Opinion ID: 480617
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Court's Subject Matter Jurisdiction

Text: 11 The first issue is whether the district court confused its application of Montana law under Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins, 304 U.S. 64, 58 S.Ct. 817, 82 L.Ed. 1188 (1938), with a divestment of its subject matter jurisdiction. Only Congress, not a state legislature, can constitutionally divest a federal court of its subject matter jurisdiction. See Begay v. Kerr-McGee Corp., 682 F.2d 1311, 1316 (9th Cir.1982). It is more accurate to characterize the reason for the dismissal of the complaint as the court's belief that the complaint, as a matter of law, did not state a claim upon which relief could be granted because the exclusive remedy provision of Mont.Ann.Code Sec. 39-71-411 barred a common law negligence claim. See Begay, 682 F.2d at 1315-16. Nonetheless, if the dismissal were correct, on any theory, we would affirm. 12