1-1-208. Terms relating to legislature. (1) Unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions apply in the Montana Code Annotated:

Terms Used In Montana Code 1-1-208

  • Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
  • Majority party: means the party with the most members in a house of the legislature, subject to subsection (2). See Montana Code 1-1-208
  • Minority party: means the party with the second most members in a house of the legislature, subject to subsection (2). See Montana Code 1-1-208

(a)”Majority leader” means the leader of the majority party, elected by the caucus as provided in 5-2-221.

(b)”Majority party” means the party with the most members in a house of the legislature, subject to subsection (2).

(c)”Minority leader” means the leader of the minority party, elected by the caucus as provided in 5-2-221.

(d)”Minority party” means the party with the second most members in a house of the legislature, subject to subsection (2).

(2)If there are an equal number of members of each party in a house of the legislature, then the majority party is the party of the president of the senate or the speaker of the house and the minority party is the other party with an equal number of members.