The Montana State Legislature recently approved a package of zoning reform bills modeled closely on bills approved in West Coast states, including the state of California, in recent years.

The Montana State Legislature on Thursday approved three large pro-development bills, including statewide zoning reforms that “broadly [restore] the right of landowners to build middle density starter homes like duplexes and triplexes in existing urban areas.” Kendall Cotton, the president and CEO of Frontier Montana, broke the news of the legislative accomplishment on Twitter on Thursday evening. More pro-development legislation is expected for approval soon.
To describe the substance of the three bills approved last week, Relman writes the following summary: “Senate Bill 245 will allow multi-family housing and mixed-use development in urban commercial zones that previously only allowed office and retail space and parking. Senate Bill 323 will allow duplexes to be built in cities. And SB 406 will prevent local authorities from creating stricter zoning laws than the state's.”
More specifically regarding SB 323, Relman writes: “Perhaps the most far-reaching is Senate Bill 382, which will require cities to create land-use plans for future population growth and allocate space for more housing.”
Relman also notes that another bill, SB 528, which would legalize the construction of accessory dwelling units, is also expected to pass the legislature soon.
The headlining bill, SB 323, achieves many of the statewide reforms modeled by states to the west, namely Oregon, Washington, and California. Given those precedents, it’s notable that Republican legislators and advocates like the Frontier Group sold these zoning reforms as a rejection of “California-Style” zoning. A statement from Cotton on the Frontier Group’s webpage dedicated to SB 323 reads “If we don’t want Montana to become like California, we must address the strict California-Style zoning regulations in our cities before it’s too late.”
The somewhat confused political angle has not been lost on media outlets. “The deep red state of Montana is full of Republican YIMBYs, and they're using the time-honored bipartisan tradition of mocking California to alleviate their state's housing affordability crisis,” according to an article by Eliza Relman for Business Insider.
A few days before the Legislature’s approval of the package of bills, Ben Abramson wrote for Strong Towns about the fear of “California-style” zoning leading the political momentum for Montana’s statewide zoning reforms.
For more on California’s leading role, at both the state and local level, in paving the way for Montana’s round of zoning reforms, see numerous entries on Planetizen’s Zoning Reform tag. This isn’t the first time Republican politicians have taken a YIMBY turn. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Trump administration also flirted with preemption of local control for the sake of housing development.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie