March 11, 2026 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Helena, MT – The Friends of the Montana Constitution, an independent nonprofit, is pleased to announce the first annual Montana Constitution Day on Friday, March 20, 2026. For this inaugural event, Montanans are invited to attend in-person or online a presentation by the Honorable Anthony Johnstone, Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, on “The Montana Constitution in Time” at the Montana Heritage Center in Helena. This event is co-sponsored by the Montana Historical Society.
“Most people know Montana is a remarkable place,” said Susan Byorth Fox, Chair of the Friends of the Montana Constitution. “But many people don’t know how our State Constitution plays a role in protecting what we know as Montana values. From a right to know what our government is doing, to a right to privacy, our Montana Constitution gives us more rights and protections than the U.S. Constitution.”
On March 22, 1972, all 100 delegates of the Montana Constitutional Convention – Republicans, Democrats, and Independents from all corners of the state – walked down the center aisle of Constitutional Hall in the State Capitol in Helena and signed the new constitution they had drafted for the people of Montana. 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 of all persuasions to annually commemorate our Montana State Constitution every year on March 22 – Montana Constitution Day!
“After 83 years of living under a state constitution that protected the powerful interests and powerful people of Montana, the 1972 Constitutional Convention crafted a state constitution that protects and empowers the state’s people, giving them a government that operates with openness and sunshine,” said Evan Barrett, Vice Chair of the Friends of the Montana Constitution. “Montanans are rightfully proud of having one of the most open state governments in America.”
Montana Constitution Day
Friday, March 20, 2026
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Montana Heritage Center, 225 Roberts Street, Helena, MT 59601
Featuring “The Montana Constitution in Time” presented by the Honorable Anthony Johnstone with an introduction by Montana Chief Justice Cory Swanson
Visit MontanaConstitution.org/events to find a link to live-stream the event
In addition to the Friday event, the Montana Historical Society is hosting a special Thursday night lecture for Montana Constitution Day. Mae Nan Ellingson, the youngest delegate to the 1972 Constitutional Convention and one of last surviving delegates, will share her reflections on how she was in the “right place at the right time.” This free in-person lecture is also at the Montana Heritage Center and will begin at 6:30 PM on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
The Friends of the Montana Constitution inspires appreciation of the Montana Constitution and celebrates the legacy of the 1972 Constitutional Convention. This statewide nonpartisan nonprofit was created in 2022 after the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the 1972 Constitutional Convention as the successor to the Montana Constitutional Society, a group solely composed of delegates from the Convention. The Friends of the Montana Constitution is dedicated to promoting and enhancing the public’s understanding and appreciation of the 1972 Montana Constitution; advancing civics education at all levels about the 1972 Montana Constitution; and recognizing and celebrating the 1972 Constitutional Convention and its delegates.
For more information, visit montanaconstitution.org.
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The Friends of the Montana Constitution
PO Box 439, Billings, MT 59103