Seeley Swan Pathfinder -

The bell rang once to signal members of the Montana House of Representatives to punch in their votes, and the result was a dead heat: 50 for “yes,” 50 for “no.”

That was enough to kill House Bill 27, the first in a stream of bills working to address gaps in support for Montana students’ mental health. Sponsored by Rep. Moffie Funk, D-Helena, the bill would have permitted schools to implement “handle with care” programs -- allowing law enforcement to contact a child’s school and alert staff to handle the student with extra care because of a potentially traumatic experience.

F...