HELENA, MT – Governor Greg Gianforte on Oct 9th, issued the following statement in response to rulings from the Montana Supreme Court that included the halting of state laws banning taxpayer-funded abortions.

"For nearly 50 years through the Hyde Amendment, Congress has banned the use of federal taxpayer dollars for elective abortions, a position supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans. I signed these bills into law to enact the same commonsense protections for Montana taxpayers, preventing taxpayer dollars from paying for elective abortion. This extreme ruling means Montana taxpayers are forced to foot the bill for elective abortions.

"I believe all life is precious and must be protected. I am deeply disappointed in the Court’s ruling. Justice Rice is right in his dissent: the Court ignored its own precedent, and there is no constitutional right to public funding of a private choice."

House Bill 862, carried in legislation by Rep. Mike Hopkins, R-Missoula, brought Montana in line with the federal Hyde Amendment to bar the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions, except to save the life of a woman or in cases of incest or rape. Additionally, House Bill 544, sponsored by Rep. Jane Gillette, R-Bozeman, prohibited Medicaid funding of elective abortions.

In a 2023 Marist poll, 60 percent of Americans either oppose or strongly oppose taxpayer funding of abortion.