Montana Lowdown

While the MT Lowdown is on hiatus, Montana Free Press, Montana Public Radio, and Yellowstone Public Radio have teamed up to bring you a new podcast about the real issues behind the campaign rhetoric.  Equality of opportunity. The blessings of liberty. A clean and healthful environment. These are the values codified in Montana’s constitution, values candidates in the upcoming 2020 election say they’re most prepared to defend. But behind the political promises and rhetoric, there are actual policies up for debate.  What do candidates mean when they stump about “Montana values?” Who is that promise for? And how do those unspoken values shape Montana’s politics? From what it means to be a “real Montanan,” to voter access, to public land, to rugged individualism, Shared State will bridge history, politics, and the daily reality of Montanans as we approach a landmark election. This is Shared State. 

Amid instances of animosity and tension, and the broader environment of racial strife in America, organizers are seeking to protect their own mental and emotional health as they work to establish a sustainable movement for racial justice in Montana. In part 2 of Uphill, reporter Mara Silvers examines how community groups in various towns across Montana are pushing local governments to invest in social programs rather than policing, how organizers are calling on businesses to implement anti-racist policies and practices, and how some are even collecting bail funds for people in county jails and detention centers. 

In the wake of George Floyd’s killing by police in Minneapolis, Black Lives Matter protests have surged across the country. Montana has been no exception, with residents planning rallies and marches in several towns and cities over the last few weeks. In the first of two special audio reports, Montana Free Press reporter Mara Silvers explores the challenges of organizing protests against police brutality and racism in a state that is roughly 90% white and 1% Black.

Last week Montana election officials tallied ballots in the June 2 primary. The fields are now set for November’s general election, and voters are already getting a taste of the nominees’ strategies as they march toward November. This year’s primary was notable for being the first election in Montana history to be conducted entirely by mail-in ballot — a safety precaution in light of COVID-19. The all-mail balloting set a new state record for voter engagement in a primary election, with 65% of registered voters casting votes. Republicans may be particularly pleased with the turnout, as some 74,000 more people cast ballots in the GOP primary than voted in Democratic races. But that’s not to say Republican candidates are a lock in the general election. Montana has a long history of ticket-splitting, with voters often choosing general election candidates from both parties. This week, Montana Free Press published a series of articles profiling the matchups for U.S. Senate and U.S. House, statewide races for governor and attorney general, and the primary results’ implications for the balance of power in the state Legislature between conservative and more moderate Republicans. MTFP capped off that reporting with a roundtable discussion with reporters Eric Dietrich, Mara Silvers and Alex Sakariassen, with editor-in-chief John S. Adams moderating. The conversation offers insights into how the nominees were able to best their primary challengers, and presents a preview of the general election campaigns to come. The conversation is featured on the latest installment of the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

“Be aware that anyone who votes for this bill is going to need to answer to the people back home, without a doubt.” So said Republican Brad Tschida, majority leader of the Montana House of Representatives, speaking against fellow Republican Rep. Ed Buttrey’s bill to renew Medicaid expansion in late March of the 2019 legislative session. Tschida, a leader in the hardline conservative GOP faction that refers to itself as the .38 Special, warned that a political reckoning would come for Republicans who helped pass the bill that gave nearly 100,000 Montanans access to health care coverage. With the support of a loose group of pragmatic Republican lawmakers who call themselves the Solutions Caucus, Buttrey’s bill ultimately passed and became law. With at least 12 Republican legislators facing contested primaries on Tuesday, June 2, Montana voters will soon know if that reckoning has come. Last week, Montana Free Press published a four-part series exploring how the campaigns between at-odds Republicans are playing out. The first installment took a data-focused look at which incumbent seats look to be competitive in 2020, and three subsequent articles profiled the higher-profile Republican primary races: the Bitterroot’s Senate District 44 contest between Nancy Ballance and Theresa Manzella; the contest for the Flathead’s House District 35 between incumbent Derek Skees and first-time candidate Dee Kirk-Boon; and eastern Montana’s House District 11, where incumbent Joel Krautter faces a challenge from political newcomer Brandon Ler. To cap off the reporting, Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams hosted the project’s reporters for a roundtable discussion exploring shared themes from the three races. MTFP staffers Mara Silvers and Eric Dietrich and freelance reporter Alex Sakariassen joined Adams for a special weekend installment of the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

“Don’t hold the fact that I’m doing a great job in Congress against me. I mean, for me, this is about, ‘Where can I have the most positive impact, with the skills I’ve been given, for the most folks?’” says Greg Gianforte, he presumptive frontrunner in the Republican primary for governor.  Gianforte’s pursuit of the highest office in Montana rather than a second term in the U.S. House of Representatives has rankled some fellow Montana Republicans, including primary opponents Attorney General Tim Fox and state Sen. Al Olszewski. Fox in particular has indicated he doesn’t think Gianforte can win against the Democratic nominee in November’s general election. As Montanans confront fears of a recession, Gianforte, an entrepreneur who sold his Bozeman-based tech company RightNow Technologies to Oracle for $1.8 billion in 2011, seeks to convince voters that his business acumen will translate to a strong economic recovery. “Even before this crisis occurred, we didn’t have the strongest economy, we weren’t providing opportunities that allowed Montanans to stay here,” Gianforte tells Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams. “And that’s got to be the focus of the next governor.” Gianforte says that, if elected, his immediate recovery plans would include a broad lowering of taxes, a housecleaning of leadership at many state agencies, and a “top-to-bottom regulatory review across all state agencies.”  Both Fox and Olszewski, in separate prior interviews, have chided Gianforte for what they call his lack of conservative credentials. Both criticized his voting record in Congress, with Olszewski pointing to Gianforte’s lifetime score of 70% from the American Conservative Union.  Answering the criticism, Gianforte points to several House bills he’s carried that he says advance the interests of Montanans, and notes that his campaign funding comes from all corners of the state. Gianforte has outraised Fox, his closest fundraising competitor, by more than 4 to 1.  While Gianforte has high name recognition statewide, he’s often associated with an assault he committed on a Guardian reporter on election night in 2017. The incident became a national flashpoint at a time when Americans were watching President Donald Trump launch verbal attacks on the media on a near-daily basis. For some, the wound was reopened when Gianforte stood next to Trump at a 2018 campaign rally. Asked how he envisions a gubernatorial relationship with the Montana press corps, Gianforte tells Adams, “My administration will certainly make ourselves available to the media, and we’re not going to shy away from hard questions, because I think the people have a right to know.” He adds, “The ultimate goal is to shine a light on government to make sure people have enough knowledge to pick the leaders they want.” Questioned about his initial statement after the assault, when he indicated that the reporter, not Gianforte, had instigated the assault — an allegation he later walked back — Gianforte says, “Just like everybody else, I’m not perfect … The people of Montana have moved on, and I think you should judge me by my actions since then.” Gianforte is featured on the latest episode of the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

“Most people don’t even know what positions Gov. Bullock stands for,” says John Mues, Bullock’s lone competition in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by Republican Sen. Steve Daines. Mues entered the race early in the campaign cycle, while the term-limited governor was running for president and pledging his lack of interest in the Senate seat. Bullock’s presidential campaign was fueled by his experience as a successful Democratic governor in a rural state with an established ability to work across the aisle. He ultimately withdrew from the presidential field and then reversed himself, filing to run for the Senate race on March 9 — the last possible day to enter the race. While fellow Democratic Senate candidates including Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins and public health professional Cora Neumann quickly exited the race, offering immediate endorsements of Bullock, who quickly surged into competitiveness with Daines, Mues has remained committed to his campaign, despite his relative lack of funding and name recognition. Mues says he’s not worried about his lack of prior political experience, saying, “I don’t place the same premium on political service. My ideal is that people circulate between the private sector, the nonprofit sector and government service.”  Mues says he hopes to leverage his Montana roots and diverse professional background to convince voters that his vision for economic recovery can offer a strong alternative to Daines in the November general election.  “I think we should really think out of the box, economically,” Mues tells Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams. He says he supports a long-term and widespread waiver of expenses for households and businesses. Pressed for details, he acknowledges that the idea would require compromise to make it through Congress. Mues also sees ample opportunity for Montana’s energy sector to be a driving force in the state’s economic recovery. A former nuclear engineer who has direct experience with fossil fuel and renewable energy systems, he says Montana has both ample space for energy storage grids and a unique opportunity to develop hydrogen power. He regards the coal-powered Colstrip plant as a potentially major player in the global energy market, telling Adams, “We’re probably going to need some public investment, some infrastructural investments, to make all of this happen. But we need to get going.” “The number one priority here is to beat Senator Daines,” Mues says. “I believe that we can run a more progressive platform and actually have better results than we’ve been having as Democrats.” Mues’s interview is featured on the latest episode of the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

Matt Rosendale points to his record as state auditor and his prior stint in the Montana Legislature as evidence that he’s the best Republican candidate in the race for Montana’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. “I’ve shown that I can get conservative results while being fiscally responsible and a good steward of the taxpayers’ dollars, and I’d like to do the same thing in Congress,” Rosendale tells Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams. “I think we have to restore some fiscal sanity to the federal government. I can do it.” As the state commissioner of securities and insurance, Rosendale regulates the insurance industry in Montana, and he says his actions during the coronavirus pandemic are an example of competent leadership during a crisis. He discusses his efforts to protect vulnerable seniors from exploitation scams and help consumers facing insurance gaps obtain new or continued coverage. Rosendale also talks about his stance on the Affordable Care Act and his support for President Donald Trump, whom he credits for national economic resiliency.  “I am so thrilled that the foundations of this economy were so strong going into this, or I can tell you something, we would be in a depression,” Rosendale says. “The only reason that we have $1.25 billion that’s being spent in the state right now to help our business is because of President Trump.” Rosendale also responds to criticisms, including one leveled by his Republican primary opponent Joe Dooling, that his campaign’s reliance on funding by out-of-state PACs like the Club For Growth puts him out of touch with everyday Montanans.  “My priorities are determined by the people of Montana, and what they elected me to do. And I’ve been very effective at it,” Rosendale says. Rosendale also responds to a 2018 Montana Free Press story that explores his role in dropping state charges against a bail bond and insurance company whose owners had contributed $13,000 to his prior campaigns. Rosendale says that, as auditor, he generally accepts the recommendations of his legal team.  “It’s just that simple,” Rosendale says. Rosendale has a wide fundraising lead in the crowded Republican primary, followed by Secretary of State Corey Stapleton. Democratic frontrunner Kathleen Williams has outraised Rosendale by about $300,000, according to the latest campaign finance filings. Rosendale’s interview is featured on the latest episode of the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

There are two big takeaways from a poll released this week by Montana State University: Montanans are definitely concerned about economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Steve Daines looks to be very much in play now that Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock has been able to capitalize on a statewide pandemic response that has, thus far, yielded relatively favorable results. The timing of Bullock’s entry into the race appears fairly auspicious. As Mike Dennison, chief political reporter for the Montana Television Network, puts it, “He gets in on the last day, March 9; he raised $3.3 million in three weeks; the pandemic hits; he’s in the news every single day.” Dennison notes that Bullock’s official responses to the pandemic have been largely based on the recommendations of public health experts, and adds, “He’s getting incredible exposure, and not spending a single dime of his campaign money doing it. It’s just a real political bonanza for Gov. Bullock.” But how to account for another finding of the poll: that Montanans still favor re-election of President Donald Trump over the presumptive Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden? “A lot of the attitudes toward Trump are already baked in, regardless of what it is. But if there’s anxiety, that anxiety needs to be expressed somewhere, and it seems to be expressed elsewhere, down-ballot, at least in our senate numbers,” says Dr. David Parker, head of Montana State University’s Department of Political Science, which helped organize the poll. So how might the pandemic — and state and federal efforts to respond to it with stay-at-home orders, stimulus checks and relief funds — ultimately impact voter preferences? And how might Montana’s top U.S. Senate candidates tailor their messages to reach voters who are leery of misinformation and false narratives as the nation seeks a return to normalcy? Dennison thinks it will come down to the candidates’ records. He tells Adams, “I really think the race is going to be fought out on how each of them has responded to this pandemic, and also, what is their record? What is Steve Bullock’s record as governor? What is Steve Daines’ record as senator?” Dennison and Parker are featured on this week’s episode of the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press hosted by editor-in-chief John S. Adams.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have brought many aspects of daily life to a halt, but Montana’s June 2 primary election is steadily approaching. While this year’s candidates launched their campaigns under relatively normal circumstances, facing off on issues including health care, prescription drug prices, public lands and jobs, the public health crisis has dramatically transformed the political, economic and social landscapes that will be at the forefront of voters’ minds when they begin mailing in their ballots.  “We’re going to see, probably, some very interesting things happening as a result of COVID. I think Montanans are going to be very interested in making sure the next governor isn’t going to have to be trained on the job,” says Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney, one of two Democrats vying for their party’s nomination for November’s general election. “And when I’m elected, on day one, I will be able to hit the ground running.” Cooney and his primary opponent, Missoula businesswoman Whitney Williams, staked out similar policy positions prior to the pandemic. But the economic downturn caused by COVID closures has offered Cooney, who began his political career in the early 1970s, an opportunity to highlight his years of experience in both the legislative and executive branches of government, characterizing that experience as a vital asset at a time when the public may be looking for steady leadership to guide the state’s recovery.  In separate interviews with Montana Free Press, both Cooney and Williams anticipated that Republican Rep. Greg Gianforte will be the Republican nominee. To that point, Cooney notes his presence on the 2016 Democratic ticket, with Gov. Steve Bullock, that bested Gianforte’s first gubernatorial bid.  “I’ve already been on a team that’s beaten Greg Gianforte, and I think that’s going to be very important when it comes to the primary election,” Cooney says. “We want somebody who’s going to be successful in November.” Asked whether a Cooney administration would be a continuation of Bullock’s, Cooney said he intends to forge his own path: “It will be a Cooney administration. It’s not going to just be a Bullock 2.0.” Cooney’s conversation with Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams is featured on the latest episode of the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

Gov. Steve Bullock is expected to unveil plans this week to begin lifting the statewide stay-at-home order and business restrictions, even as Montana saw its first public demonstration against the current restrictions on Sunday. Many public health experts say a return to normalcy will require mass testing, along with robust contact tracing, so health officials can rapidly respond to any spikes in COVID-19 infections, which are expected once restrictions begin to ease.  How does contact tracing work? And how can we gauge when Montana is ready to begin lifting restrictions? Matt Kelley, health officer for the Gallatin City-County Health Department, tells freelance journalist Emily Stifler Wolfe, “Contact tracing is the central weapon that we use to find cases and throw a blanket over that case in a way that reduces the risk of exposure.” On April 17, Montana Free Press published Wolfe’s story “How contact tracing slows the spread — and why getting Montana back to work requires more of it.” Wolfe is our guest on this week’s Montana Lowdown podcast, where she talks about what she learned while reporting the piece with host and Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams.

As Montana enters its fifth consecutive week of quarantine, many households are feeling the strain of isolation, fear and anxiety. Professionals are warning about increased incidents of domestic violence and sexual assault, while even safe households are experiencing unique stresses related to parenting. In response to these concerns, Montana Free Press is publishing this episode of the weekly Montana Lowdown podcast focused on resources for victims of domestic and sexual violence, as well as parenting tips from childcare experts.   Pandemic Exacerbates Abusive Behavior Echoing concerns shared in national publications, local professionals are reporting that the quarantine is exacerbating abusive behavior.  “Abusers use isolation as a way to maintain power and control. And when we see increased stresses at home, a lot of times that also can be a contributing factor for violence,” says Jenny Eck, executive director of The Friendship Center, a Helena-based nonprofit that provides resources to victims of domestic and sexual violence. Eck tells Lowdown host John S. Adams that abusers can exploit the pandemic by withholding items like hand sanitizer or masks, preventing victims from seeking medical attention or support from friends and family, and withholding insurance information. While there is some relief coming to Montana’s victims of domestic violence — the federal CARES Act package includes $45 million in funding for crisis centers — Kelsen Young, executive director of the Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence warns that “it will probably be another month or two” before the state’s allocation makes its way to program coffers.  Young adds that abuse victims are seeing another novel limit in their ability to find safe harbor, as many hotels that previously opened their doors to victims are now being more strict about filling vacancies. As Young tells Adams, “We are hearing that some hotels are refusing to take people that are [exposed to the virus].” Simultaneously, established shelters are limiting the number of people they take in during the pandemic to minimize the risk of viral transmission. Both Eck and Young note that there are ways for Montanans to help. Eck suggests, “It’s really important that you stay in touch. Try to help [victims] have access to a safe way of communicating.” And for those Montanans who are able to offer financial support, Young says, “Domestic violence shelters would be a great place” to donate.   Parenting In A Pandemic Emotionally healthy households are facing their own stresses, with many parents having to balance a dearth of childcare options with professional obligations or new fears about lost wages. Lowdown producer Alex McKenzie, a new parent to a 7-month-old child, interviewed Wisconsin-based Dr. Laura Froyen, whose work focuses on human development and family studies, and Portland, Oregon-based Tracey Biebel, a licensed clinical social worker and podcaster whose work is focused on “practical parenting and practical living.” One theme repeated throughout both interviews is that there is no universal approach to parenting under quarantine. While some parents are able to take advantage of the recently passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which offers expanded family or paid medical leave for certain situations, many other parents are left to balance expert advice on social distancing measures with the realities of their childcare needs. Asked about the prudence of designating a single person, like a grandparent or other relative, to provide care for a young child during the pandemic, Froyen suggested making an “exclusivity arrangement” in which the childcare provider will not be taking care of any other children, and will otherwise refrain from interaction with the outside world. “You are going to socially isolate, together,” Froyen says. For older children, Biebel suggests a more conservative approach. While she acknowledges that different scenarios may work better for individual families, she cautions that allowing a teenager to have exclusive social interactions with a friend may create a slippery slope. “If you allow one friend, then they’re like, ‘Well, what about the other friend?” She says the issues with teenagers is rooted in a lack of critical thinking skills: “The brain development just isn’t there yet,” she says Froyen and Biebel also weigh in on topics including screen time, the importance of structure during quarantine, and how to communicate about the pandemic to small children without triggering anxiety. Another shared view between Froyen and Biebel involves lowered parental expectations during the pandemic. Froyen suggests that parents offer themselves “lots of grace and compassion, room to make mistakes, and to repair them.” Biebel advises parents to “just sit in it and let it pass, because it will.”   Resources: Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence https://mcadsv.com/   National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233   National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-4673   The Friendship Center https://www.thefriendshipcenter.org/ 406-442-6800

“It’s like a response to a lot of crises. That is, it’s big and it’s immediate, but it’s probably full of a lot of loopholes.” So says former Montana Senator Max Baucus, assessing the $2T economic relief package recently passed by U.S. Congress in response to the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. He adds, “We’re probably going to see a lot of inefficiencies, and a lot of people taking advantage of the situation, at the expense of Americans.” For close to 40 years, Max Baucus represented Montana in Congress, before serving as the U.S. Ambassador to China under President Barack Obama.  Baucus was Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee during the 2008 financial crisis, and was a key figure in the creation of legislative measures, signed by both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, that ultimately stabilized the U.S. economy in the aftermath of the subprime mortgage meltdown that crippled global markets. Senator Baucus then witnessed the populist aftermath of that legislation in the rise of the conservative Tea Party, and the birth of the liberal Occupy Wallstreet movement.  He was a chief architect of the Affordable Care Act, which enabled more than 20 million people to access health care, but came at a great political expense to Democrats who faced conservative backlash at the polls in many states.  Now out of politics and living back home in Montana, Baucus is watching a new world unfold as inefficiencies in the U.S. healthcare system are laid bare as the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll on American lives and the global economy.  In February, Baucus endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden’s bid for the Democratic nomination to the Presidency, and he now says he sees a need for bipartisan leadership in Washington, telling Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams, “The recent partisanship in Washington has stymied any efficient action” on the pandemic and resultant economic turmoil.” And while some are questioning the White House’s response to the pandemic, Baucus levels a somewhat more measured criticism of the Trump administration: “I’m not blaming Donald Trump personally, but I do think, in our form of government, when there’s a crisis, it’s the Chief Executive that’s got to step up.” Baucus’s interview with Adams is featured in the latest episode of the Montana Lowdown podcast, a publication of Montana Free Press.

This week we interview several guests who help illustrate how some of Montana's most vital social services are positioned to deal with the potential of a long-term pandemic. Guests and topics include: Rose Hughes, Executive Director of the Montana Health Care Association, on how long-term care facilities are balancing health safety measures with problems related to extended periods of isolation Stephanie Stratton, Chief Programs Officer of the Montana Food Bank Network, on how increased demand and limited supplies are challenging the Montana food pantry system Freelance journalist Amanda Eggert on how Montana's daycare industry and K-12 educational institutions are responding MTFP reporter Eric Dietrich on the state of the State's budget in light of the pandemic (featuring dialogue from Republican state representatives Nancy Ballance and Frank Garner.)

In today's episode: The latest statistics on cases in Montana Montana petroleum industry sees losses due to price wars and economic fallout from coronavirus Fear-driven stockpiling of supplies is a short-term problem, and distributors are confident that supply chains are strong Cindy Farr of Missoula County DPHHS talks about coronavirus testing in Montana, and what she expects to see as the pandemic evolves Rebecca Dore, a Senior Research Associate at Ohio State University, shares tips on how to manage screen time for kids who are distancing indoors for extended periods

In today's episode: The latest statistics on cases in Montana Gov. Steve Bullock announces two measures aimed at helping those experiencing financial stress Montana announces it will cover the costs of referrals, and in some cases testing, for those who are uninsured and suspect they may have contracted the virus The U.S. Department of Commerce will suspend the census until April 1 Gubernatorial campaigns go digital Tourism industry and travel-relates businesses anticipate big losses State will extend drivers' license renewals Montana Free Press solicits calls from freelance reporters We want to know what you want us to cover in this crisis We update you on we're evolving our coverage of the coronavirus in Montana

As of today, we're changing the format of our show to focus on delivering shorter, more frequent episodes that keep our listeners informed about the latest news around the coronavirus, and its impacts on Montana. In today's episode: We announce some changes at the Montana Free Press The latest stats from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services What is social distancing, and why is it important? Two new cases confirmed, one each in Missoula and Yellowstone Counties Montana announces that tests will now be performed in-state, rather than being shipped to the CDC 1000 news test kits are headed to Montana Counties begin closing or limiting certain business establishments and other public events We begin to look at how the coronavirus could impact June's primary election

“I think it’s a universe that I don’t really know how to gauge. It’s just something that we’ve never dealt with.” So says Lee Newspapers capital reporter Holly Michels, as she tries to make sense of the evolving 2020 political field through the lens of the coronavirus issue. Montana’s March 9 candidacy filing deadline momentarily grabbed national headlines when two-term Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock entered the race for the U.S. Senate, challenging Republican incumbent Sen. Steve Daines. But while the matchup was widely regarded as an opportunity for Democrats to flip a Senate seat, those headlines were quickly buried under breaking news. The next day the presidential primary election entered a new phase, with former Vice President Joe Biden winning in several key state primaries, pulling ahead of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the race for the Democratic nomination. The dust was still settling on that story when the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic, triggering a wave of cancelled events, school closings, and regulations about public gatherings in a growing list of cities nationally and statewide.  Public appearances by President Donald Trump were widely panned as failing to instill public confidence in the face of a national crisis. Stocks plunged, spurring the Federal Reserve to drop interest rates to 0% on Sunday in an effort to stave off a major financial crisis. The June primary approaches, now with myriad questions about how Montana’s elections might be impacted by the pandemic. In an interview with Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams, elections analyst Kyle Kondik, of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, says he expects to see a wave of out-of-state campaign spending on Montana’s senate seat.  Kondik tells Adams, “Republicans have to look at [the seat] as an absolute must-hold.” He adds that, given Trump’s widely criticized response to the pandemic, defending his seat could prove more challenging for Daines, a staunch Trump supporter.  “I’m more hesitant to suggest that coronavirus may not matter in the fall, because it’s something that’s already affecting so many people, just in terms of disruptions to their daily lives,” Kondik says. Michels’s and Kondik’s conversations with Adams are featured in the latest episode of the Montana Lowdown podcast, a publication of Montana Free Press.

As financial markets reel amidst the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, journalist Dexter Roberts is looking to the Chinese economy for signs of things to come. Roberts is an award-winning journalist who spent more than 20 years reporting from Beijing, where he served as the China bureau chief and Asia News Editor at Bloomberg Businessweek. A Montana native, Roberts’ journalistic career spanned a period of rapid transformation and explosive economic growth in China, during which he reported on the country’s economy, politics, agriculture, and more. Roberts, who now serves as a fellow at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at the University of Montana, is promoting his new book, The Myth Of Chinese Capitalism: The Worker, the Factory, and the Future of the World. The book makes the case that Chinese policies are actually restricting economic growth and contributing to widening class disparity. “The myth, in sort of a nutshell, is that China is on an inexorable path toward a vastly expanded middle class,” Roberts tells Montana Free Press founder John S. Adams. But the economic reality doesn’t support that popular narrative, according to Roberts, who argues that “China is getting old before it gets rich,” and that the country is “relegating close to half [its] population to second-class status.” Roberts also sees compounding problems in the country’s initial response to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, telling Adams that, on the heels of President Donald Trump’s trade wars, the outbreak has the potential to upend the world economy for the foreseeable future. And he anticipates that the tumult could be felt here in Montana.  “For a state like Montana, which has a large reliance on agriculture, there is a very obvious fit with China’s growth,” Roberts says. “I would be ready for the potential of real disruption in the economy going forward.” Roberts’ conversation with Adams is featured in the latest episode of the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Whitney Williams may be running her first campaign for public office, but she’s no political neophyte. Her father, Pat Williams, served two terms in the Montana House, and nine in the U.S. House of Representatives. Her mother, Carol Williams, was the first woman majority leader in the Montana Senate.  Williams started her own career in the White House, where she worked in the office of First Lady Hillary Clinton, before launching a philanthropic consulting business that works with governments, NGOs, and Fortune 500 companies. Williams positions herself as a job creator and problem solver in her bid to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock.  Williams is in a two-way primary with Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney. Asked to draw a distinction between herself and Cooney, Williams tells Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams that voters, “[are] going to have a choice of someone who is a little different, someone who’s a business person, who has a fresh perspective, who has a skill set managing multimillion dollar budgets, creating companies, creating jobs.” At a recent candidate forum in Bozeman, Williams and Cooney staked out similar policy positions, including publicly funded pre-K, protection of public lands, and affordability of prescription drugs. In her interview with Adams, Williams expands on the initiatives she would pursue if elected to office, including strategies to cap prescription drug prices.  “Forty percent of Montanans say they choose between putting food on the table and filling a prescription,” Williams said. “Montanans are, I think, fed up with this idea that the federal government is going to solve this problem for us, because they’re not.”  Williams’s conversation with Adams is featured on the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

Attorney General Tim Fox is deploying primary opponent Greg Gianforte’s own polling, and the incumbent U.S. representative’s grading by conservative groups, in his bid for the Republican nomination for Montana governor. Using the results of the 2016 election as a predictor of his ability to appeal to Montana voters, Fox tells Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams, “I got 96,000 more votes than Greg Gianforte, even though 17,000 fewer people voted in the attorney general race than did in the governor’s race.” Fox ran successfully for re-election in 2016, while Gianforte made an unsuccessful bid for governor. Gianforte later won a special election as Montana’s sole representative in the U.S. House in 2017, and was re-elected in 2018.   No Republican has held the governorship since Judy Martz left office in January 2005, and the party is eager to change that in 2020. Fox thinks he’s the best candidate to reclaim the office for the GOP in November. But first he’ll have to get past Gianforte and Sen. Al Olszewski of Kalispell in a three-way primary.  While Fox acknowledges the accomplishments of his primary opponents, he says the most important question facing Republican primary voters is: who is the most electable candidate to face off against the eventual Democratic nominee? Barring the entry of a new Democratic candidate between now and the March 9 filing deadline, that will be either current Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney or Missoula businesswoman Whitney Williams. Fox claims voters have a negative perception of Gianforte that could pose a liability for the party in November, telling Adams, “He has nearly 100% name ID, and he can only muster 53%, if we believe his poll is true, of the Republican vote. Why is that? Because his negatives are so high, even among Republicans.” Fox is also critical of Gianforte’s voting record, arguing that national conservative groups including the American Conservative Union, Conservative Review, and Club For Growth have “given Greg Gianforte Ds and Fs for his votes and lack of conservatism in Congress.” Fox will be termed out in 2021 after two terms as Montana’s top lawyer, and he highlights his accomplishments on issues including human trafficking, substance use, and his legal challenge of a Washington state law blocking the export of Montana coal as reasons voters should trust him as an advocate. Fox tells Adams that he brought 51 agency bills to the Montana Legislature, “and 49 of those were passed overwhelmingly and signed into law. That’s unprecedented for an executive branch leader.”  Fox’s conversation with Adams is featured on the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

This week, Patagonia Films premiered the documentary feature Public Trust at the 17th annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula. The film examines how private interests, especially extractive industries, are attempting to undermine America’s public lands legacy. The film focuses on three specific conflicts at Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument, Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Wilderness, and northeastern Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The film prominently features Hal Herring, an award-winning journalist and Montana resident who has spent more than two decades working in, and writing about, public lands in the American West. Herring tells Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams, “We should understand that there is a movement afoot to privatize the American public lands, and we should know what those [lands] are before we come down on one side or another in that debate. And we should know who’s driving that debate, and what is at stake for us, and our children and grandchildren.” The public lands issue has become a rallying point for the Democratic Party in the American West. But while Herring supports the concept of public lands, he’s also sometimes critical of Democratic approaches to the issue, noting that sweeping changes such as the Bill Clinton-era roadless rule and Barack Obama’s Bears Ears National Monument designation have been undertaken without making the case to citizens. As Herring tells Adams, “I’m convinced that we can not leave environmental and conservation eggs in the basket of one party.” He pushes back on ideological public-lands stances taken by Democrats and Republicans alike, saying the parties “need to horse trade.” He also suggests that the issue presents a unique opportunity for conservative political candidates, saying he’s “waiting for a kind of quiet revolution in conservative America to come to solving environmental problems in the future.” Herring and Adams also discuss the history of the American public lands movement, from the aftermath of the Mexican-American War through the privatization ideology promoted by President Ronald Reagan, which continues to resonate. Herring’s conversation with Adams was recorded on the eve of the film’s public premiere. The Montana Lowdown podcast is a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

This week, freelance journalist Kathleen McLaughlin published a story in the Washington Post detailing Butte, Montana’s collective anxiety about a long-awaited and finally forthcoming consent decree that will lay out the final phase of cleanup of Butte’s expansive Superfund site. Publication of the legally binding document has been repeatedly delayed with little explanation, but is currently set for Thursday, Feb. 13, pending final review by the U.S. Department of Justice. As McLaughlin tells Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams, “I think the EPA and the city are going to have … a big job ahead of them selling [the consent decree] to the community when the community wasn’t publicly involved in the discussions.” For more than 20 years, Montana native McLaughlin has reported on inequality and marginalized communities in the American West and Asia. After more than a decade in China, McLaughlin recently moved back to her hometown of Butte, where the environmental consequences of decades of copper mining remain an ongoing issue. McLaughlin also talks about her career arc as a journalist, and the uncomfortable parallels between the Chinese government’s treatment of journalists and the way some American politicians undermine the free press for political purposes.  “Political leaders who jump on this bandwagon of yelling about ‘fake news’ are giving away one of the pillars of our [democratic] system,” McLaughin says.  She also talks about how her experience in China during the 2003 SARS epidemic informs her understanding of the Chinese government’s current reporting on the coronavirus. McLaughlin’s’ interview with Adams is featured on the latest installment of the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

Lee Newspapers Capitol reporter Holly Michels thought she was covering a relatively mundane event last Friday at the Montana Republican Party’s Winter Kickoff event in Helena. Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke had just wrapped up his address to party faithful and was taking questions from the audience when a Republican state legislator from Billings made a comment that would quickly overshadow the news cycle. As Michels tells Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams, Rep. Rodney Garcia “started by saying that socialists were infiltrating the government, taking over. He said there are socialists everywhere in Billings. And then he said, you know, the Constitution says that we should either shoot or jail them. And there was some pretty awkward, uncomfortable laughter in the room.” The incident earned national headlines, as well as a call from state GOP leadership for Garcia’s resignation. (Garcia has declined.) The unexpected scoop also gives Michels an opportunity to reflect on how the journalism business has changed since she first came to the profession. With fewer daily newspaper reporters responsible for covering more and more news, she says, it’s become “kind of a luxury” for journalists to attend run-of-the-mill events like the Winter Kickoff with no guarantee of a newsworthy story for their work. Garcia’s unanticipated comments and the viral response they generated reinforce the value of having reporters on the scene. Adams and Michels also talk about her analysis of what’s shaping up to be a very competitive — and expensive — 2020 governor’s race. Michels’ interview with Adams is featured on the latest installment of the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly publication of the Montana Free Press.

Republican candidate for Secretary of State Bowen Greenwood says if he’s elected one of his first priorities will be to increase voter registration across the state.  As Greenwood tells Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams: “The state’s elections office can be operated as a neutral party, and go out to fairs, college campuses, everywhere, and register voters in a way that’s not about an advantage for one side or the other.” Greenwood, who was elected Clerk of the Montana Supreme Court in 2018, has been a key player in conservative political circles for many years. Prior to his election — in which he defeated Democrat Rex Renk by more than 40,000 votes — Greenwood has served as public information officer for the Public Service Commission, spokesman for the Montana Family Foundation, and executive director of the Montana Republican Party. Greenwood began his professional career in Montana politics in 2006 as communications director for former Republican Secretary of State Brad Johnson. While the clerk position carries a six-year term, Greenwood has set his sights on the Secretary of State’s office amidst his concerns over election security in the age of hacking and foreign interference. Greenwood says he would place a particular focus on the state’s paper ballot system. “Cybersecurity is so much more important these days,” Greenwood tells Adams, adding, “I am very much in favor of bringing an ID to vote.” Some Montanans may remember Greenwood from his days as a conservative blogger in the mid- to late-2000s. Writing under the pen name NeoMadison, Greenwood was once on the front lines of the often fiery political discourse that took place on the internet before the rise of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. Reflecting on that period of his life, Greenwood says a 2012 spiritual encounter set him on a different rhetorical path.  “I don’t want to be that guy anymore,” says Greenwood. “I try to treat people on all sides of the aisle, understanding that they’re a creation of God, that this Democrat, this progressive, God wants them in Heaven as much as he wants me in Heaven, and they’re worthy; they’re worthy of my time and listening and respect.” Greenwood is running in the Republican primary against Senate President Scott Sales of Bozeman, current Deputy Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, and State Rep. Forrest Mandeville. The lone Democratic candidate is Missoula state Sen. Bryce Bennett. Incumbent Secretary of State Corey Stapleton is seeking the Republican nomination for Montana’s U.S. House seat. Greenwood’s comments came during a recent interview on the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly publication of the Montana Free Press.

Last week, state lawmakers gathered in Helena for the first-ever Legislative Week, a five-day series of training sessions, interim committee meetings, and social gatherings aimed at maintaining connections between legislators during the 20-month break they typically take between legislative sessions. Republican Sen. Fred Thomas of Stevensville was a vocal proponent of Legislative Week. Thomas has served in 12 sessions, plus a handful of special sessions, during three separate stints in the Montana Legislature, beginning with his freshman term in the House in 1985. And while Thomas supported the 1992 constitutional initiative that led to legislative term limits — citizens may serve as a state representative or senator for no more than eight years in a 16-year period — he now sees term limits as limiting the experience available to the Legislature. Thomas has a unique vantage on the question, given his lengthy experience in the Capitol. Reflecting on his third stint in the Legislature, Thomas tells Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams, “Everybody in the body was different. But the people in the hallways, the lobbyists, were very similar, and our staff, and some bureaucracy. And I thought, ‘I don’t know if this is good.’” Elsewhere in the interview, Thomas looks back on a number of highlights from his tenure in the Legislature, including his role in overhauling state tax policies and his role carrying the 1997 deregulation bill that ultimately led to the demise of the Montana Power Company — a role for which Thomas has been criticized by Democrats and the press. Regarding deregulation, Thomas says, “I probably did it because it met my basics of government: want of less government, less taxes, and less regulation, and [I] was wanting to have citizens have the ability to have lower-costing electricity.” Thomas says the deregulated power market failed to fulfill those promises due to a lack of legislative safeguards that ultimately allowed Montana Power Company to sell off assets including the Colstrip power plant and a hydroelectric dam to Pennsylvania Power and Light. Critics say fallout from those sales, including Montana Power’s investment of proceeds into a telecommunications company that would go bankrupt within five years, are directly responsible for continuing increases in energy rates for Montana residents. Thomas’ conversation with Adams is featured on the latest edition of the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

State lawmakers are in Helena this week for the first-ever Legislative Week, a five-day series of training sessions, interim committee meetings, and social events aimed at fostering “cross-pollination” among legislators, according to the Legislature’s website. Legislative Week is born of a study resulting from the 2019 session’s Senate Bill 310, which seeks to gauge the potential of holding annual legislative sessions, rather than the current biennial session schedule. Susan Fox, executive director of the nonpartisan Legislative Services Division, joined Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams for a Montana Lowdown podcast discussion about what she expects ⁠— and does not expect ⁠— to take place during Legislative Week. Fox also reflects on her 30 years of experience working in Legislative Services, noting an increase in partisanship, and declining opportunities for new legislators to grow into leadership positions.  “[Legislators] don’t have time to mature like they used to,” she tells Adams. “And I remember in the past, leaders ... would slowly work their way up to committee chairmanship, and then they might, in another session or two, become a whip, and then become a leader. But they don’t have time to do that now — you just have to get in and start [leading].” Fox also says she’s seen a lack of understanding between those legislators tasked with drafting the state’s budget and those who develop policies, a dynamic that helped lead to the passage of Senate Bill 310.  “Budget and policy are kind of two different tracks,” Fox says. “And [legislators] really feel like it’s disjointed. The budget people don’t understand the policy people, and the policy people don’t understand the budget.” The SB 310 study explores the prospect of annual sessions with alternating focuses on the state budget and policy-related law.  Fox’s conversation with Adams is featured on this week’s Montana Lowdown Podcast, a production of Montana Free Press.

This week, Montana Free Press is closing out 2019 by looking back at some highlights from the first year of the Montana Lowdown podcast. This 2019 review episode features host and MTFP editor-in-chief John S. Adams in a conversation with the show’s producer, Alex McKenzie. The show debuted on January 7, 2019, just as the legislative session was getting underway in Helena. The first guest was Republican Rep. Nancy Ballance of Hamilton, who talked with Adams about a split among Republican lawmakers between so-called Solutions Caucus Republicans who were willing to negotiate bipartisan legislation with Democrats, and more staunchly conservative Republicans who took a more oppositional approach to Democratic legislation. The split proved to be a key part of the narrative of the 2019 session. The weekly podcast series has featured in-depth interviews with state legislators, as well as candidates seeking statewide and federal offices in 2020. A handful of nonelectoral guests, like climate scientist Steven Running and political researcher James D’Angelo, have rounded out the series. Adams says he hopes the in-depth conversations provide value for citizens beyond the brief quotes that are typically used in print news stories. “The idea was to give listeners the opportunity to hear what I hear when I’m interviewing these individuals,” he says. The MT Lowdown podcast will cease production during the holiday season, and will return with more candidate interviews in early 2020.

“I want to talk about our culture, I want to talk about the forces that drive decisions,” says Republican congressional candidate Tim Johnson. Johnson is the superintendent of Corvallis Public Schools, a job he says he plans to give up next year so he can focus on his campaign for the U.S. House. A self-described conservative Republican running a primarily self-funded campaign, Johnson currently lags behind his primary opponents in fundraising, and in name recognition, but he believes his message can resonate with voters who are tired of well-worn talking points. He tells Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams: “If you don’t have a message, in the long run it doesn’t matter how much money you spend, because the dollar bill that the candidate spends on the marketing side is not necessarily what happens in the voting booth.” Johnson also chides national Republican leaders for their continued focus on tax cuts, arguing that the issue is used to pander to voters. “We’re not putting our foot down and saying, ‘Stop spending more than what you have,’” he tells Adams. “If we continue to do what we’re doing, we’re putting that question off to our kids. And to me, that’s unethical.” The Republican primary includes five candidates vying for the state party’s nomination to challenge the eventual Democratic nominee in the general election next November.  Johnson’s conversation with Adams is featured on this week’s Montana Lowdown podcast.

Forrest Mandeville says the best way to effect progress in the Legislature is to become an expert in a specific subject. The Republican representative from Columbus has served three terms in the Montana House, starting with the 2015 session, and spent much of that time applying his professional background in land-use planning to the State Administration Committee, for which he served as committee chair the past two terms. That committee, which included 20 legislators in the 2019 session, plays a big role in crafting election laws, and if elected secretary of state, Mandeville would be responsible for implementing those laws.  In addition to overseeing state elections and business services, the secretary of state also serves on the five-member state Land Board, which administers state-owned lands for the benefit of public schools. Mandeville says that natural resource development, such as the proposed Black Butte Copper Mine near the headwaters of the Smith River, would be among his front-and-center priorities as Land Board commissioner. “We need to not be afraid of developing our natural resources,” Mandeville tells Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams. He dismisses concerns that such projects pose a threat to nearby waterways. “[I]t’s a scare tactic, honestly, to say that any mine is just going to leach a bunch of chemicals into the water system. It does not happen anymore.” Mandeville is running in the Republican primary against Senate President Scott Sales of Bozeman, current Deputy Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, and state Supreme Court clerk Bowen Greenwood. The lone Democratic candidate is Missoula state Sen. Bryce Bennett. Incumbent Secretary of State Corey Stapleton is seeking the Republican nomination for Montana’s U.S. House seat.  Asked about the challenge of campaigning against eight-term legislator Sales, Mandeville laments a lack of young conservatives running for statewide office.  “We can’t be relying on the same people to do the same things over and over and over again, because we will run out of people,” he tells Adams. Adams’ conversation with Mandeville is featured on the Dec. 10 episode of the Montana Lowdown podcast.

Montana Free Press editor Brad Tyer has watched the news business evolve throughout his three-decade career in commercial and nonprofit journalism. “Support for news-gathering organizations — the model has changed,” Tyer tells Lowdown podcast host John S. Adams, his new boss. “But ultimately, a news-gathering organization has got to be supported by people who value the news-gathering.” A longtime editor of the weekly Missoula Independent, Tyer had a hand in hiring and mentoring several up-and-coming Montana reporters, including Adams, who joined the Independent staff in 2005. Tyer edited the Indy from 2002 to 2007, and again from 2016 through 2018, having written a book about environmental justice in Montana and worked as an editor at the Texas Observer in the interim. He found himself “underemployed” when the Independent was closed in 2018. The timing turned out to be fortuitous. After a brief stint editing MTFP stories on contract from Missoula, he moved to Helena in August to join the growing MTFP staff full time, assigning and editing stories from staff and freelance reporters and developing editorial strategies for the future. He’s also taken on the role of coordinating a statewide reporting collaboration among Montana newsrooms in partnership with the Montana Newspaper Association and the Solutions Journalism Network. The project, titled Graying Pains: Challenges and Opportunities in the West’s Oldest State, will debut in early 2020.  Tyer’s pivot from editor to guest on the Lowdown podcast lets listeners eavesdrop on a conversation between longtime friends and colleagues about the importance of building mutually supportive relationships between readers and newsrooms and the daily rewards of finding new ways to thrive in a business being forced to reinvent itself.

State Sen. Al Olszewski, R-Kalispell, served one term in the Montana House and two terms in the Montana Senate. Now he’s hoping to move into the governor’s office.  Olszewski, an orthopedic surgeon, is in a three-way Republican primary against U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte and two-term Attorney General Tim Fox.  One early poll shows Olszewski trailing both Gianforte and Fox with six months to go before the June 2, 2020 primary election. But Olszewski is convinced there are still plenty of undecided Republican voters, and says he has no intention of exiting the race, despite rumors suggesting he might drop out to become Gianforte’s running mate. “There are a lot of people that are spectating. I don’t have that viewpoint. I’m in the arena. I’m fighting for governor,” Olszewski says. “I’m in this game to win it. I am not going to peel off and become arm candy for Congressman Gianforte.” Olszewski is a staunch opponent of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai water compact, and during his interview on the Montana Lowdown podcast this week, he issued a warning to Montana’s Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines. Daines recently visited the Flathead Valley with U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, who indicated that the Trump administration supports the compact settlement.  “This is a very divisive, and very decisive issue in western Montana,” Olszewski says. “This is taking the water from 350,000 Montanans and giving it to a third party of 5,300.”  Olszewski also says Republican voters in western Montana will express their displeasure about the compact at the ballot box. “We’re going to tell Sen. Daines we’re unhappy, but how he’s going to find out is whether they vote for him or not in a general election,” Olszewski says. “So he has to make a decision: does he want to turn away the votes of western Montana, or does he want their support? He can decide.”  On this week’s podcast, Olszewski discusses his legislative experience, the CSKT water compact, his 2020 primary campaign, and more.

Billings native Dr. Peter Miller says chances are good that Montana will gain a second U.S. congressional seat following the 2020 Census. Miller, a researcher at the Brennan Center For Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute at the New York University School of Law, has spent his career studying redistricting, voting, and elections. The United States reapportions its 435 congressional seats every 10 years on the basis of state population. While seven states could conceivably gain a seat after 2020, Miller says a variety of calculation methods point to a consistent conclusion: Montana getting a second congressional seat for the first time since the 1990s, when it lost its second seat following the 1990 Census. Miller says that as a result of steady population gains in the state, Montana’s Rep. Greg Gianforte now represents “the largest congressional district in the country.” The potential for a second seat in the Congress brings both opportunity and risk for both political parties in Montana. As Miller explains, “Every 10 years we have this moment where we adjust district lines for the purposes of accounting for population shifts. However, it’s also a means by which legislative majorities have a potential to lock themselves into power for the next 10 years.” Miller describes how this potential can differ from state to state: After a 1964 U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowed states to administer their own internal legislative boundaries, some states continued to do so via their state legislatures. Montana, however, was one of the first states to transfer the duty to a non-legislative redistricting commission, a change adopted at the state’s 1972 Constitutional Convention. The state’s Districting and Apportionment Commission consists of five members, with majority and minority members of the state House and Senate appointing one member each. Those four members collectively elect a fifth presiding officer. The commission oversees legislative boundaries for both federal and state legislatures. The process of redistricting has grown highly contentious in recent years, with battles playing out in state courts and the U.S. Supreme Court. Miller traveled the country as part of his doctoral dissertation, attending numerous redistricting-related court hearings to gain insight into the various ways states address the issue, and the extent to which citizens might influence the process. Miller talked with Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams during a Nov. 14 interview for the Montana Lowdown podcast.

Simms rancher and U.S. House candidate Matt Rains says his military service, diverse career arc, and global travels give him a unique vantage from which to address challenges facing Montana and the country at large. As Rains tells Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams, “I can speak for the agriculture, I can speak for the energy sector, I can speak for the military.” Asked whether he could work on those issues from a seat in the state Legislature, Rains — who has no prior legislative experience — says he was advised by state Democratic leadership that he would make a compelling candidate in the U.S. House race. “My voice, I feel, is absolutely best utilized at the national scale,” he says. A former West Point cadet who flew Black Hawk helicopters in South Korea and Iraq, Rains later traveled the world as a photographer, documenting humanitarian crises in Kenya, Afghanistan, and Myanmar. After returning to the U.S., he put his engineering degree to use inspecting coal and gas plants for a national energy company.  Rains returned to Montana in 2018 to help his mother run the family ranch. When Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte announced he would seek the governorship instead of running for re-election to Montana’s sole U.S. House seat, Rains said, he saw an opportunity to put his professional experiences to use in congress. As a Montana native who grew up watching his parents raise quarter horses and cattle, Rains says the primary reason he’s running for congress is to help ensure that farming and ranching remain viable options for future generations of Montanans. “We have to find a way to make sure that ranchers and farmers can prosper on the ranch, otherwise rural Montana’s going to just vanish,” he tells Adams.  To that end, Rains stresses the need for rural broadband, statewide cellular coverage, and country-of-origin labeling to help make Montana farmers and ranchers globally competitive. “There hasn’t been somebody in the House that has really been a champion for agriculture, on either party, for a while,” Rains says. Republican House candidate Joe Dooling is also campaigning on an ag-centric platform.   Rains is in a three-way primary for the Democratic nomination with 2018 nominee Kathleen Williams and state Rep. Tom Winter of Missoula. Rains’ conversation with Adams, in which he also discusses energy, climate change, health care, and rural brain drain, is featured on this week’s Montana Lowdown podcast.      

Growing up on the Flathead Indian Reservation, Shane Morigeau says, he experienced firsthand the depredations of predatory insurance and securities scams on the sick, the poor, and the systemically marginalized. Morigeau began his advocacy on behalf of those victims first as a lobbyist and attorney representing the reservation, and later in the House, where he has represented residents of northwestern Missoula’s House District 95 since the 2017 session. Morigeau is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for state auditor, also known as commissioner of securities and insurance, the top official tasked with overseeing the insurance and securities industries in Montana. In a new interview with Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams, Morigeau draws a contrast between himself and the two Republican candidates in the race, describing commercial real estate business owner Troy Downing as “a multi-millionaire and self-funded,” and Nelly Nicol as “an insurance industry insider.” Morigeau also levels criticism at current state auditor and Republican U.S. House candidate Matt Rosendale, telling Adams, “[O]ne of the things that the auditor’s office did the last session was let the funding for several [department] jobs fizzle out.” Rosendale requested a $650,000 cut in funding for his office during the 2019 session. “I envision the auditor’s office being a watchdog consumer protection agency, where it’s going after bad-faith actors and holding them accountable,” Morigeau tells Adams. “I want to be proactive. I actually want to go out and keep people … updated as to what the current schemes are.” Morigeau says he didn’t necessarily identify with one party or another in his younger days, but chose to run for state representative in 2016 as a Democrat because he saw mostly Democratic lawmakers supporting the issues important to his community.  In 2019, Morigeau worked with House colleague Rep. Rae Peppers and state senators Frank Smith, Jason Small, and Fred Thomas to pass a package of bills aimed at combating the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous people in Montana, garnering mostly bipartisan support. Morigeau’s conversation with Adams is featured on the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

Joe Dooling sees a narrow path to securing the Republican nomination for the 2020 general election for Montana’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. While he acknowledges he’s in for an uphill battle against several primary opponents who have previously held statewide offices, he also says he thinks GOP voters are becoming wary of Republican churn, and he takes aim at primary opponents State Auditor Matt Rosendale and Secretary of State Corey Stapleton for shifting their campaign sights from their incumbent offices to the House race.   Dooling’s comments came during a late-October conversation with Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams on the Montana Lowdown podcast. Dooling, a former chairman of the Lewis & Clark County Republican Central Committee, tells Adams, “[A]ll the money we raised in a two-year period of time, we spent to help get the Republicans elected to the [state] land board. And for all those guys to abandon ship in the middle, I just don’t think they should be rewarded for that behavior.” Both Rosendale and Stapleton currently serve on the land board, along with fellow Republicans Attorney General Tim Fox and Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen. Gov. Steve Bullock is the sole Democrat on the board, which administers Montana’s state-owned lands for the benefit of the public school system. Arntzen is the only board member campaigning as an incumbent in 2020, and is currently running in an unopposed primary against lone Democratic challenger Melissa Romano. All other current board members are campaigning for new offices, creating an opportunity for a significant land board shake-up after the general election. Dooling says his political ambition stops at the House seat, telling Adams, “I don’t have the desire to be the governor, I don’t have the desire to be a senator. I’m just going to be the congressman, and when I’m done being a congressman, I’m going to go back to the farm that Julie and I built in the Helena valley.” Dooling’s wife, Julie, is a Republican state representative serving House District 70. The 2019 session marked her first term in the Legislature. Dooling also criticizes the Rosendale campaign for benefitting from spending by out-of-state PACs including Club For Growth, and notes that the majority of recent campaign contributions to Rosendale come from outside the state, which FEC filings confirm.  “We have somebody from out of state, who moved here, getting out-of-state money, trying to represent Montana, and I think the Montana voters are going to see through that,” Dooling says.  A farmer and rancher from Helena, Dooling grew up watching his family labor to get their agricultural products into global markets. Today he supports President Donald Trump’s global trade policies and likens the process of implementing them to surgery, saying “a little bit of pain” now could result in a future in which Montana farmers have an increased ability to sell commodities in foreign markets. Dooling says, “I support what Trump is doing, because we have to get this level playing field … I know from a stockgrower’s point of view, from a farm bureau point of view, free and unrestricted access to trade is what we’re looking for.” Dooling went on to discuss a range of topics with Adams, weighing in on the congressional impeachment inquiry, Syria, the coming impacts of automation, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes water compact, climate change, and more.

It was a Helena reunion last week when Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams sat down with filmmaker Kimberly Reed to discuss their involvement in Reed’s 2018 documentary film, Dark Money. Their conversation is the latest installment of the Montana Lowdown podcast, a weekly production of Montana Free Press. Reed says she was drawn to the topic of dark money in politics after watching the state of Montana mount a defense of its century-old prohibition on corporate political spending against the Supreme Court’s controversial Citizens United ruling in 2010, which effectively overturned the state law. Reed spent six years making the film, which focuses much of its attention on her home state of Montana. The film illustrates the influence of untraceable corporate money on Montana elections in an era of diminished watchdog journalism, and features Adams as a reporter investigating the issue. The film was shortlisted for the Academy Awards in 2019. The issue gained prominence during Montana’s 2008-2012 election cycles, when a scandal involving dark money groups, including the American Tradition Partnership and Montana Citizens for Right To Work, ensnared nine Republican candidates in an investigation into campaign finance violations. Allegations of dark money coordination have continued to dog both Republican and Democratic candidates. As Reed tells Adams, “I felt like Montana was the canary in the coal mine when it came to some of these tactics that were being used. But you know what? The canary lived.” Reed adds, “You can’t have a healthy democracy unless you have a healthy fourth estate, unless you have healthy watchdog journalism that is holding power accountable.” Much of Dark Money focuses on a paper trail of postcard mailers that were sent to Montana voters sharing disparaging — and sometimes dishonest — remarks about challengers to candidates supported by the dark money groups. Reed notes that this paper trail is notably absent from today’s political disinformation campaigns, which are largely waged online. She tells Adams, “One of the reasons that we were able to tell the story that we did in Dark Money is because there was this physical evidence … One of the things that’s scariest about how democracy is being thwarted today is because it’s really hard to track those digital ads.” Reed continues to be involved in campaign finance transparency and watchdog journalism issues through the film’s social media outreach, and via national speaking engagements promoting the film. Dark Money has garnered a number of awards and accolades, most recently as one of five films to earn the 2019 Silver Gavel Award for Media and the Arts, an annual honor awarded by the American Bar Association.

Democratic state Rep. Tom Winter says his 2018 win in a historically conservative Montana House district resulted not from partisan appeals, but from knocking on doors, listening to constituents’ concerns, and promising to represent those concerns in the state Legislature. Winter now hopes to ride that same strategy all the way to Washington, D.C., where he wants to serve as Montana’s lone voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. Winter recently interviewed on the Montana Lowdown podcast, where the candidate spoke with host John S. Adams about his belief that attempts to categorize Montana voters as urban or rural, liberal or conservative, serve only to benefit the powerful. Winter says his 2018 election suggests that Montana voters care more about issues than about ideology, asking Adams, “Does anyone think that the government’s doing very well right now? Do we feel that we’re in a position of strength as a state, or as Americans? Because I certainly don’t feel that way.” Winter unseated incumbent Republican Rep. Adam Hertz by 39 votes in the 2018 race for House District 96, which covers most of the Frenchtown area west of Missoula. Winter went on to introduce a relatively large list of 23 bills during his freshman session, addressing a variety of issues including health care, minimum wage, mobile home tenancy, and marijuana legalization, among others. He’s now set his sights on Montana’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, and he makes it clear that while he’s eager to weigh in on issues including public lands, corporate tax breaks, and the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, he sees the most pressing need for his voice in Congress in the formation of a plan to deliver health care to all Americans. “We need to have a champion for rural and underserved communities and make sure that they are involved in the health care decisions coming up,” Winter says. Winter also talks about his experience as an EMT, and watching his sister grapple with the health insurance system while navigating her diagnosis with a chronic medical condition. Winter is one of three Democrats vying for the party’s nomination. Three-term state representative and U.S. House candidate Kathleen Williams was a recent guest on the Montana Lowdown, and both candidates are competing with Simms rancher and political newcomer Matt Raines. The Republican primary includes Secretary of State Corey Stapleton, former state Republican Party chair Debra Lamm, State Auditor Matt Rosendale, rancher and Lewis and Clark County GOP Central Committee chairman Joe Dooling, and Corvallis School District Superintendent Tim Johnson. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte has opted not to stand for re-election, choosing instead to run for governor.

“How does our economy look? Is it what we want it to be? Can we identify aspects that we’re concerned about?” These are some of the questions Montana Free Press reporter Eric Dietrich set out to answer when analyzing projections from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, which has just released its 10-year outlook for 2018 to 2028. The state anticipates tens of thousands of annual job openings, Dietrich says, “but how many of them are actually good jobs?”  Dietrich has reported for Montana Free Press since 2018, when he came on to develop his Long Streets economic reporting project, in which he uses data and visualization tools to provide a detailed look at Montana’s economic future through a variety of lenses. Dietrich’s latest story, called “What Jobs May Come,” examines state economists’ forecasts for job openings, wages, and job turnover in Montana in the coming decade. The numbers show an earnings gap between workers with higher education and those without, and suggest that while a limited number of manufacturing jobs should continue to offer good opportunities for employees without a college degree, there may be more lucrative employment in the trades. “I think if you can get into a training program that prepares you to be an electrician or a plumber or a boilermaker, you can make a decent living,” Dietrich says. “You know, electricians make a better wage than half the college-degree fields we’re talking about here.”

In an interview on the Montana Lowdown podcast this week, Democratic U.S. House candidate Kathleen Williams responded to charges by Republican House candidate Debra Lamm that Williams is “too extreme for Montana” and supports “Medicare for all.”  “I think what that says is that they’re very nervous,” Williams said. “If they want to paint me with labels into a box that I don’t fit in, it just shows that they’re concerned that I’m really the right fit for Montana.” Williams, a former three-term Montana state representative who began serving in 2011, is campaigning a second time for the state’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She tried unsuccessfully to unseat incumbent (and current gubernatorial candidate) Greg Gianforte in 2018, after surprising many observers by winning the Democratic primary despite being significantly outspent by opponents Grant Kier and John Heenan. Her 24,000-vote general-election deficit against Gianforte was regarded by some as a success in its own right, as Williams came closer to unseating a Republican House incumbent than any Montana Democrat in nearly 20 years. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has put the current race for Montana’s U.S. House seat on its “Battleground Map,” meaning the committee considers the race competitive. Williams talked with Lowdown host John S. Adams about her career in natural resource management, her legislative accomplishments, and her hope of helping fill a policy-making void in a Congress she criticized as “showing no leadership on thorny issues, whether it’s health care, or immigration, or international economic policy.”  Williams also shared her top congressional priorities, including a health-care plan that would give people over the age of 55 the option of buying into Medicare, and spurring new economic growth via innovative agricultural activity in Montana. In addition to Williams, the Democratic primary includes Missoula state Rep. Tom Winter and rancher Matt Rains. The Republican primary includes former chair of the state Republican Party Lamm, Secretary of State Corey Stapleton, State Auditor Matt Rosendale, rancher and Lewis and Clark County GOP Central Committee chairman Joe Dooling, and Corvallis School District Superintendent Tim Johnson.

This week’s episode of the Montana Lowdown podcast features an interview with Republican candidate for the U.S. House and current Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton. He and Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams discuss topics including Stapleton’s path into politics, his work as secretary of state, elections security, and his vision for Montana’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Stapleton grew up in the latter part of the Cold War era, and says he considered it his patriotic duty to enlist in the U.S. Navy — a duty that developed into political aspirations after campaigning for Republican presidential hopeful Bob Dole in the mid-1990s. Stapleton was elected to the Montana Senate in 2000, and was termed-out of office in 2008. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2012, and for the U.S. House in 2014, before being elected secretary of state in 2016, as elections security became a prominent national issue. Stapleton says that he’s proud of his work safeguarding Montana’s election systems, and shares an anecdote about receiving a report from Gov. Bullock’s office regarding a spike in activity on a backup power supply for the state’s elections system associated with IP addresses in Ukraine. He also sees a pressing need to address economic threats from China. Stapleton says the current trade wars are emblematic of a global shift toward protectionism, and adds that he thinks free-market capitalism is key to addressing global issues like the warming climate and poverty. Says Stapleton, “We’re trying to find a way to be a constitutional republic, keep our sovereignty, [and] at the same time, as a Republican, try to embrace free markets, which is kind of the opposite of that, right? You’re not supposed to tell people who to buy stuff from, and so it’s a balance.” He also posits a distinction between Republican and Democratic appeals to voters via populist sentiment, telling Adams, “We forget that it is capitalism, not socialism, that’s the most beneficial force in the history of the world. It’s the only system that brings the most people out of poverty, and so America should continue to be that beacon.” Elsewhere in the interview, Stapleton is critical of the current U.S. Congress, and makes his case for why he believes he’s the best candidate to represent Montanans in the House.  “I have never seen a more disappointing, dysfunctional United States Congress than exists now,” he says. “Montana still wants a common-sense conservative, fiscally conservative, congressman. We want someone who supports agriculture and energy, understands our way of life, shares our values, shows good judgment in dealing with leadership decisions, and I think that I’m that candidate.” Stapleton had previously announced his candidacy in the Montana governor’s race, but pivoted to the House race shortly after incumbent U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte announced he would not seek reelection, opting instead to enter the governor’s race.  Stapleton is now campaigning in a Republican primary that includes State Auditor Matt Rosendale, former state GOP party chair Debra Lamm, rancher and Lewis and Clark County GOP Central Committee chair Joe Dooling, and Corvallis School District Superintendent Tim Johnson. The Democatic primary candidates for the House seat are former state Rep. Kathleen Williams, Missoula state Rep. Tom Winter, and rancher Matt Rains.

In this week’s Montana Lowdown podcast, we interview Dr. Steven Running, who contributed research to a 2004 report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. An international body of the United Nations, the IPCC is composed of scientists and other experts working to assess the science of climate change. The panel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, and its work helped inform former Vice President Al Gore’s book and film “An Inconvenient Truth.” Running, Professor Emeritus of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences at the University of Montana and a former NASA scientist, shares an outlook on the subject that’s sobering but measured. Drawing on decades of research, Running views the changing climate as a global challenge that’s urgent, but manageable. He tells Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams it bothers him when the press reports “things like, ‘We have until 2030 to fix this, and if not it’s too late.’ Because in reality, there’s no single threshold of when we’re over the edge … This is a big problem. It’s going to basically pervade the world for the coming century, and the sooner we get to work, the better it’ll be.” Running says he sees immediate opportunities to address the crisis, both globally and in Montana. And he pushes back on claims that favorable local weather is proof that climate change fears are unfounded.  “The day will come when there’ll be a reckoning for everybody on this …,” Running says. “This is a long, long term dynamic, and it isn’t going to turn bad or good in just a year or two. It’s going to be over decades and decades.” This Montana Lowdown podcast is published in conjunction with a week-long international journalistic effort to maximize coverage of the climate crisis in the lead-up to the United Nations Climate Summit on Sept. 23 in New York City. You can follow more climate reporting from around the world with the hashtag #coveringclimatenow on social media.

This week Montana Free Press continues its ongoing coverage of the lead-up to the 2020 elections with an interview with Mayor Wilmot Collins of Helena. Collins joined host John S. Adams to discuss his emigration from Liberia to the United States, starting a new life in Montana, his current role as mayor of the state capital, and his campaign for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican incumbent Steve Daines for a seat in the United States Senate. Collins emigrated to Montana in 1994 as a refugee after a bloody civil war broke out in his home country of Liberia. Over the course of the next two and a half decades, he and his family have made a new life for themselves in Helena. Collins tells Adams about having to flee Liberia once war broke out, saying, “Within a matter of two weeks we were homeless, walking the streets and starving." Collins and his wife, Maddie, later found temporary refuge in a small village in Ghana. But Maddie, who had studied in the United States as an exchange student, told her husband, 'I think we can do better … Let’s go to Montana.’" Collins said his decision to run against four-term incumbent Helena mayor Jim Smith in 2016 was the logical next step in a career dedicated to serving the state that gave his family a fresh start. He ran, and won, in a year when Donald Trump carried the state by more than 20 points, and he cites his victory as evidence that Montanans are independent thinkers and voters. Collins has been treading the campaign trail statewide, and says his would-be constituents understand how Trump’s trade wars are affecting Montanans, telling Adams, “The people are aware that the tariffs are hurting Montana, and they are also aware that taxpayers are giving them the subsidy that the federal government is giving [back]. So they know that China is not … hurting the country, but we are hurting ourselves.” Collins also takes Daines to task over a perceived lack of accessibility to voters, saying, “[Daines] is not meeting with the people of Montana, he’s not listening to their issues. … And when you see the senator run from his constituents, it’s concerning.” Daines was elected to office in 2014 after serving a single term in the House of Representatives, and is now in an uncontested primary for re-election. Collins faces two Democratic primary opponents: engineer and Navy veteran John Mues of Loma, and author Jack Ballard of Red Lodge.

Montana Free Press continues its coverage of the state attorney general’s race with an interview with Republican candidate and current Roosevelt County attorney Austin Knudsen. Knudsen talked to Montana Free Press founder and Montana Lowdown host John S. Adams on Aug. 22. Knudsen represented House District 34 for four sessions starting in 2011. In 2014, he was elected as the youngest-ever speaker of the House at a time when his caucus was in the midst of a long-standing ideological divide that continues to this day.  Knudsen’s House term ended in 2017, and rather than pursue a seat in the state Senate, Knudsen ran for Roosevelt County attorney, a job to which voters elected him in 2018. Now, after six months in that position, Knudsen has his sights set on the attorney general’s office.  Said Knudsen: “I think this is an office that needs aggressive conservative leadership. I don’t think we’ve had that for the last eight years. I really don’t think [Republican candidate] Jon Bennion will bring that into the attorney general’s office, either.” Knudsen asserts that while the nation grapples with an epidemic of opioid addiction, it’s methamphetamine that is wreaking havoc across rural Montana. He says he doesn’t believe the current attorney general, Republican Tim Fox, nor Fox’s chief deputy, Bennion, have done enough to curb the flow of meth from the southern border.  “I do think the attorney general’s office can do a lot more to address the crime problem in Montana, because there is one,” Knudsen said “It all comes back to the meth epidemic that’s here in Montana … This meth is destroying our communities, it’s destroying families, and it’s all coming through that southern border because it’s unsecured.” This is the fourth Montana Lowdown interview covering the attorney general’s race. Adams previously interviewed Deputy Attorney General Bennion; Democrat and Gov. Bullock’s chief legal counsel Raph Graybill; and Missoula attorney and four-term Democratic state Rep. Kimberly Dudik. A third Democratic candidate, Kalispell attorney James Cossitt, has also entered the race.

The Montana Department of Justice’s Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force held its second meeting in Great Falls on Saturday, Aug. 10, and Montana Free Press founder John S. Adams interviewed task force members Deputy Attorney General Melissa Schlichting and Ellie Bundy McLeod of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to discuss the results of that meeting, the formation of the task force, and plans moving forward. Montana’s Indian Country is in the midst of an epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous people, mostly women and girls. The Billings Gazette reports that more than two dozen indigenous women went missing in Montana in 2018, and indigenous women nationwide are being killed or trafficked at rates much higher than the non-Indian national average. In the last legislative session, lawmakers passed a series of bills aimed at untangling jurisdictional conflicts, developing reporting guidelines, and creating a central repository for data on missing and murdered indigenous people. “I think the problems have always been there,” McLeod said. “We don’t have the data so much, but we do have the stories … It’s the combination maybe of the drugs, the domestic violence, the runaways. There are just so many things happening, but I don’t think we can blame any one thing.” One of the Montana bills, Senate Bill 312, created the Looping In Native Communities, or LINC, Act, authorizing Attorney General Tim Fox to appoint a statewide Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Task Force. The new task force includes representatives from each Indian tribe in the state, the attorney general’s office, and law enforcement. Schlichting said, “One of the main directives to the task force is to determine what the scope of the missing indigenous persons issue is within the state of Montana, to specifically identify any jurisdictional barriers that exist … so that we can all better address the missing persons in Montana.” The task force’s third meeting is scheduled for Sept. 27 in Billings, and will be open to the public. Schlichting and McLeod shared with Montana Free Press a list of additional events, resources, and advice for anyone looking to get involved.

Montana Federation of Public Employees President Eric Feaver sat down with John S. Adams last week to discuss his career in the public sector labor movement. Feaver began his union leadership when he became president of the Montana Education Association in 1984. He continued in that role when MEA merged with the Montana Federation of Teachers in 2000, and again when MEA-MFT joined with the Montana Public Employees Association in 2018. The newly formed MFPE now represents nearly 25,000 members, constituting one of the most professionally diverse public unions in the nation, representing teachers, health-care workers, highway patrol officers, wildlife biologists, and more. Feaver acknowledges the challenges of representing such a diverse group, but he says his principles haven’t changed, and he gauges legislative opportunities according to how they will impact his whole constituency, in both the short and long term. And he says he’s encouraged by a recent uptick in bipartisanship that has led to legislation public sector employees can get behind. Referring to his position on a public preschool bill, Feaver asks, “Is this a public good that creates a social compact where folks belong to each other and know that the future depends on how well we deliver? ...These are the things that matter, and we can make that happen together a whole lot better than if we are sitting at different tables, arguing our own specific point of view, without caring about how it impacts the guy at the other table. I mean, you can’t really operate in a vacuum like you’re the only game in town.” Feaver was a vocal opponent of HB 755, a failed bill sponsored by Rep. Eric Moore, R-Miles City, that would have created additional funding for public preschool in Montana, a goal long pursued by Feaver and Democrats alike. Feaver says he opposed the bill because it would have also created public funding for private schools. Feaver says the 2019 session was ultimately his most successful: “This last legislature may well have been the best legislature in which I have ever lobbied. … And I attribute that to just some good collaboration, bipartisan effort, between Democrats and the Solutions [Caucus] Republicans. And so we will do everything we can to reward Solutions Republicans in their effort to be re-elected to the legislature.” He also says there’s an “anti-union animus” developing in the country, and in Montana, and that ongoing efforts by anti-union forces to pass so-called right to work legislation, coupled with recent high-profile court cases, threaten to undermine unions and public education. In 2018, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling in Janus v. AFSCME that effectively reversed 41 years of precedent by holding that public unions can not compel non-union members to pay fees for union activity. The court has also agreed to hear Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue in its next session; that case could decide whether private schools can be supported by public tax dollars. Feaver noted that he endorses Democratic candidate Melissa Romano for state superintendent of public instruction in the 2020 election. Both Romano and her Republican opponent, incumbent Elsie Arntzen, were recent guests on the Montana Lowdown.

Montana Senate President Scott Sales, R-Bozeman, was a guest on the MT Lowdown podcast last week, where he discussed with Montana Free Press founder John S. Adams his 16 years in the Montana Legislature, his prior professional experiences in computer technology and agriculture, and his current candidacy for Montana secretary of state. Sales is the only Montana lawmaker to have served as both speaker of the House and president of the Senate. A self-described constitutional Republican, Sales is a reliably staunch conservative with a reputation for opposing government spending and shooting straight. Democrats occupied the governor’s office throughout Sales’ legislative career, and the Republican caucuses he led were often divided — sometimes bitterly — between more conservative lawmakers such as Sales and more moderate Republicans who were willing to compromise with Democrats to pass legislation. Reflecting on his years in the state capitol, Sales said, “I thought that ... the Republicans would be more conservative-minded like myself, and it turned out I was quite a bit to the right of most of my caucus members. … I wanted to make some huge changes and coerce some of my moderate brethren into maybe thinking the way I did. That’s not the way the place works. … A mature individual learns what you can get done, and what you can’t get done, in your environment.” Now seeking the job of the state’s top elections official, Sales calls the right to vote “a cornerstone of the foundation of the country,” and says that our state’s voting systems require a “fine balance” between integrity and flexibility.  The secretary of state also occupies one of five seats on the State Land Board. When considering his potential seat on the board, Sales noted that “There’s a constitutional obligation for us to maximize the amount of benefit financially from those lands for the benefit of the schools,” adding, “We can develop our resources … in an environmentally friendly fashion.” Sales went on to say that while he does accept that climate change is happening, he also believes that “It is not confirmed science that man-made climate change is upon us.” Sales will be termed out of the Senate in 2020, and is running in the Republican primary against Rep. Forrest Mandeville (HD 57). Democratic challenger Sen. Bryce Bennett (SD 50) is running unopposed, and discussed his candidacy on a recent episode of MT Lowdown.

Democratic candidate for superintendent of public instruction Melissa Romano sat down with host John S. Adams to discuss her views on school choice, modern teaching tools, civics and media literacy, teacher retention and mental health, and more. A Montana native with more than 15 years of experience teaching in Montana public schools, Romano has earned state and national accolades for her work in the classroom, and was named the 2017 teacher of the year by the Montana Professional Teaching Foundation. Romano has a particular interest in early education, and said, “We have to be investing in kids at an early age. ... The research is there that shows when we invest in our early learners, the end result is a strong economy.” This is Romano's second bid for the superintendent position. Romano lost to Republican Elsie Arntzen in 2016 by a 3% margin, despite support from statewide education and labor organizations. Arntzen became the first Republican to hold the office since 1988. Arntzen was a recent guest on Montana Lowdown, where she discussed her work at OPI, her prior legislative experience, and her previous career as an educator in Montana. Arntzen recently made headlines when she expressed support for school choice in Montana, and again when she pushed back against proposed rule changes that would have led to statewide lead testing in Montana public schools. Romano was critical of Arntzen's position on school choice, as well as the incumbent’s neutrality regarding three education-related bills that came before the 2019 Legislature. House Bill 387 expanded personalized career and technical education opportunities while reducing out-of-pocket expenditures for families, and was passed by a vote of 33-16; Senate Bill 92 revised laws related to school safety and was passed with near-unanimous support; House Bill 303 would have eliminated compulsory enrollment requirements, thereby making it easier for parents to opt their children out of school (the bill died in process).  Says Romano, “I hear Ms. Arntzen talk about putting students first. But as the leader of public instruction, when you don’t show up to oppose bills that would completely dismantle public education, when you don’t show up to support bills that would create opportunities and better education for all Montana students, that’s not putting Montana students first, it’s putting them dead last.” Both Romano and Arnzten are currently campaigning in uncontested primaries for their parties' nominations in 2020.

In this week's podcast, freelance journalist and former wildland firefighter Amanda Eggert joins us from Bozeman to discuss her recent three-part series for Montana Free Press, Living With Fire. While the 2019 fire season is off to a slow start due to unseasonably cool and wet weather, the city of Helena is watching as firefighters battle the North Hills fire, which has burned more than 4,000 acres and prompted the evacuation of more than 400 homes. Eggert's series explores the evolution of wildfire suppression, the role land-use planning can play in limiting property damage from wildfire, and the rise of the private firefighting industry. Says Eggert, “There’s an economic inequality aspect to [the private firefighting industry], where essentially wealthy people with disposable cash can better protect their homes and properties from fire than people who rely on public agencies.” Readers can find Amanda’s Living With Fire series by visiting montanafreepress.org and clicking on the “News” tab at the top of the page.

Montana Free Press Editor-in-Chief John Adams sat down last week with Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen for a wide-ranging discussion on the Montana Lowdown Podcast about growing concerns over lead in the drinking water of Montana public schools, Title 1 funding, school choice, and President Trump’s rollback of key provisions of President Obama’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In one of his first actions as president, Donald Trump, with the help of House and Senate Republicans, rolled back key provisions of ESSA, the 2015 education law that replaced George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act.  Arntzen says that while she supported ESSA, she also supporters less government regulation of schools and current moves toward taxpayer funding for private schools. Says Arntzen: “Why would anybody want a top-down law that’s going to have compliance measures to that? Nobody wants a student to fail. ... School choice ... is a flexibility for a student. ... It’s a consumer choice of what you do with your money before it’s taxed. ... If I want to say, ‘I want to spend my money here, or spend my money there,’ the state should have no authority on what that should be.” Montana Free Press Editor-in-Chief John Adams sat down last week with Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen for a wide-ranging discussion about growing concerns over lead in the drinking water of Montana public schools, Title 1 funding, school choice, and President Trump’s rollback of key provisions of President Obama’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In one of his first actions as president, Donald Trump, with the help of House and Senate Republicans, rolled back key provisions of ESSA, the 2015 education law that replaced George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act. Arntzen said that while she supports ESSA, she also supports less government regulation of schools and current moves toward taxpayer funding for private schools.  “Why would anybody want a top-down law that’s going to have compliance measures to that? Nobody wants a student to fail,” Arntzen told Adams on the podcast. “School choice ... is a flexibility for a student. ... It’s a consumer choice of what you do with your money before it’s taxed. ... If I want to say, ‘I want to spend my money here, or spend my money there,’ the state should have no authority on what that should be.” Arntzen recently made headlines when she sparred with state health officials over proposed new rules aimed at dealing with lead in the drinking water of Montana schools. Arntzen said her decision to push back against the changes was grounded in her objection to the process by which they were proposed.  “Patience is going to be needed for this,” Arntzen said. “We are going to be pressing for this in front of interim committees before the Legislature comes again in 2021. ... The Office of Public Instruction and other stakeholders, education advocates, were not even invited to the table in a broad, meaningful discussion. ... That’s not good government, that is not transparent government.” Arntzen also discussed her prior career as an educator, her six terms in the Montana state Legislature, and her current campaign for re-election against Democratic opponent Melissa Romano. Arntzen defeated Romano in the 2016 race for the office of public instruction by a margin of 3.3 percent, becoming the first Republican to hold the office since 1988. Arntzen also discussed her prior career as an educator, her six terms in the Montana state Legislature, and her current campaign for re-election against Democratic opponent Melissa Romano. Arntzen defeated Romano in the 2016 race for the office of public instruction by a margin of 3.3 percent, becoming the first Republican to hold the office since 1988.

The Montana Democratic Party held its Officers and Rules Convention in Helena July 12-13, and journalist Alex Sakariassen and Montana Public Radio capital reporter Corin Cates-Carney were there to cover all the action as the 2020 election season gets underway.  One key takeaway was the party's ambition to reconnect with rural voters in Montana. Another was an emphasis on crafting a message that will appeal to both the party base and independent voters who feel disenfranchised by Donald Trump but are turned off by the so-called liberal resistance.