In the Montana Legislature, the pressure to get each bill heard and acted upon quickly with many looming deadlines does not allow for time to study and careful review of the important and complex bills. Such bills can be sent to an interim committee to study over the interim. Then with a very good staff, they have two years to study and perfect the language before making a recommendation to the next session of the Legislature.

Most importantly, however, is the fact that partisan politics is largely removed from the interim committees. Each committee contains an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. In permanent interim committees, the chairmanship is rotated between the parties each biennium regardless of which party had the majority. The results, therefore, were given great respect.

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