Supreme Court halts ballot initiative that would ban corporations from election spending in Montana

A first-of-its kind ballot initiative that has drawn interest from around the country has hit a significant roadblock from the Montana Supreme Court, which unanimously ruled on Tuesday that it violated a state constitutional provision that prohibits more than one subject from being put to voters in a single question.

Ballot Initiative 4 would revoke all the powers given to “artificial persons,” namely taking aim at corporations, which are granted legal status by the state. Then, the initiative would “regrant” powers, but prohibit corporations from political activities and politicking for ballot issues.

However, in the ruling, written by Justice Jim Rice, the court said that the initiative makes too many changes and doesn’t allow voters to decide on each one separately. The 13-page ruling leans into several challenges brought by groups recently involving constitutional changes and the power of the Attorney General, Austin Knudsen, a Republican.

But the state’s highest court didn’t decide several of the issues the group, Transparent Election Initiative, raised, saying that the one-subject rule was fatal to the initiative, and if supporters of the measure want to present them to voters, they must do it with at least two separate ballot initiatives.

Read more: https://dailymontanan.com/2026/01/06/supreme-court-halts-ballot-initiative-that-would-ban-corporations-from-election-spending-in-montana/