The Legislature has passed a funding deal for compensating those imprisoned for crimes they didn't commit, although not quite the arrangement preferred after two years of bipartisan construction.
After wide success in both chambers since House Bill 92 was introduced, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte last week sent the bill back to lawmakers with an amendatory veto, meaning legislators could pass the bill with his suggested amendments or the proposal would die.
The bill, a product of the Law and Justice Interim Committee's work since the 2019 session ended, would provide those wrongfully incarcerated with $60,000 per year spent in prison and $25,000 for each year spent under state supervision outside of prison. The compensation would come through a claim filed against the state. Lawmakers billed the payments as a way to avoid costly litigation after convictions were successfully overturned.Â