Sen. Bob Phalen

Third-session Republican from Glendive

Representing Senate District 17

Glandive, Circle, Baker, Ekalaka, Broadus

406-939-1187 • Bobby.Phalen@legmt.gov

Committees •Bills •Key votes •Voting stats •2024 election margin •MTFP Coverage

Phalen previously served in the Montana House in 2021 and 2023.

Montana Free Press coverage

📰 Energy

Eastern Montana lawmakers sponsor bills seeking to restrict wind development

Feb 24, 2025 • Amanda Eggert

Committee assignments

Senate Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs

Senate State Administration

Senate Fish and Game

Bills sponsored

📋 SJ 15: Resolution on Obergefell Bob Phalen (R)📃 Bill text	❌1st Cmte. ⚪️Senate ⚪️House
📋 SB 114: Provide for display of Ten Commandments in public schools Bob Phalen (R)📃 Bill text 🏛 Legal note	✅1st Cmte. ❌Senate ⚪️House ⚪️Gov.
📋 SB 160: Revise alternative energy project laws to require a bond prior to construction Bob Phalen (R)📃 Bill text 💵 Fiscal note	❌1st Cmte. ⚪️Senate ⚪️House ⚪️Gov.
📋 SB 283: Generally revise laws relating to wind generation facilities Bob Phalen (R)📃 Bill text 📰 2 MTFP stories	❌1st Cmte. ⚪️Senate ⚪️House ⚪️Gov.
📋 SB 407: Revise education laws to prohibit certain flags and banners in school and require phrase "In God we trust" displayed in each classroom of a public school Bob Phalen (R)📃 Bill text	❌1st Cmte. ⚪️Senate ⚪️House ⚪️Gov.
📋 SB 473: Prohibit weather modification. Bob Phalen (R)📃 Bill text	✅1st Cmte. ✅Senate ❌House ⚪️Gov.
📋 SB 491: Generally revise laws related to sexual assault kits Bob Phalen (R)📃 Bill text 💵 Fiscal note	✅1st Cmte. ✅Senate ✴️House ⚪️Gov.
📋 SB 505: Generally revise zoning laws to prohibit the construction of wind generation facilities. Bob Phalen (R)📃 Bill text 📰 1 MTFP story	❌1st Cmte. ⚪️Senate ⚪️House ⚪️Gov.

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Floor vote statistics

Calculations based on 1,930 Senate floor votes in 2025 involving bills.

🥇 83%

of votes cast on winning side

Average for Senate Republicans is 86%.

🔴 92%

of votes cast on side taken by most Republicans

Average for Senate Republicans is 89%.

🔵 63%

of votes cast on side taken by most Democrats

Average for Senate Republicans is 69%.

Phalen has been marked absent or excused for 1 votes. Average for Senate lawmakers is 21.0.

SD 17 election results

Last in-cycle for Senate election in 2024. House seats are elected every two years, Senate seats every four.

General election vote, 2024

Ran unopposed

Party primary vote, 2024

Won by 20% (1,216 votes)

Governor vote in district, 2024

Won by 68% (8,071 votes)

About the 2025 Montana Free Press Capitol Tracker

This guide is an effort to make the quantifiable aspects of the Montana Legislature more accessible to the public by compiling information about lawmakers, proposed bills and the legislative process. This is a project of Montana Free Press, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit newsroom that aims to provide Montanans with in-depth, nonpartisan news coverage.

The information presented here is collected from a variety of sources including the Montana Legislature's public roster and its official bill-tracking system. Reporting and web design were done by Jacob Olness and Eric Dietrich. Please contact them at jolness@montanafreepress.org and edietrich@montanafreepress.org with bug reports, questions or suggestions.

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2025 Capitol Tracker

The lawmakers, bills and votes of the 69th Montana Legislature