5 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁sessions , ▁CNN ▁sent ▁news ▁rep or ters ▁to ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁Capit ol ▁to ▁cover ▁the ▁efforts . ▁The ▁b ills ▁were ▁always ▁killed ▁by ▁the ▁lo bb y ists ▁from ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁Family ▁Foundation , ▁which ▁is ▁largely ▁fund ed ▁by ▁Mont ana ▁Congress man ▁Greg ▁Gian for te . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁Lee ▁New sp apers ▁published ▁an ▁in - depth ▁series ▁on ▁the ▁ab use ▁and ▁need ▁for ▁legisl ative ▁action . ▁ ▁Ell ie ▁was ▁the ▁driving ▁force ▁behind ▁Senate ▁Bill ▁ 3 9 6 ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁which ▁dr ast ically ▁re vised ▁and ▁der eg ulated ▁motor ▁car rier ▁laws ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁and ▁elimin ates ▁the ▁requirement ▁that ▁new ▁tax i ▁services ▁demonstrate ▁public ▁convenience ▁and ▁necessity ▁to ▁ac quire ▁a ▁certificate ▁from ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁Public ▁Service ▁Commission . ▁It ▁created ▁a ▁separate ▁Class ▁E ▁classification ▁for ▁transport ation ▁network ▁car rier ▁services ▁like ▁U ber ▁and ▁Ly ft . ▁The ▁legisl ation ▁was ▁an ▁immense ▁work ▁across ▁the ▁a is le ; ▁in ▁the ▁Senate ▁it ▁was ▁officially ▁spons ored ▁by ▁Sen . ▁Ed ▁But tre y , ▁R - Gre at ▁F alls , ▁and ▁the ▁original ▁legisl ation ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁was ▁co - sp ons ored ▁by ▁Ell ie , ▁and ▁Spe aker ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁Rep . ▁Austin ▁Kn ud sen , ▁along ▁with ▁a ▁b ipart isan ▁coal ition ▁of ▁other ▁law