Disabled Montanans are often unable to participate in the legislative process for a variety of reasons. This is why we have a presence at the legislature. Though we have staff who are part of the disability community, we are not every voice in our community. We are working to increase the number of disabled voices at the legislature and build a more realistic view of what our community experiences. To the extent we are able, we prefer to hand the microphone to others in our community, and that is what we were able to accomplish in the first hearing of HB 186.

Our staff facilitated testimony of a patient currently at the state-run psychiatric institution (Montana State Hospital) and who is directly impacted by this bill. We are working to center the members of the disability community in the conversation of disability related bills as these individuals will be most impacted by the legislative outcome.

Mike Borgshart, the state hospital patient, was the only opponent for this bill and the only person with a disability to testify.