2020 MONTANA VOTER’S GUIDE This Voter’s Guide is published by Yellowstone Newspapers as a special supplement for the following papers: Big Horn County News, Big Timber Pioneer, Carbon County News, Dillon Tribune, Forsyth Independent Press, Glendive Ranger-Review, Judith Basin Press, Laurel Outlook, Lewistown News-Argus, The Livingston Enterprise, Miles City Star, Stillwater County News, Terry Tribune. All articles are written by student reporters for the Community News Service at the University of Montana’s School of Journalism. 2 2020 State Voter's Guide 2020 State Voter's Guide 3 Vote NO on LR-130 Confusing. Poorly Written. Unconstitutional. LR-130 would overturn local laws that have been working for 130 years, removing our freedom to make local decisions. Please join the growing number of Montanans rejecting this unnecessary, unenforceable measure on your November ballot. “I’ve seen a lot of bad laws out of Helena. LR-130 is the worst. It’s poorly written and unconstitutional. It takes away our freedom to make local decisions. That sure doesn’t work for us. Vote NO on LR-130.” – Brud Smith, Rancher, Boulder, Montana “In Montana, we trust local citizens to decide how to keep our communities safe. As a mayor, I know LR-130 takes this freedom away. Protect our freedoms, and join me in voting NO on LR-130.” – Sandra Jones, Mayor, Roundup, Montana “I took an oath to protect my country and the 2nd amendment. LR-130 makes a mess of our gun laws. It’s poorly-written, unenforceable, and unconstitutional. Keep Montana gun laws the way they are. Vote NO on LR-130.” – Quint Nyman, Marine Corps Veteran Learn more: NoLR130.com Paid for by Vote No on LR-130, Erik Burke, Treasurer | PO Box 1622 | Helena, MT 59624 4 2020 State Voter's Guide GOVERNOR RACE Campaign for Governor Highlights Different Visions for Montana’s Future By Bella Butler “I was given a pretty darn good to rely on personal responsibility, not Bozeman-based RightNow for $1.5 bil- Community News Service Montana, and I want to make sure we government mandates,” Gianforte lion in 2011. Gianforte, a former resi- UM School of Journalism hand off an even better Montana to said during the Helena event. He went dent of New Jersey, made his first the next generations,” he said in an on to joke about a man he met in Col- political debut in Montana when he This year’s campaign for governor interview. strip that asked him if he was shaking narrowly lost the 2016 gubernatorial pits two candidates with very differ- Unlike Gianforte, Cooney’s better hands. “Buddy, I’ll give you a hug if race to Bullock. He followed defeat ent impressions of how Montana is Montana isn’t achieved by cutting reg- you want it!” he said he told him. with a win in Montana’s special elec- doing and what should be done to tion for Congress in 2017, despite ulations and reducing government Cooney, on the other hand, has been make life better against one another. assaulting a reporter and misleading spending, but rather continuing the a fixture at Gov. Steve Bullock’s COV- police afterwards; an incident that At a construction site in Helena, work started by his boss Gov. Steve ID briefings and has toured the state earned him a misdemeanor conviction. Montana, Republican Greg Gianforte Bullock. The current lieutenant gover- urging social distancing and mask- told a group of contractors clad in nor has focused on programs he wearing. Cooney has noted his cam- “Gianforte is a polarizing figure,” orange shirts and work boots that argues will improve the lives of Mon- paign’s been intentional about gather- Johnson remarked. “But even though things had to change after 16 years of tanans, including Medicaid expansion, ing with small, masked crowds in out- you’re a polarizing figure doesn’t nec- Democrats controlling the governor’s investing in veteran mental health and door settings. essarily mean you’re going to lose an mansion to make sure Montana’s best education and establishing state-wide election in Montana.” Though Cooney has been a fixture in days are ahead. pre-K education. state government for decades, experts While in Washington, Gianforte “We’re going to get government out Cooney, a Butte native, first said that his lack of name recognition aligned himself closely with President of the way,” the technology entrepre- embarked on a career in politics in will be his biggest hurdle to clear on Donald Trump and he has echoed neur and Montana’s current sole rep- 1977 when elected to the Montana the trail to the governor’s seat. those issues while campaigning for resentative in Congress said to State House of Representatives. He “Even though there is a purple inde- governor. He told the crowd in Helena applause, later vowing to swiftly followed this debut by working as pendent streak in Montana, especially he would uphold a commitment to law change leadership in regulatory gov- chief of staff for Montana’s former for some of these marquee races, gen- and order, fund the police and oppose ernment agencies such as the Depart- U.S. Senator Max Baucus, serving erally Republicans have sort of a a transition away from fossil fuels. ment of Environmental Quality and three terms as Montana’s secretary of built-in advantage that Democrats This November, voters will decide Fish, Wildlife and Parks if elected. state, a stint as president of the Mon- need to overcome,” said Carroll Col- whether to stick with the divided gov- tana State Senate and most recently as A few hours earlier at a park in Mis- lege political science professor Jere- ernment of a Democrat in the gover- lieutenant governor to Steve Bullock. soula, Democrat Mike Cooney, the my Johnson. “…Right now… nor’s mansion and Republicans con- lieutenant governor and career public The Gianforte campaign has criti- [Cooney’s] not yet overcome that.” trolling the legislature that has servant, was describing a very differ- cized Cooney’s work in the public sec- Johnson said to make his case, marked the last decade of state poli- ent state the next governor would tor, saying in one ad, “He’s a career Cooney must have money to spend on tics or if it is time to change the equa- inherit. politician and government bureaucrat advertising. But that effort is made tion. who has never had a real harder by the fact that Gian- Greg Gianforte (R) job.” forte, one of the top three Mike Cooney (D) The Cooney campaign wealthiest members of Con- countered public service is gress, has access to enor- something to be proud of. mous personal wealth to help finance his run. The Republi- “Throughout his career, can has already loaned his Mike helped to create 46,000 campaign $2.5 million, a Montana jobs, and thanks to total that just about doubles his strong leadership along- the $2.9 million he has raised side Gov. Bullock,” Cooney’s as of August 15. Cooney has communications director raised $2.49 million for his Ronja Abel wrote in a state- campaign, but $1.4 million ment, “Montana’s unemploy- has come in just the past ment rate was the lowest it’s three months. been in over a decade, prior to the outbreak of COV- But the source of Gian- ID-19.” forte’s wealth is one of his biggest assets the Congress- That outbreak marks man points to when arguing another clear difference what makes him right to lead between Cooney and Gian- Montana. forte. In the 1990s, Gianforte “I just want to say when started a cloud-based com- I’m your next governor, we puting business, RightNow are going to adopt public pol- Technologies. Computing icy to keep people safe--the giant Oracle purchased the Photo by Hazel Cramer, Community News Service vulnerable--and we’re going Photo by Hazel Cramer, Community News Service 2020 State Voter's Guide 5 THIRD PARTIES Third party voices struggle to be heard after Green Party fight By Cameron Kia Weix the whole slate. Oregonian first reported. Roots has a criminal record, including resisting arrest, violating probation Community News Service Wagner officially stepped in as the Green Party’s and possession of an unregistered firearm. He said UM School of Journalism acting coordinator last May and has had to balance he hasn’t spent a night in jail in 25 years and he the party’s desire for ballot access and independence. would focus on investigating the government as a The fight over a Republican-funded effort to quali- “This one caught us off guard, it’s not the way that tireless advocate for individual liberty if elected. fy the Green Party for the ballot in Montana is the we want to get (ballot) access,” Wagner said, though The Libertarian candidate for governor and CEO of latest chapter in the long-running debate over wheth- the party still wanted at least its presidential candi- Hoplite Armor, Lyman Bishop, has argued federal er third parties can be a serious alternative or are date on the ballot. “Yes, it was a Republican-led ownership of land in Montana is unconstitutional and stuck in the role of spoiler. effort. That doesn’t mean that we don’t deserve a is concerned about protecting peoples’ rights, includ- Democrats successfully sued to kick the Green voice.” ing Second Amendment rights. Party off this year’s ballot after many who signed a Michael O’Neil, communications manager for the Kevin Leatherbarrow, the Libertarian candidate petition to qualify the environmental-leaning party national Green Party, echoed Wagner’s frustration, for superintendent of public instruction, runs Go and asked to be removed once it became known Republi- saying ballot access has turned into a partisan game Grow tutoring center and said he is frustrated with cans had spent $100,000 to sign people up.