislature has been in session for a little while and the event was designed to hear what is on people’s minds.

Heacock and Loge sat in front of the semi-circle audience, as they had done two weeks prior, where Loge opened the evening knowing that his vote on HB 113 may have some residents upset.

HB 113 is also known as the “Youth Health Protection Act.” HB 113 reads: A health care provider may not: prescribe, provide, or administer puberty-suppressing drugs or cross-sex hormones GENDER TRANSITION PROCEDURES to a minor.

Several in the room expressed their disappointment that Loge voted to not pass the bill. A few were quite vocal and passionate on the subject concerned that medical providers could lead the teens into further confusion and ultimately help convince them of re-gender surgery.

Loge stipulated that was illegal until they become adults and make their own decisions. This bill, like all others has 3 steps: The first reading is done with the Judiciary Committee, which Loge is not on, where the public is invited to speak and some in the room Saturday expressed their concerns in Helena for this portion.

The total was 11 for passing and 8 for stopping. The second reading is a debate on the House Floor to include all legislatures and this ended with 53 for the bill and 47 against. Loge initially voted for the bill. The next day, the third reading is done by the Speaker of the House at the podium for a vote where the bill did not pass, failing 51-49.

Loge changed from a yes to a no and this is where people were upset because Loge changed his vote overnight, as did three others including the Republican Majority Leader, Sue Vinton from Billings.

Loge explained that he had wrestled all night and prayed for guidance on this last vote because he saw loopholes that young people would not be able to seek counseling if this didn’t pass. If they don’t want to talk to their parents or a family member or teacher or their friends, who can they turn to?

This was Loge’s concern with the evidence that suicide attempts are much higher for this group between 13 and 17 years of age where-one-on-one counseling can help.

“I felt this was overreach against the medical professionals,” Loge said. “We all go to the medical profession to get help. Sometimes people need a prescription or counseling.

"To me, the bill went so far that if through counseling there was a misinterpretation on the side of the patient then that medical person could be in trouble.”

Knowing that Loge has family members in the medical field in Montana, it was asked if they influenced his decision where he stated that none of them even spoke about this bill until after it was tabled.

So, boiled down, what is in practice today remains the same. Conversation on HB 144 was discussed next as well as how, and where, the taxation of legalized marijuana would be assigned.

Montana’s 67th Legislative Assembly commenced Monday, Jan. 4 and will adjourn Wednesday, April 28.