Confirm governor's appointee for the board of massage therapy
Summary
Senate Resolution 68 is a confirmation resolution that would have the Montana Senate concur in, confirm, and consent to Governor’s appointment of Chell Little of Polson to the Board of Massage Therapy. The appointment is for a term ending July 1, 2026, and the resolution directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit the approved resolution to the Secretary of State and the Governor as required by law.
This type of measure does not create new policy or amend substantive law; instead, it exercises the Senate’s constitutional and statutory role in approving certain gubernatorial appointments. If adopted, it would have completed the confirmation process for a single board seat on the state’s massage therapy licensing and regulatory board.
Impact
SR 68 would affect the composition of the Board of Massage Therapy by confirming one gubernatorial appointee, but it would not change the underlying statutes governing massage therapy or the board’s powers. Its legal effect is limited to the appointment process under sections 5-5-302, 5-5-303, and 2-15-1782, MCA, and to the administration of the board’s membership and term structure.
Sentiment
The available record suggests little to no controversy around the appointment itself. The only recorded vote was in the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Safety Committee, where the motion to table passed 11-0, indicating unanimous committee support for setting the resolution aside rather than advancing it. Because there are no committee transcripts, there is no additional public debate reflected in the record.
Contention
The main point of contention is procedural rather than substantive: the resolution died in standing committee after being tabled, so the issue was not the appointee’s qualifications or the policy of massage therapy regulation, but whether the Senate would move the confirmation forward at all. The absence of recorded opposition in the committee vote suggests no visible disagreement over the appointment, though the tabling action prevented final confirmation.