Montana Life Defense Fund
Montana Life Defense Fund was a ballot issue committee that was created to oppose Montana CI-128, Right to Abortion Initiative present on the Montana state ballot in the November 2024 elections to amend the state constitution to include the right to an abortion within the text.1 Other organizations that opposed Montana CI-128 included Defend Life and For Montana Families.2
Contents
Montana CI-128 was approved by a vote of 57.76% and amended the Montana Constitution to include the right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability. [i]2 The group has filed lawsuits following the election to have the initiative invalidated, which have not succeeded as of August 2025. [ii]2 [iii]3
Activities
Montana Life Defense Fund was a ballot issue committee that opposed Montana CI-128, the Right to Abortion Initiative, a ballot initiative present on the Montana state ballot during the November 2024 elections. The ballot measure would amend the state constitution to enshrine a right to an abortion within the text. Montana Life Defense Fund claimed that the initiative would eliminate laws notifying parents of their minor children’s decisions to have an abortion, allow non-medical doctors to determine the necessity of an abortion, increase late-term abortions, and reverse long-standing protections for women and babies previously set forth in the Montana Constitution.4
Following the passage of Montana CI-128 in November 2024, the Montana Life Defense Fund filed a lawsuit along with Hannah Rhodes and Joe Adddy on June 9, 2025 to the Montana Supreme Court claiming that election procedures were violated by the state, as it had neither printed nor distributed the full text of the proposed amendment to voters before the election, as required by the Montana Constitution. The state Supreme Court declined to hear the case on July 1, 2025. [iv]2
In August 2025, the Montana Life Defense Fund and the Montana Family Foundation filed a suit in Yellowstone District Court, asking that Montana CI-128 be declared invalid because the ballot itself did not include the full text of the initiative. The Court was critical of this suit, as every voting precinct in Montana is required to have copies of the full voters’ guide containing the full text of proposed initiatives.3
Montana CI-128
Montana CI-128, the Right to Abortion Initiative, was an initiated constitutional amendment on the ballot in Montana on November 5, 2024. Support for the initiative was led by Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights, which claimed that Montana CI-128 would allow people to have control over their bodies and futures, including the freedom to prevent, continue, or end a pregnancy. Other supporters of Montana CI-128 included then-U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ryan Busse, the ACLU of Montana, Forward Montana, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Montana, the Fairness Project, and Think Big America. [v]2
Montana CI-128 was passed with 57.76% of the vote and enshrined the explicit constitutional right to an abortion into the Montana state constitution. [vi]2
Funding
Montana Life Defense Fund was funded by donations from individuals, organizations, and political committees. The majority of Montana Life Defense Fund’s cash and in-kind donations were from the Montana Family Foundation.5
As of August 25, 2024, opposition to Montana CI-128, which also included the Defend Life campaign, raised over $27,000 in cash and in-kind donations while campaigns supporting Montana CI-128, led by Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights, raised over $11.8 million.6
Donor Organizations
Dawson County Republican Central Committee (political party)
Ismay Community Church (nonprofit)
Knights of Columbus Council #1413 (nonprofit)
Montana Family Foundation (nonprofit)
Prairie County Republican Central Committee (political party)
St. Francis PCCW (nonprofit)
Donation Recipients
For Montana Families
Vendors
KSEN AM (for profit)
The Marks Group (for profit)
Newell Media LLC (for profit)
Peak Insights (for profit)