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. 

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.

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. 

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 <a href="https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/racial-justice-group-lines-out-initiatives-aimed-at-msu-city/article_c22eb24e-cf85-5878-ad35-bca489e5f9af.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> pushing</a> 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 <a href="https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/crime/bail-for-black-defendant-lowered-attorney-argued-previous-amount-based-on-race/article_745fa8b3-d285-5028-a3e7-239d0e90be2b.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> bail funds</a> for people in county jails and detention centers.

Uphill Part 2: “This is like dust in the air. We all breathe it.”

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.

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 <a href="https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/hundreds-gather-for-peaceful-george-floyd-rally-in-downtown-billings/article_6afe8c6e-f9f6-5887-9f4e-be8b0fc42f37.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">rallies</a> and <a href="https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/thousands-gather-in-downtown-bozeman-for-protest-for-racial-equity/article_67809a2b-f58b-5735-94e5-082a2aa42822.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">marches</a> 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.

Uphill Part 1: “Does anyone know who’s watching us right now?”

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.

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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/06/03/familiar-names-headed-to-general-election-for-montanas-federal-delegation/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> U.S. Senate and U.S. House</a>, statewide races for <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/06/04/cooney-and-gianforte-campaigns-take-aim-at-november-and-each-other/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> governor</a> and <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/06/05/graybill-and-knudsen-starkly-different-visions-for-attorney-general/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> attorney general</a>, and the primary results’ implications for the balance of power in <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/06/03/primary-battles-between-solutions-caucus-legislators-and-right-flanking-challengers-produced-a-mixed-bag/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> the state Legislature</a> 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/series/montana-lowdown-podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Montana Lowdown podcast</a>, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

2020 primary results, and a preview of the path to November

“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.

“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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/05/03/when-solutions-caucus-republicans-in-the-2019-legislature-did-and-didnt-vote-with-democrats/?_gl=1*cmlood*_ga*MTQwMTU2MDYyNC4xNTcyNDU1MTIw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Solutions Caucus</a>, 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/05/20/for-solutions-caucus-the-proof-is-in-the-primaries/?_gl=1*86n7ys*_ga*MTQwMTU2MDYyNC4xNTcyNDU1MTIw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> first installment</a> 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/05/22/purity-versus-pragmatism/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Nancy Ballance and Theresa Manzella</a>; the contest for the Flathead’s House District 35 between incumbent <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/05/25/which-way-is-right/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Derek Skees and first-time candidate Dee Kirk-Boon</a>; and eastern Montana’s House District 11, where incumbent <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/05/27/flanked-from-the-right/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Joel Krautter faces a challenge from political newcomer Brandon Ler</a>. 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/series/montana-lowdown-podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Montana Lowdown podcast</a>, a weekly publication of <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Montana Free Press</a>.

Republican factions battle for control of the state legislature

Greg Gianforte

“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.

“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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/02/25/episode-57-attorney-general-and-republican-candidate-for-governor-tim-fox/?_gl=1*18k7ehp*_ga*MTQwMTU2MDYyNC4xNTcyNDU1MTIw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> he doesn’t think Gianforte can win</a> against the <a href="https://apps.montanafreepress.org/montana-2020/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Democratic nominee</a> 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/02/25/episode-57-attorney-general-and-republican-candidate-for-governor-tim-fox/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Fox</a> and <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/11/26/episode-46-montana-gubernatorial-candidate-al-olszewski/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Olszewski</a>, 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 <a href="https://apps.montanafreepress.org/montana-2020/candidates/Greg-Gianforte" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> campaign funding</a> 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 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/24/greg-gianforte-bodyslams-reporter-ben-jacobs-montana" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> an assault he committed</a> on a Guardian reporter on election night in 2017. The incident became a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/05/25/how-a-gop-candidates-alleged-body-slam-of-a-reporter-played-out-on-the-trump-internet/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> national flashpoint</a> 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 <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2018/09/07/president-trump-celebrates-the-body-slam-of-a-reporter-in-montana/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> at a 2018 campaign rally</a>. 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.

Republican candidate for governor Greg Gianforte

John Mues

“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.

“Most people don’t even know what positions Gov. Bullock stands for,” says <a href="https://apps.montanafreepress.org/montana-2020/candidates/John-Mues" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> John Mues</a>, Bullock’s lone competition in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by Republican <a href="https://apps.montanafreepress.org/montana-2020/candidates/Steve-Daines" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Sen. Steve Daines</a>. 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/05/05/poll-bullock-leads-daines-in-senate-race/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> quickly surged into competitiveness with Daines</a>, 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 <a href="https://www.havredailynews.com/story/2020/04/28/opinion/new-economic-thinking-for-coronavirus-pandemic/528647.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> he supports a long-term and widespread waiver of expenses</a> 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/series/montana-lowdown-podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Montana Lowdown podcast</a>, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

Democratic Senate candidate John Mues

Matt Rosendale

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.

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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/05/01/task-force-recommends-recipients-for-1-25-billion-coronavirus-stimulus-skirting-open-meetings-law-in-the-process/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> $1.25 billion that’s being spent in the state right now</a> to help our business is because of President Trump.” Rosendale also responds to criticisms, including one leveled by his <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/10/29/episode-42-us-house-candidate-joe-dooling/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Republican primary opponent Joe Dooling</a>, 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2018/09/25/state-auditor-drops-fines-against-top-campaign-donor/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> 2018 Montana Free Press story</a> 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 <a href="https://apps.montanafreepress.org/montana-2020/races/U.S.-House" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> crowded Republican primary</a>, followed by <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/09/24/episode-37-u-s-house-candidate-corey-stapleton/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Secretary of State Corey Stapleton</a>. Democratic frontrunner <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/10/01/episode-38-u-s-house-candidate-kathleen-williams/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Kathleen Williams</a> 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/series/montana-lowdown-podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Montana Lowdown podcast</a>, a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.

Republican U.S. House candidate Matt Rosendale

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.

There are two big takeaways from a poll released this week by Montana State University: Montanans are <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/05/04/coronavirus-survey-highlights-strong-concern-for-health-of-others-and-economy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> definitely concerned about economic fallout</a> from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Steve Daines <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/05/05/poll-bullock-leads-daines-in-senate-race/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> looks to be very much in play</a> 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/series/montana-lowdown-podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Montana Lowdown podcast</a>, a weekly publication of <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Montana Free Press</a> hosted by editor-in-chief John S. Adams.

Unpacking the polling on pandemic recovery and Montana’s senate race

Mike Cooney

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.

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 <a href="https://apps.montanafreepress.org/montana-2020/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this year’s candidates</a> 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/03/03/episode-58-democratic-candidate-for-governor-whitney-williams/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Whitney Williams</a>, staked out similar policy positions <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2020/02/24/democratic-gubernatorial-candidates-cooney-and-williams-present-their-positions-in-bozeman/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> prior to the pandemic.</a> 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/series/montana-lowdown-podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Montana Lowdown podcast</a>, a weekly publication of <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Montana Free Press</a>.

Democratic candidate for governor Mike Cooney

Montana Lowdown features in-depth conversations with top newsmakers, journalists, politicians, and experts about significant issues facing America's "last best place." Veteran award-winning journalist John S. Adams, founder and editor of  Montana Free Press and the star of the documentary film "Dark Money," hosts the podcast, shedding light on essential news stories and broadening the debate on the hottest topics.

An excellent podcast with a wide variety of interviews.

MT Lowdown worth the listen

Great content and production. Looking forward to more

Awesome

Montana Lowdown features in-depth conversations with top newsmakers, journalists, politicians, and experts about significant issues facing America's "last best place."  Veteran award-winning journalist John S. Adams, founder and editor of Montana Free Press and the star of the documentary film "Dark Money," hosts the podcast, shedding light on essential news stories and broadening the debate on the hottest topics.

Montana Lowdown

Hal Herring

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, Patagonia Films premiered the documentary feature <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robert-redford-patagonia-founder-yvon-chouinard-board-public-lands-doc-1276253" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Public Trust</a> 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. <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/series/montana-lowdown-podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Montana Lowdown podcast</a> is a weekly publication of <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Montana Free Press</a>.

Episode 56 — Hal Herring on the movement to privatize America’s public lands

Kathleen Williams

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.

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, <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/09/24/episode-37-u-s-house-candidate-corey-stapleton/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Secretary of State Corey Stapleton</a>, State Auditor Matt Rosendale, rancher and Lewis and Clark County GOP Central Committee chairman Joe Dooling, and Corvallis School District Superintendent Tim Johnson.

Election 2020: U.S. House candidate Kathleen Williams

Llew Jones

Nancy Ballance

Reps. Llew Jones and Nancy Ballance are arguably two of the most influential lawmakers in the Montana Legislature.  Their admirers see them as pragmatic problem-solvers committed to finding bipartisan solutions to issues facing the state.  Their detractors say they are central figures in a group of "Republicans in name only," who are too quick to side with Democrats to pass policy and budget proposals that deviate from conservative principles.  A day after the session ended, Jones and Ballance gave their perspective on what they achieved and didn't achieve in the 2019 Legislature.

Reps. Llew Jones and Nancy Ballance are arguably two of the most influential lawmakers in the Montana Legislature.  Their admirers see them as pragmatic problem-solvers committed to finding bipartisan solutions to issues facing the state.  Their detractors say they are central figures in a group of "Republicans in name only," who are too quick to side with Democrats to pass policy and budget proposals that deviate from conservative principles.  A day after the session ended, Jones and Ballance gave their perspective on what they achieved and didn't achieve in the 2019 Legislature.

Seeking Solutions: Republicans Llew Jones and Nancy Ballance reflect on 2019 legislative outcomes

Brad Tyer

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.

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 href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/11/21/mtfp-coordinating-statewide-reporting-project-on-aging-in-montana/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> a statewide reporting collaboration among Montana newsrooms</a> 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.

Inside the MTFP newsroom with editor Brad Tyer

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.

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.

Election 2020: Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen

Peter Miller

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.

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 <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/experts/peter-miller" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brennan Center For Justice</a>, 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/08/01/where-born-and-bred-montanans-do-and-dont-live/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> steady population gains in the state</a>, 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 <a href="https://thefulcrum.us/redistricting-commissions" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">extent to which citizens might influence the process</a>. Miller talked with Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams during a Nov. 14 interview for the <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/series/montana-lowdown-podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Montana Lowdown podcast</a>.

Redistricting researcher Peter Miller on Montana's chances for a second Congressional seat

Matt Rains

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 &lt;a href="https://montanafreepress.org/"&gt;Montana Free Press&lt;/a&gt; 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.”          &lt;p class= "block-editor-rich-text__editable editor-rich-text__editable wp-block-paragraph" role="textbox" contenteditable="true" aria-multiline="true" data-is-placeholder-visible="false" aria-label="Paragraph block" aria-autocomplete="list"&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;                 &lt;p class= "block-editor-rich-text__editable editor-rich-text__editable wp-block-paragraph" role="textbox" contenteditable="true" aria-multiline="true" data-is-placeholder-visible="false" aria-label="Paragraph block" aria-autocomplete="list"&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;                 &lt;p class= "block-editor-rich-text__editable editor-rich-text__editable wp-block-paragraph" role="textbox" contenteditable="true" aria-multiline="true" data-is-placeholder-visible="false" aria-label="Paragraph block" aria-autocomplete="list"&gt;Rains returned to Montana in 2018 to help his mother run the family ranch. When Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte announced he would &lt;a href= "https://montanafreepress.org/2019/06/14/at-gop-convention-in-helena-gianforte-goes-all-in-for-governor/?omhide=true"&gt; seek the governorship instead of running for re-election to Montana’s sole U.S. House seat&lt;/a&gt;, Rains said, he saw an opportunity to put his professional experiences to use in congress.&lt;/p&gt;                 &lt;p class= "block-editor-rich-text__editable editor-rich-text__editable wp-block-paragraph" role="textbox" contenteditable="true" aria-multiline="true" data-is-placeholder-visible="false" aria-label="Paragraph block" aria-autocomplete="list"&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;         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 &lt;a href= "https://montanafreepress.org/2019/10/29/episode-42-us-house-candidate-joe-dooling/?omhide=true"&gt; Joe Dooling is also campaigning on an ag-centric platform&lt;/a&gt;.   Rains is in a three-way primary for the Democratic nomination with 2018 nominee &lt;a href= "https://montanafreepress.org/2019/10/01/episode-38-u-s-house-candidate-kathleen-williams/?omhide=true"&gt; Kathleen Williams&lt;/a&gt; and state &lt;a href= "https://montanafreepress.org/2019/10/16/episode-40-us-house-candidate-tom-winter/?omhide=true"&gt; Rep. Tom Winter&lt;/a&gt; of Missoula. Rains’ conversation with Adams, in which he also discusses &lt;a href= "https://montanafreepress.org/2019/03/25/mtlowdown-save-colstrip-debate/?omhide=true"&gt; energy&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href= "https://montanafreepress.org/2019/09/17/episode-36-climate-scientist-steven-running/?omhide=true"&gt; climate change&lt;/a&gt;, health care, and &lt;a href= "https://montanafreepress.org/2019/05/13/grappling-with-rural-brain-drain-montana-leaders-mull-incentives-to-lure-in-college-grads/?omhide=true"&gt; rural brain drain&lt;/a&gt;, is featured on this week’s &lt;a href= "https://montanafreepress.org/series/montana-lowdown-podcast/?omhide=true"&gt; Montana Lowdown podcast&lt;/a&gt;.

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. <code> As Rains tells &lt;a href="<a href="https://montanafreepress.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://montanafreepress.org/</a>"&gt;Montana Free Press&lt;/a&gt; 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.” &lt;p class= "block-editor-rich-text__editable editor-rich-text__editable wp-block-paragraph" role="textbox" contenteditable="true" aria-multiline="true" data-is-placeholder-visible="false" aria-label="Paragraph block" aria-autocomplete="list"&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class= "block-editor-rich-text__editable editor-rich-text__editable wp-block-paragraph" role="textbox" contenteditable="true" aria-multiline="true" data-is-placeholder-visible="false" aria-label="Paragraph block" aria-autocomplete="list"&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class= "block-editor-rich-text__editable editor-rich-text__editable wp-block-paragraph" role="textbox" contenteditable="true" aria-multiline="true" data-is-placeholder-visible="false" aria-label="Paragraph block" aria-autocomplete="list"&gt;Rains returned to Montana in 2018 to help his mother run the family ranch. When Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte announced he would &lt;a href= "<a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/06/14/at-gop-convention-in-helena-gianforte-goes-all-in-for-governor/?omhide=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://montanafreepress.org/2019/06/14/at-gop-convention-in-helena-gianforte-goes-all-in-for-governor/?omhide=true</a>"&gt; seek the governorship instead of running for re-election to Montana’s sole U.S. House seat&lt;/a&gt;, Rains said, he saw an opportunity to put his professional experiences to use in congress.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class= "block-editor-rich-text__editable editor-rich-text__editable wp-block-paragraph" role="textbox" contenteditable="true" aria-multiline="true" data-is-placeholder-visible="false" aria-label="Paragraph block" aria-autocomplete="list"&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt; 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 &lt;a href= "<a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/10/29/episode-42-us-house-candidate-joe-dooling/?omhide=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://montanafreepress.org/2019/10/29/episode-42-us-house-candidate-joe-dooling/?omhide=true</a>"&gt; Joe Dooling is also campaigning on an ag-centric platform&lt;/a&gt;.   Rains is in a three-way primary for the Democratic nomination with 2018 nominee &lt;a href= "<a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/10/01/episode-38-u-s-house-candidate-kathleen-williams/?omhide=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://montanafreepress.org/2019/10/01/episode-38-u-s-house-candidate-kathleen-williams/?omhide=true</a>"&gt; Kathleen Williams&lt;/a&gt; and state &lt;a href= "<a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/10/16/episode-40-us-house-candidate-tom-winter/?omhide=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://montanafreepress.org/2019/10/16/episode-40-us-house-candidate-tom-winter/?omhide=true</a>"&gt; Rep. Tom Winter&lt;/a&gt; of Missoula. Rains’ conversation with Adams, in which he also discusses &lt;a href= "<a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/03/25/mtlowdown-save-colstrip-debate/?omhide=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://montanafreepress.org/2019/03/25/mtlowdown-save-colstrip-debate/?omhide=true</a>"&gt; energy&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href= "<a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/09/17/episode-36-climate-scientist-steven-running/?omhide=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://montanafreepress.org/2019/09/17/episode-36-climate-scientist-steven-running/?omhide=true</a>"&gt; climate change&lt;/a&gt;, health care, and &lt;a href= "<a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/05/13/grappling-with-rural-brain-drain-montana-leaders-mull-incentives-to-lure-in-college-grads/?omhide=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://montanafreepress.org/2019/05/13/grappling-with-rural-brain-drain-montana-leaders-mull-incentives-to-lure-in-college-grads/?omhide=true</a>"&gt; rural brain drain&lt;/a&gt;, is featured on this week’s &lt;a href= "<a href="https://montanafreepress.org/series/montana-lowdown-podcast/?omhide=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://montanafreepress.org/series/montana-lowdown-podcast/?omhide=true</a>"&gt; Montana Lowdown podcast&lt;/a&gt;. </code>

U.S. House candidate Matt Rains

Burton K. Wheeler

Burton K. Wheeler was an original maverick. A “Political Hellraiser,” according to a new full-length biography of the former Montana Senator.  B.K. as he was known to his friends, was a champion of organized labor, a one-time vice-presidential candidate on the Progressive Party ticket, an anti-war, pro-New Deal Democrat, and a one-time ally of President Franklin D. Roosevelt who later spearheaded opposition to Roosevelt’s attempt to pack the U.S. Supreme Court. Wheeler was fiercely independent and defied conventional stereotypes of Washington, D.C. politicians.  Author and historian Marc Johnson and longtime political reporter Chuck Johnson join host John Adams to discuss the influential and controversial senator. 

Burton K. Wheeler was an original maverick. A “Political Hellraiser,” according to a new full-length biography of the former Montana Senator.  B.K. as he was known to his friends, was a champion of organized labor, a one-time vice-presidential candidate on the Progressive Party ticket, an anti-war, pro-New Deal Democrat, and a one-time ally of President Franklin D. Roosevelt who later spearheaded opposition to Roosevelt’s attempt to pack the U.S. Supreme Court. Wheeler was fiercely independent and defied conventional stereotypes of Washington, D.C. politicians.  Author and historian Marc Johnson and longtime political reporter Chuck Johnson join host John Adams to discuss the influential and controversial senator.

“Political Hellraiser: The Life and Times Senator Burton K. Wheeler of Montana.”

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.

This week, <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Montana Free Press</a> is closing out 2019 by looking back at some highlights from the first year of the <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/series/montana-lowdown-podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Montana Lowdown podcast</a>. 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/01/07/mt-lowdown-episode-1-a-house-divided/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Rep. Nancy Ballance</a> 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/?s=solutions+caucus" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">key part of the narrative</a> 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/09/17/episode-36-climate-scientist-steven-running/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Steven Running</a> and political researcher <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/05/29/mt-lowdown-podcast-episode-21-the-case-for-less-transparency/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> James D’Angelo</a>, 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.

Episode highlights from 2019

Bryce Bennett

This week we continue our coverage of the candidates vying for state office in 2020, with our first look at the race for Secretary of State with Missoula Democratic State Sen. Bryce Bennett.    In his five terms in the Legislature, Bennett has sponsored numerous bills focused on voter access and other election laws. He sees clear threats to Montana elections from voter suppression, dark money, disinformation, hacking, and voter apathy, he said.   "There’s a lot of opportunities for the Secretary of State just to be a paper-pushing administrator," Bennett said, "but I think that there’s a lot of opportunities, if done right, for the Secretary of State to be the chief advocate for voting in Montana."   That's important, Bennett said, at a time when "voter suppression agenda" is discouraging the state's electorate.   "We’re seeing limitless dark money flow into our elections; our Secretary of State [Corey Stapleton] is telling people that there’s rampant voter fraud everywhere; there’s hacking, both foreign and domestic trying to get into our election," he said. "[I] hear from too many people that say ‘What’s the point? Why participate in an election where I’m not sure that my vote means anything or that it’s even going to be counted?’ And I think that a major role for the next Secretary of State will be to help people once again believe that their vote matters.”   The next Montana Secretary of State will also hold a seat on the five-member State Land Board, which Bennett said would give him the ability to advocate for continued access to public lands: "We’ve seen big swaths of public land being blocked off by a rim of private land; I want to make sure that every aspect of public land here in Montana is accessible to Montanans."   This is our latest in our series covering the 2020 races for Montana state offices, and our first look at the race for Secretary of State. The Secretary of State holds the office for a four-year term, with a term limit of eight years

This week we continue our coverage of the candidates vying for state office in 2020, with our first look at the race for Secretary of State with Missoula Democratic State Sen. Bryce Bennett.  In his five terms in the Legislature, Bennett has sponsored numerous bills focused on voter access and other election laws. He sees clear threats to Montana elections from voter suppression, dark money, disinformation, hacking, and voter apathy, he said. "There’s a lot of opportunities for the Secretary of State just to be a paper-pushing administrator," Bennett said, "but I think that there’s a lot of opportunities, if done right, for the Secretary of State to be the chief advocate for voting in Montana." That's important, Bennett said, at a time when "voter suppression agenda" is discouraging the state's electorate. "We’re seeing limitless dark money flow into our elections; our Secretary of State [Corey Stapleton] is telling people that there’s rampant voter fraud everywhere; there’s hacking, both foreign and domestic trying to get into our election," he said. "[I] hear from too many people that say ‘What’s the point? Why participate in an election where I’m not sure that my vote means anything or that it’s even going to be counted?’ And I think that a major role for the next Secretary of State will be to help people once again believe that their vote matters.” The next Montana Secretary of State will also hold a seat on the five-member State Land Board, which Bennett said would give him the ability to advocate for continued access to public lands: "We’ve seen big swaths of public land being blocked off by a rim of private land; I want to make sure that every aspect of public land here in Montana is accessible to Montanans." This is our latest in our series covering the 2020 races for Montana state offices, and our first look at the race for Secretary of State. The Secretary of State holds the office for a four-year term, with a term limit of eight years

2020 Election: Democrat Bryce Bennett's Run For Secretary Of State

Mike Dennison

On this week's episode of the Montana Lowdown, veteran political reporter and broadcast journalist Mike Dennison discusses his new book, “Inside Montana Politics: A Reporter’s View from the Trenches." Dennison has been covering political campaigns, the Legislature, health care, energy, the environment, and other issues for more than three decades. "Inside Montana Politics" is a fascinating read for anyone with an interest in Montana history, and Dennison brings a cast of notable characters to life by revealing the personalities behind the headlines. "I like to inject a little humanity in my reporting and think about the people that you’re reporting on, and that they’re trying to do the right thing, even when they may be doing the wrong thing,” Dennison said. “These are people that have husbands and wives and kids and friends. They’re not just the demon that their opponents make them out to be. “What I tried to show in my book and in my reporting is that these people are human, and when they screw up and make mistakes, we’ll report on it. But we’ll also report that sometimes they have good intentions and sometimes they do the right thing.” Dennison also reflects on some of his more memorable Montana bylines, including stories on deregulation, the rise of former Gov. Brian Schweitzer, the fall of former Sen. Conrad Burns, the exoneration of Cody Marble, and more.  Dennison also weighs in on the current state of journalism: "We have a proliferation of news outlets that are biased. They start from a point of view, and that’s what they adopt. And I think the most bias I see in any journalist is the choice in what you cover. Not how you cover it, but what you cover.” Dennison's new book is  available now from local and national retailers, and he continues to report as a broadcast journalist for MTN News.

On this week's episode of the Montana Lowdown, veteran political reporter and broadcast journalist Mike Dennison discusses his new book, “Inside Montana Politics: A Reporter’s View from the Trenches." Dennison has been covering political campaigns, the Legislature, health care, energy, the environment, and other issues for more than three decades. "Inside Montana Politics" is a fascinating read for anyone with an interest in Montana history, and Dennison brings a cast of notable characters to life by revealing the personalities behind the headlines. "I like to inject a little humanity in my reporting and think about the people that you’re reporting on, and that they’re trying to do the right thing, even when they may be doing the wrong thing,” Dennison said. “These are people that have husbands and wives and kids and friends. They’re not just the demon that their opponents make them out to be. “What I tried to show in my book and in my reporting is that these people are human, and when they screw up and make mistakes, we’ll report on it. But we’ll also report that sometimes they have good intentions and sometimes they do the right thing.” Dennison also reflects on some of his more memorable Montana bylines, including stories on deregulation, the rise of former Gov. Brian Schweitzer, the fall of former Sen. Conrad Burns, the exoneration of Cody Marble, and more.  Dennison also weighs in on the current state of journalism: "We have a proliferation of news outlets that are biased. They start from a point of view, and that’s what they adopt. And I think the most bias I see in any journalist is the choice in what you cover. Not how you cover it, but what you cover.” Dennison's new book is <a href="https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467142755" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> available now</a> from local and national retailers, and he continues to report as a broadcast journalist for MTN News.

Veteran Journalist Mike Dennison on His New Book "Inside Montana Politics: A Reporter’s View from the Trenches"

Steven Running

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.

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.

Dr. Steven Running on the forefront of climate change research

Al Olszewski

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.

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 <a href="https://www.msubillings.edu/cas/nams/polls/2019%20Mountain%20States%20Poll%20Report.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> poll</a> 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2019/11/22/trump-administration-signals-support-for-cskt-water-compact/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Trump administration supports the compact settlement</a>.  “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.

Montana gubernatorial candidate Al Olszewski

Susan Fox

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.

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 <a href="https://leg.mt.gov/legweek/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Legislature’s website</a>. Legislative Week is born of a study resulting from the 2019 session’s <a href="https://leg.mt.gov/content/Committees/Administration/Legislative-Council/2019-20/Committee-Topics/LegWeek/PressRelease12-20.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Senate Bill 310</a>, 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 <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/series/montana-lowdown-podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Montana Lowdown Podcast</a>, a production of <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Montana Free Press</a>.

Susan Fox on Legislative Week and the Legislative Services Division

Derek Skees

House Majority Whip Rep. Derek Skees is among the group of conservative Republicans — the self-described “38 specials" — who resisted efforts by 20 or so members of the so-called Solutions Caucus to pass major legislation during the 2019 legislative session. "I honestly think we suffered more losses than we did gains," Skees said in a wide-ranging Montana Lowdown podcast interview. "It was summed up perfectly in the minority leader’s speech on the House Floor: Democrats got everything they wanted." From Medicaid expansion to infrastructure bonding to the state budget the Solutions Caucus, along with minority Democrats, managed to override the House Republican leaders in 2019. “It’s the arrogant attitude of these people, behind the scenes, treating us with disdain...that pissed off everybody on my side of the group,” Skees said.

House Majority Whip Rep. Derek Skees is among the group of conservative Republicans — the self-described “38 specials" — who resisted efforts by 20 or so members of the so-called Solutions Caucus to pass major legislation during the 2019 legislative session. "I honestly think we suffered more losses than we did gains," Skees said in a wide-ranging Montana Lowdown podcast interview. "It was summed up perfectly in the minority leader’s speech on the House Floor: Democrats got everything they wanted." From Medicaid expansion to infrastructure bonding to the state budget the Solutions Caucus, along with minority Democrats, managed to override the House Republican leaders in 2019. “It’s the arrogant attitude of these people, behind the scenes, treating us with disdain...that pissed off everybody on my side of the group,” Skees said.

A View From the Right: Republican firebrand Derek Skees on conservative losses in the 2019 Legislature

In this third episode of the Montana Lowdown podcast, we welcome Montana Free Press reporter Leia Larsen and independent freelance data journalist and designer Eric Dietrich into the studio to talk about what inspires them to pursue the news, what's surprising about the Montana Legislature, and their hopes for the future of nonprofit journalism. 

In this third episode of the Montana Lowdown podcast, we welcome Montana Free Press reporter Leia Larsen and independent freelance data journalist and designer Eric Dietrich into the studio to talk about what inspires them to pursue the news, what's surprising about the Montana Legislature, and their hopes for the future of nonprofit journalism.

Newsroom Roundtable: Meet the Montana Free Press team

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