Montana Lawmakers Allege Disability Discrimination in Fight over Psychiatric Facility

Legislators say Laurel could be breaking federal law

Montana legislators accused the City of Laurel of potentially breaking federal law in a fight over a mental health facility outside of the city in a meeting and a letter to the local government earlier this month. Legislators in the Long Range Planning Interim Budget Committee also threatened to withhold municipal funding following a moratorium […]

Conflicts continue between state, city of Laurel over mental health facility

A Montana legislative committee has sent a letter to the city of Laurel asserting that Laurel has violated Federal Fair Housing and Americans with Disabilities acts for not providing water for the mental health facility.

Montana lawmakers allege disability discrimination in fight over psychiatric facility

The city of Laurel this week adamantly denied allegations that it is discriminating against people with disabilities by fighting with the state about a psychiatric facility it intends to build outside of town.

State legislative committee says Laurel likely discriminating against mentally ill

The city of Laurel is likely discriminating against people with mental health issues, a state legislative committee wrote in a unanimously-approved letter Thursday.

Legislators say Laurel is committing disability discrimination in fight over psychiatric facility

An attorney for the city of Laurel received a draft copy of the letter about an hour and a half before the meeting last week, the city’s mayor said. He and others with the city watched the hearing and sent a five-page response the next day asking the committee to reconsider and to review a packet of city engineering, water study and other records “before making any further finding regarding the City's motives or legal obligations.”