Legislature Passes Bill to Move Comp Court to Judicial Branch

Montana lawmakers voted to send the governor a bill that would move the Workers’ Compensation Court to the judiciary branch. The state House of Representatives on Thursday voted 98-1 to concur with amendments made to HB 516 while the measure was in the Senate. The bill, by Rep. Ken Walsh, R-Twin Bridges, would require the state Supreme Court, not the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, to supervise the activities of the Workers’ Compensation Court. When the House first voted 95-2 to pass the measure in March, it would have required the department to transfer $500,000 a yea...