Bills, bills, bills: Who carried the most? The least?

From left: Brueggeman, Cohenour, Hollandsworth and Regier

ALISON SMITH and MOLLY PRIDDY
Community News Service
UM School of Journalism

Getting a bill from concept to the governor’s desk isn't easy.

That’s why most legislators avoid sponsoring too many each legislative session. More than 1,300 bills were introduced this session, but the average lawmaker carried only nine.

But then there are the champions. This session two lawmakers led the pack, each sponsoring 31 bills, most of which died somewhere along the way.

Sen. John Brueggeman, R-Polson, and Rep. Jill Cohenour, D-Helena, were easily the session’s most prolific lawmakers. Both agreed it was hard work, but as experienced lawmakers, said they felt that it was important to touch on the issues they care about.

"It's a lot of plates to keep spinning at once, to say the least," said Brueggeman, who has one Senate session to serve under the state's term limits law. It takes so much work that Brueggeman employed an intern to help him keep everything in line.

Cohenour, who is in her final House term, said she's hoping to accomplish as much as she can. Experience with the process helps, she added.

"After you've been here for a long period of time you get pretty good at tracking what goes where,” she said.

On the other end of spectrum are Rep. Roy Hollandsworth, R-Brady, and Rep. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, both House freshman. Neither sponsored a single bill this session.

Hollandsworth said he wasn’t asked to sponsor any bills because most requests for sponsors often go to more experienced legislators. He does hopes to carry his own bills in future sessions.

“Part of me feels like I missed out on something,” he said.

Regier attributed his record - or lack of one - to ideology and the fact that other legislators were already carrying the bills he cares about.

"There's enough laws on the book," he said. "If we need any more, it doesn't need to be 30 apiece for legislators."

Regier said his first legislative session taught him that most bills deserve to die.

"It should be a long, onerous process to get a bill passed,” he said.