Court Opinion

ID: 9927316
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-26 19:06:30.293564+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:24:45.015657
License: Public Domain

01/26/2024
            IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA

                                       OP 24-0052                                          Case Number: OP 24-0052

                                   _________________

 MONTANANS SECURING REPRODUCTIVE
 RIGHTS and SAMUEL DICKMAN, M.D.,

              Petitioners,

       v.
                                                                     ORDER
 AUSTIN MILES KNUDSEN, in his official
 capacity as MONTANA ATTORNEY GENERAL;
 and CHRISTI JACOBSEN, in her official Capacity
 as MONTANA SECRETARY OF STATE,

              Respondents.
                                   _________________

       Petitioners Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights and Samuel Dickman, M.D.
(MSRR), seek declaratory judgment on original jurisdiction under M. R. App. P. 14(4).
Petitioners argue they are entitled to declaratory judgment that declares: (1) the Attorney
General’s determination that Constitutional Issue 14 (CI-14) violates the separate-vote
requirement is incorrect; (2) the Attorney General has no authority to append a fiscal
statement to CI-14; and (3) MSRR’s proposed ballot statements comply with the applicable
statutes. MSRR further asks the Court to direct the Attorney General to forward MSRR’s
ballot statements to the Montana Secretary of State within five days of this Court’s decision
on this matter.
       Having reviewed the Petition, this Court deems it appropriate to obtain a summary
response. Therefore, in accordance with M. R. App. P. 14(7),
       IT IS ORDERED that Respondents are granted until the close of business on
Monday, February 5, 2024, to prepare, file, and serve a response(s) to the petition for
declaratory judgment on original jurisdiction.
       The Clerk is directed to provide notice of this Order to counsel for all parties.

                                                                                Electronically signed by:
                                                                                 James Jeremiah Shea
                                                                           Justice, Montana Supreme Court
                                                                                    January 26 2024