Gov. Gianforte Petitions Montana Supreme Court in Property Tax Lawsuit

Governor's Office

HELENA, Mont. - Governor Greg Gianforte today requested that the Montana Supreme Court exercise original jurisdiction and provide an expedited ruling on a recent lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of property tax reform passed during the 2025 legislative session.

"Last legislative session, our goal was to deliver permanent and meaningful property tax reform to Montanans in the place they call home," Gov. Gianforte said. "With 80 percent of Montana homeowners seeing lower property taxes last year, we did. I'm now asking the Supreme Court to step in to ensure the relief provided to Montanans remains intact."

The lower court lawsuit alleges that Senate Bill 542 violates the Montana Constitution's "single subject" and "original purpose" provisions. The plaintiffs argue that the bill was fundamentally altered during the legislative process. If the lawsuit succeeds in the lower courts, it could potentially invalidate the tax rates applied in the 2025 tax year and roll back about $95 million in property tax rebates claimed by Montanans last year, resulting in higher property taxes for Montanans.

The governor argues that the bill does not violate the Montana Constitution and was lawfully passed. However, he states that he and the Legislature need confirmation of that before the 2027 legislative session gavels in. By requesting the Supreme Court take up the case directly, the governor aims to expedite the case instead of allowing it to go through a lengthy, years-long process.

The governor's filing may be viewed here.

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