Residents of the Missoula area said in declarations filed as part of the lawsuit that they wanted Zephyr to be heard in the Legislature.
Anna Wong, who lives in Missoula County with her transgender child, said she backed Zephyr in the 2022 election with the expectation that lawmaker would “speak out against the onslaught of bills targeting transgender youth.”
Zephyr’s attorneys hoped to get a ruling as quickly as possible on their request for a temporary restraining order against Regier and Murfitt. One of the most important pieces of the Legislature’s work, finalizing a budget for the next two years, is unfinished. Republicans silenced Zephyr from participating in floor debates on April 18 after she said those who supported a ban on gender-affirming care for youths would have blood on their hands. Days later, she raised her microphone in defiance as demonstrators in the House gallery angrily demanded she be allowed to speak, leading to seven arrests and Zephyr’s banishment from the House floor.
She spent the first day of her exile last week battling to use a bench in a Statehouse hallway. Her key card to access Capitol entrances, bathrooms and party workspaces was deactivated, according to the lawsuit.
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