State changes rules for weekend events on Capitol grounds
Jordan Hansen
(Daily Montanan) Events planned on the grounds of the Montana State Capitol requiring a permit are no longer allowed on weekends following a change in February.
The change, which says permitted events are only allowed on weekdays between “7:00am and 6:00pm, excluding holidays,” was apparently a financial move.
“The department made this change in order to be a better steward of taxpayer dollars, which are used to support events at the Capitol,” Janna Williams, a spokesperson for the Department of Administration, wrote in an email.
The DOA looked at policies in other states to inform the change, she added.
“The policy was thoroughly vetted by department attorneys to ensure the policy is constitutional and does not infringe upon the First Amendment,” Williams wrote.
The permit changes were first reported by the Montana Free Press.
While anyone can walk into the Capitol building, there are certain rules for having an event both inside and outside at the complex. According to the state’s rulebook, events requiring a permit are, “A public event that utilizes state resources, requires set up of any structures, materials, displays, or requires clean-up,” and must be approved by the General Services Division.
People are still allowed to gather after hours or during the weekends, Williams wrote, but events with set-up require a permit.
“People are free to assemble on the Capitol grounds after hours and on weekends without a permit from the General Services Division,” Williams wrote. “However, any event that requires the set-up of equipment, such as a stage, or utilizes State resources, including personnel, such as law enforcement, requires a permit. Any organization or citizen planning a gathering should contact the General Services Division for guidance. Any gathering must also follow local ordinances as well.”
Additionally, the rules set a priority order for who can use Capitol grounds.
“The Governor’s Office, Legislature and State agencies have priority to hold functions in State buildings and on State grounds,” the state’s event guidelines say. “GSD may cancel or adjust the time of a permitted event in the Capitol or on Capitol grounds should a conflict occur.”
The new permitting rules come after multiple large “No Kings” rallies by pro-Democracy organizers calling attention to actions the Trump Administration has taken, such as deep cuts to federal employees, trampling of civil liberties, and immigration practices. The events have drawn record participation across vast swathes of urban and rural America and the next No Kings rally is set for March 28.
Indivisible Helena, an organization that has planned those rallies in Montana’s capital city, is still expecting to have an event at the Capitol, with some changes.
Those events have included speaker systems, staging, generators and tabling by numerous organizations.
“Even though this puts an incredible damper on our freedom to assemble and freedom of speech, we are pivoting and making sure we still serve this rally as best we can,” said Barbara Barnes, who is on the Indivisible Helena steering committee.
Barnes said she worries most about those with mobility issues. Previously, there was the ability for those in wheelchairs to quickly be dropped off near reserved seats, using a parking lot adjacent to the capitol building.
“The population that is going to be hurt and impacted the most by this are people with mobility issues,” Barnes. “That, to me, is heartbreaking.”
Barnes said they were informed around the time of their last event in October that a new policy was in the works. The new policy officially went into place on Feb. 23, 2026 — with Williams adding, it followed “a robust legal review and analysis of policies in other states across the nation.”
Barnes said they contacted the GSA in February. At the time they did, she said, it hadn’t been published yet.
“It wasn’t yet available to read, but it was in place, and we were not going to be allowed to pull a permit,” Barnes said Friday.
Security hadn’t been a problem either, Barnes said. Off-duty Helena police officers were hired for the No Kings rallies, and a large team of trained, clearly marked crowd-control personnel also worked previous events.
The Montana Highway Patrol, which provides security at the Capitol, has also been good to work with, Barnes added. When asked if Highway Patrol approached DOA regarding any potential issues, Williams directed the question to them, though added, “However, DOA does contract with the Montana Highway Patrol for events, once again underscoring why the new policy will allow the Department to reduce costs to taxpayers.”
Clean-up didn’t seem to be a problem either.
“We have been, by all reports, one of the best users of the Capitol grounds,” Barnes said. “We don’t leave any — even a tiny bit — of garbage behind.”
Barnes said they’re planning on using a truck, have people working on audio, and while tabling won’t be happening, an effort is underway to create a booklet with information about local organizations.
The organization approached the idea of reimbursing the state for usage of the grounds, but Barnes said that didn’t go anywhere.
No Kings rallies in Helena have consistently drawn more than 1,000 people to Capitol grounds. With several highly publicized federal law enforcement killings in Minnesota, the U.S. engaged in an unpopular and increasingly deadly conflict with Iran, as well as economic insecurity, events around the country are expected to draw large numbers of protestors.