A year after a new Montana law stripped local health boards of their rulemaking authority, confusion and power struggles are creating a patchwork oversight system that may change how public health is administered long after the pandemic is over.
The law, which took effect last April amid criticism of mask mandates and other COVID restrictions on businesses, gave local elected leaders the final say in creating public health rules. Supporters said elected officials would be accountable to voters if they abuse that authority, while opponents said the change would inject politics into health decisions.
Matt Kelley, CEO of the Montana Public Health Institute, a nonprofit focused on strengthening public health systems, said local health boards still have a duty to protect their communities, but the law limits their power to do so.
