Montana Supreme Court OKs ballot initiative to make pre-K a constitutional right. Montana will have until June 17 to gather more than 60,000 signatures if they want to put the question to voters in November.

After a ruling by the Montana Supreme Court, proponents of making preschool a constitutional right in Montana will have until June 17 to gather more than 60,000 signatures if they want to put the question to voters in November.

In an opinion issued Thursday, Chief Justice Mike McGrath said Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen was wrong to reject the proposed ballot initiative. In an emailed response, Knudsen’s office said the court’s opinion gave the Montana State Legislature “full authority to fund — or not fund — constitutional mandates.”