Bring a Virtual Guest Speaker into Your Class for Montana Constitution Day
On March 22, 1972, all 100 delegates to the Montana Constitutional Convention signed a new constitution for the State of Montana. And just as we celebrate Constitution Day in the U.S. on September 17 to commemorate the September 17, 1787, signing of the United States Constitution, the Friends of the Montana Constitution are calling on Montanans to commemorate our State Constitution every year on March 22 – Montana Constitution Day!
Because March 22 falls on a Sunday this year, they've moved their programming to Friday, March 20, when they will host a livestreamed lecture by the Honorable Anthony Johnstone, Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, wo will present “The Montana Constitution in Time” with an introduction from Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Cory Swanson.
Judge Johnstone’s presentation considers the development of the Montana Constitution over time in relation to the 1889 Montana Constitution, the U.S. Constitution, and other state and national constitutions. Your class is invited to tune in online via Zoom at 10:30 a.m., March 20: https://mt-gov.zoom.us/j/89140933494.
Resources to Teach about the Montana Constitution
MTHS has a number of resources to help teach about the Montana Constitution, including lesson plans, a chapter dedicated to its creation in Montana: Stories of the Land, and a 23-minute video with discussion questions. You can find links to all of these resources here.
Not Everyone Is a Fan of Montana's Constitution
I was interested to see this article in the Montana Free Press, talking about a meeting held by Mountain States Policy Center to discuss rewriting the constitution. Voters weigh in on whether to call a new constitutional convention every 20 years. The issue will next appear on the ballot in 2030.
What Do You (and More Importantly, Your Students) Think?
Montana's 1972 Constitution is relatively short and easy to read. It's also relatively easy to amend. I wonder if, after reading it, your students would support calling for a constitutional convention to rewrite the entire document, passing amendments to change portions of it, or if they think our founding document is fine the way it is.
