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Montana politics, elections and legislative news

Missoula Lawmakers Want To Take A Stand Against Bullying

Rep. Kimberly Dudik (D) Missoula.
Montana Legislature

Missoula representative Kimberly Dudik wants to do something about bullying in Montana Schools.

"Bullying is a big problem. There's been almost 3,000 Montana students that were suspended or expelled for bullying and harassment between 2012 and 2014."

Montana is the only state without a bullying law on the books. Dudik’s "Bully-Free Montana Act" would define bullying, prohibit the behavior and require each Montana school district to adopt anti-bullying policies. The House Education Committee heard testimony on the proposal Wednesday.

The Montana School Boards Association, which represents over 1,400 locally elected school board trustees, agrees that bullying needs to be eliminated.

MTSBA’s Steve Meloy says Dudik’s House Bill 284 has its heart in the right place, but duplicates rules already established by the Montana Board of Public Education.

"So in other words, we're finding that, one, it's a duplication of what's already in rule and it's an opportunity for the legislature not to pass another law invading the purview of Public Ed," Meloy said.

But Representative Dudik, a Missoula Democrat, says those rules need teeth, and codifying them into state law would do that.

"If this is put into Montana law in the statutes, then it provides easy accessibility to parents and students and also easy enforcement," Dudik said. "They can require school boards to do more if they're frustrated by what the school board is doing."

Again, the School Boards Association's Steve Meloy says HB 284 attempts to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

"Whether or not school districts are complying have to be reported to the office of public instruction in their annual data collection report. We know that, anecdotally, school districts like the Helena school district have a very aggressive way of dealing with bullying."

Kimberly Dudik also supports more professional development opportunities for teachers and staff to better prepare them to handle bullying situations.

The committee took no action on the bill Wednesday.

Another bill to criminalize cyber bullying of minors as a misdemeanor offense gets a hearing later this month. That proposal is sponsored by another Missoula Democrat, Representative Ellie Hill.

Edward O’Brien first landed at Montana Public Radio three decades ago as a news intern while attending the UM School of Journalism. He covers a wide range of stories from around the state.
edward.obrien@umt.edu.  
(406) 243-4065
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