(Montana – MFP) A bill aimed at strengthening Montanans’ First Amendment rights became law just days before World Press Freedom Day.
Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 292, which strengthens the public’s defenses against a legal maneuver known as a “strategic lawsuit against public participation.” SLAPPs use the legal process and associated costs to intimidate or suppress speech a plaintiff doesn’t like.
HB 292 allows for the early filing of a motion to dismiss a SLAPP and pauses all legal proceedings, including the discovery process, while the court considers that motion on an expedited timeline.
