After pushback, weekend events no longer banned according to state rulebook
By Jordan Hansen DAILY MONTANAN
A “No Kings” rally appears to be a go at the Capitol flag plaza on Saturday, an organizer said.
The Montana Department of Administration said it is reversing course on its weekend permit rules at the Capitol as another “No Kings” rally draws near.
In February, the state changed its rules for permitted events at the Capitol, barring them on weekends.
Now, though, the state rules page makes no mention of weekend events being barred and last week, after pushback, DOA director Misty Ann Giles said they had “missed the mark”and were looking to find a better solution regarding weekend events.
A DOA spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
The change was unpopular and legislators and the public alike pointed to potential First Amendment issues. Democrats around the state signed onto a letter to Gov. Greg Gianforte requesting reconsideration of the policy.
A No Kings rally scheduled for March 28 would have been impacted by the change, though organizers said previously they would be having some sort of event at the Capitol on that day.
Organizers for the No Kings events said they have been good stewards of state property, taking extra steps for crowd control and litter cleanup. The event starts at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, with speakers beginning at noon.
“With word last Friday afternoon from the agency that it is suspending the new policy, we do plan to stage the No Kings Rally at Capitol flag plaza,” said Barbara Barnes, who is on the Indivisible Helena steering committee. “That does mean, however, that we have to coordinate with the agency, which we are in the process of doing right now. We don’t expect any issues.”
