Pete Elverum is a Democratic member of the Montana House of Representatives who has represented District 82 since January 2025 and is seeking re-election on November 3, 2026.[1]An attorney, he served 14 years in the Army National Guard and Montana Army National Guard.[1]
Elverum was born in Salem, Oregon, and served in the U.S. Army National Guard and Montana Army National Guard for 14 years.[1]He earned a bachelor's degree from Montana State University in 2006 and a law degree from Gonzaga Law School in 2009, and his career experience includes working as an attorney.[1]
Elverum took office on January 6, 2025, and was assigned to the House Local Government, Education and Taxation committees for 2025-2026.[1]
Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. "With" and "against" compare each vote with how most Democrats voted. How topics are assigned
Allows firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency care providers to file workers' compensation claims for posttraumatic stress disorder when diagnosed under the DSM and arising from their employment.
On the version voted Apr 29, 2025: Creates the Montana Growth and Opportunity Trust funded by transfers of volatile revenue, accounts for property tax relief, water development, local bridges and early childhood, a property tax credit for certified primary residences, and pension and housing funds.
Allows firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency care providers to file workers' compensation claims for posttraumatic stress disorder when diagnosed under the DSM and arising from their employment.
Bars health insurers that cover advanced or metastatic cancer from requiring an insured person to fail, or prove a history of failing, a different drug before covering an FDA-approved prescription drug that follows national cancer guidelines.
On the version voted Apr 9, 2025: Allows presumptive Medicaid eligibility for certain home and community-based services for people with physical disabilities and older adults after a screening and functional assessment, once per 12 months, with a full application due within 30 days.
On the version voted Apr 5, 2025: Funds 6th graders in accredited middle school or junior high programs at the midpoint between elementary and high school per-student rates, as 7th and 8th graders are, and adds funding for career and technical education.
On the version voted Apr 8, 2025: Expands the Best Beginnings child care scholarship program to child-care workers at licensed day-care centers and registered family or group day-care homes with household income under twice the state median, appropriating $5.5 million a year.
Creates the Montana B.E.S.T. program giving training and support to teachers in their first three years, including mentor stipends, with a $1 million a year appropriation.
Requires the Fish and Wildlife Commission to apply different gray wolf management techniques by region, and allows infrared and thermal scopes when hunting wolves on private land outside daylight hours.
On the version voted Apr 9, 2025: Requires utilities to interconnect shared solar facilities of 50 kilowatts to 5 megawatts and to give subscribing customers on-bill credits, and distinguishes shared solar subscribers from net metering customers.
On the version voted Mar 31, 2025: Requires the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to publish a biennial river-use report, paid from the state park account, and appropriates $2.6 million.
Defines sex in state law by reproductive anatomy as male or female only, defines male, female, man, woman, father and mother on that basis, and says "gender" used alone is a synonym for sex rather than gender identity.
On the version voted Apr 30, 2025: Requires the Montana Supreme Court to record its closed deliberation meetings and keep a written record, and makes both available to the public after the case is final, though the court may redact confidential information.
On the version voted Apr 25, 2025: Increases the elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit, changes the definition of household income and the credit phaseout, and adds an inflation adjustment to the phaseout income level.
Specifies acceptable forms of rent payment (cash, check, electronic or other agreed forms) and bars landlords from charging extra fees based on payment type, except to recoup an electronic bank fee for electronic payments.
On the version voted Apr 25, 2025: Extends the disabled veteran property tax assistance program to veterans rated 80% to 90% disabled, with property tax rate multipliers of 70% to 90% depending on income.
Appropriates money for statewide access to a K-12 digital toolkit, $1.1 million a year to the Office of Public Instruction and $750,000 a year to the Department of Labor and Industry.
Bars Montana medical and research facilities from using genetic sequencers or software made by a foreign adversary, bans storing Montanans' genetic data outside the U.S., and requires written consent for remote access from outside the U.S.
Voted against most of their party on 2 of 72 party-divided votes on file.
Provide for veterinary training loan program
What it does: Creates a veterinary training loan program giving loans up to $100,000 to students who commit to practicing in underserved Montana areas, with repayment if they do not, and with forgiven loans not counted as income.
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 20–22, Republicans 56–2
What it does: Creates a veterinary training loan program giving loans up to $100,000 to students who commit to practicing in underserved Montana areas, with repayment if they do not, and with forgiven loans not counted as income.
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 19–21, Republicans 56–1
Substantive votes concern legislation or nominations; procedural votes concern how the chamber considers them. A Yes vote applies to the motion shown, which may not be final passage.
SB 472 · MT HOUSE
Revise penalties for violations under 310 permit process
YesVOTED
Motion: Do Adopt
Raises the daily civil penalty for violating the 310 stream-permit law from $500 to $5,000, with total limits of $100,000 for a first violation and $250,000 for a second, none after; exempts forest practices allowed under state law.
Revise supreme court public records laws by opening deliberations and files to the public
NoVOTED
Motion: Do Adopt
Requires the Montana Supreme Court to record its closed deliberation meetings and keep a written record, and makes both available to the public after the case is final, though the court may redact confidential information.
Provide licensing and regulation of community health workers
YesVOTED
Motion: Do Concur
A yes vote, on third reading, gave the House's final agreement to the Senate's amendments to HB 850 (community health worker licensing). (AI-written)
Requires community health workers to be licensed by the Department of Labor and Industry; applicants must be 18 or older, complete a training program and supervised experience or show equivalent experience, and pay fees, with requirements set by rule.
A yes vote, on third reading, gave the House's final agreement to the Senate's amendments to HB 4 (appropriations by budget amendment). (AI-written)
Appropriates money normally handled by budget amendment to state agencies for fiscal 2025, lets some appropriations continue into 2026 and 2027, and provides for fund transfers.
Provide grant funding for firefighting training facilities
YesVOTED
Motion: Do Concur
A yes vote, on third reading, gave the House's final agreement to the Senate's amendments to HB 511 (firefighting training facility grants). (AI-written)
Creates a firefighting training facility grant program, with up to $5 million in grants to local firefighting authorities for construction, repair and equipment, requiring one-to-one matching funds.
Revise penalties for violations under 310 permit process
YesVOTED
Motion: Do Adopt
On the version voted Apr 30, 2025: Raises the daily civil penalty for violating the 310 stream-permit law from $500 to $5,000, with total limits of $100,000 for a first violation and $250,000 for a second, none after; exempts forest practices allowed under state law.
A yes vote, on third reading, gave the House's final agreement to the Senate's amendments to HB 924 (state finance law revisions). (AI-written)
Creates the Montana Growth and Opportunity Trust funded by transfers of volatile revenue, accounts for property tax relief, water development, local bridges and early childhood, a property tax credit for certified primary residences, and pension and housing funds.
A yes vote, on third reading, gave the House's final agreement to the Senate's amendments to HB 5 (long-range building appropriations). (AI-written)
Appropriates money for major repair and capital development projects for the biennium ending June 30, 2027, and raises certain long-range building program value thresholds from $150,000 to $300,000.
Revise supreme court public records laws by opening deliberations and files to the public
NoVOTED
Motion: Do Adopt
On the version voted Apr 30, 2025: Requires the Montana Supreme Court to record its closed deliberation meetings and keep a written record, and makes both available to the public after the case is final, though the court may redact confidential information.