When the Montana House of Representatives gaveled in on Feb. 13, it did so under rare, though not unprecedented circumstances.

As members rose to address the chamber, done by decorum through the presiding officer, they began with “Madam Speaker.”

The House Republican caucus elected Rep. Katie Zolnikov, R-Billings, as Speaker Pro Tem at the start of the session. The Speaker Pro Tem has a range of duties in the chamber, but also functions similar to a “vice president,” standing in for the Speaker of the House when needed.

On Thursday and Friday, Speaker of the House Brandon Ler, R-Savage, was attending a conference and Zolnikov stepped in to run the business of the House, reports the Daily Montanan.

“It was kind of exciting, but I was also kind of trying not to make a big deal out of it,” Zolnikov said on Friday afternoon. “But then other people were saying ‘Madam Speaker,’ and taking photos, and so I thought this is something that can be celebrated.”

Montana has never had a female Speaker of the House, while in the upper chamber, Debby Barrett, R-Dillon, served as Senate President during the 2015 session.

There have been seven women who have served as Speaker Pro Tem, according to the Legislative leadership archive.

During the 2023 session, former Rep. Rhonda Knudsen served as Speaker Pro Tem, stepping in as acting Speaker a few times when then-Rep. Matt Regier was absent, but it’s still been a rare occurrence in the Legislature.

“Yesterday, I remember thinking, ‘This is pretty cool,” said Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, who previously served in the House from 2011 to 2017 but said he couldn’t recall a “Madam Speaker” when he was last in the lower chamber.

For the two days Zolnikov ran the House, she was also one of the youngest legislative leaders in the country, at 27 years old.

In Oklahoma, Republicans selected 29-year-old Rep. Kyle Hilbert as the youngest Speaker of the House in state history last year, and the Oklahoma Voice reported he was just the second Republican 30 years or younger in any state since 1873.

While it’s harder to track down information on acting Speakers, it’s safe to say Zolnikov is part of a small club of young statehouse members in leadership.

In the back of her mind, Zolnikov said there was a slight concern that as a 27-year-old woman, and new mom, she wouldn’t be fully accepted in her position, but the response from her caucus and the chamber over the last weeks has quelled that.

“Everyone has been very great,” she said. “Nobody has treated me any differently because of my age. Everyone treats me with a lot of respect.”

Fitzpatrick said that the three-person leadership team works well together and has a great balance of experience, especially with the age range.

“It’s good to have that perspective informing our leadership team,” Fitzpatrick said.

“Katie has always been one of the better chairs of the committee of the whole,” Fitzpatrick added. “There’s days when it can be controversial around here, and there’s kind of a go-to list of three or four people we put up there, and she’s always been on that. She does a great job managing the floor.”

Now in her third session, Zolnikov started out with some senior responsibilities even as a freshman. She served as vice chairwoman of the House Energy Committee in 2021, and chaired the committee last session. She also ran for Speaker Pro Tem last year.

She said that serving in leadership has shifted her mindset compared to her previous sessions.

The Pro Tem is in charge of assigning bills to committee, “one of the coolest parts of the job,” giving Zolnikov a general understanding of every piece of legislation moving through the House.

“It’s easy to get wrapped up in your own bills and in your own head and kind of hone in on that when you’re a legislator,” she said. “You just can’t do that as much in leadership.”

“I’m still running bills, and I still really care about the bills I’m running, but you have to, in a sense, take a step back from all of that, put some of your emotions to the side and compartmentalize,” Zolnikov added. “I feel I have to be a positive person for everyone who needs me.”

One of her top talents, Zolnikov said, is bringing people together and crafting positive working relationships with all of her colleagues.

“I get along with the other side of the aisle. I get along with the different factions within my own party,” she said. “I like to be kind of the peacemaker.”