The MT Lowdown is a weekly digest that showcases a more personal side of Montana Free Press’ high-quality reporting while keeping you up to speed on the biggest news impacting Montanans. Want to see the MT Lowdown in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here.
It’s the end of a long week reentering the legislative session for its second half and reckoning with Montana’s loss of a journalism giant. I find myself grateful for our transmittal break event Wednesday evening, a live version of the collaborative podcast The Session, co-hosted by Montana Public Radio and Yellowstone Public Radio. The public’s questions were lively, the reporters’ answers were honest, and an hour-long online event on a cold midweek night flew by.
As a free and independent press, one of our jobs is to create a feedback loop between the government and the people who empower it. We relay the actions of lawmakers, the executive branch and the judiciary to the public, who can decide if they do or don’t approve of the actions their elected officials are taking on their behalf. When reporters aren’t present, that feedback loop is broken. The digital age has provided new avenues for us to do this, with virtual events like this week’s livestream and free tools like our Capitol Tracker.
We believe an informed citizenry makes for a healthy democracy. We know that in communities without a credible source of local news, voter participation declines, corruption in both government and business increases, and political, cultural and economic divisions between and within communities intensify. That’s why our reporters spend thousands of hours covering the legislative session. Our legislative coverage, which you’ll find on our homepage, in this Lowdown newsletter, and in our new twice-weekly legislative newsletter Capitolized, empower you with the information you need to ensure your representatives are representing you.
When you lend your support to Montana Free Press, you are essentially backing democracy. Numerous readers have expressed to us how our reporting genuinely affects their lives. One particular message resonated deeply with us, emphasizing the significant impact we can make.
“Thanks for publishing Capitolized during the legislative session. It helps me organize who I’m going to write to and when.” —Stephanie, Big Arm, MT
At the core of our mission is producing impactful journalism, which translates into tangible outcomes such as informed decision-making. By providing insightful news and analysis, we empower individuals to actively hold their government accountable.
The support of readers like you is crucial for maintaining a healthy democracy. Currently, we are actively engaged in our legislative season fundraising campaign with a target of gathering $10,000 by March 14.
Would you consider making a donation now to support us not only during this legislative session but also in the future?
Certainly, I would be happy to establish a regular monthly donation!
Yes, I’ll set up a monthly donation!
Assist us in presenting accurate information and fearlessly advocate for the truth.
Thank you,
—John S. Adams, Editor-in-Chief
P.S. — Thanks to a generous donor, all new recurring donations made by March 14 will be matched up to $1,000 total. Give today to have your donation doubled!
By the Numbers
Number of meals, as defined by the Office of Public Instruction, provided to K-12 public school students through Montana’s school nutrition programs during the 2021-22 school year. According to OPI, those meals were supported by $83 million in state and federal funding and included more than 13 million lunches, 7 million breakfasts and 32,000 snacks, as well as 22,894 cartons of milk reimbursed through a federal Special Milk Program. Based on enrollment numbers, the total works out to roughly 145 meals per student, at a per-student cost of $534.70. In presenting the numbers to the Board of Public EducationThursday, OPI School Nutrition Program Director Chris Emerson noted that the totals represent a “dramatic increase” in the number of meals served over the previous school year — an 18% rise in breakfasts and a 26% rise in lunches. Emerson attributed the increases to the fact that under federal COVID-19 waivers, meals were served at no cost to students, a situation that ended last fall.
—Alex Sakariassen, Reporter
Wildlife Watch
Central Montana’s Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge, designated in red on this map of Montana’s federally managed wildlife refuges, is the second-largest wildlife refuge in the Lower 48 United States. Credit: Courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
One of the state’s most prominent proxy wars — the agriculture-vs-wildlife debate playing out vis-a-vis bison — is again making the rounds in national and state policy circles.
The Interior Department announced Friday, March 3, that it’s putting $25 million of Inflation Reduction Act funding toward bison restoration.
The agency characterized bison as a crucial species that is deeply interconnected with Indigenous culture, grassland ecology, and American history. Furthermore, it emphasized that restoring the once-plentiful national mammal would positively impact the health of grasslands, which in turn play a significant role in mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration processes.
Interior Department Secretary Deb Haaland further fleshed out her case in Order 3410, which lays out a framework for the department to work with tribes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service to advance bison restoration.
According to the order, scientific evidence supports the idea that reintroducing bison to grasslands can have several positive effects. These include improving soil quality, revitalizing the growth of indigenous plants and wildlife, and aiding in the absorption and storage of carbon dioxide, which can be beneficial for agriculture, outdoor activities, and Native American tribes. Additionally, the restoration of bison and the restoration of healthy grasslands can play a role in healing and reconciling the nation after years of federal policies that aimed to eliminate Native American communities and their traditions.
Republicans in Montana argue that the responsibility of managing wildlife within the state’s borders lies with state policymakers, rather than the federal government.
March 2, the day before the Interior Department’s announcement, the Montana Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution 14 opposing bison introduction at the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, a central Montana refuge managed by USFWS. It passed on party lines, 34-16.
The resolution states that the presence of mixed ownership within the CMR and an open range management approach, which does not clearly mark the boundary between federal and state trust land, should discourage the federal government from reintroducing bison on the CMR. It argues that such a move would endanger the livelihoods of ranching families and impose expenses related to bison-related damages on the state and landowners in and near the CMR.
Press time Friday morning came and went without a response from CMR Project Manager Paul Santavay regarding the Interior Department’s March 3 announcement.
Tension over bison management is playing out in other arenas as well. Gov. Greg Gianforte, Attorney General Austin Knudsen and the Montana Stockgrowers Association announced in August that they’re appealing the BLM’s decision to expand bison grazing in central Montana. A year prior, thestate agreed not to explore bison management on state-managed lands for at least a decade as part of a settlement with United Property Owners of Montana.
—Amanda Eggert, Reporter
The Viz
A couple of years back, longtime Montana reporter Chuck Johnson, whom we lost this week at age 74, sent me a spreadsheet he’d compiled detailing which political party had controlled the Montana House, Senate and governorship year-by-year over the course of the state’s history. Chuck being Chuck, it included figures stretching back nearly to statehood in 1889, painstakingly tallied and color-coded.
I experimented with various methods to illustrate his data, but unfortunately, I couldn’t complete the project in time for him to review and publish it. However, I revisited it this week and included the data from this year’s legislative session.
While Republicans have had firm control of both chambers of the Montana Legislature for more than a decade, that hasn’t always been the case over Montana’s long history. Democrats controlled the Montana Senate and split the House with Republicans as recently as the 2005 Legislature, the first session with Democrat Brian Schweitzer in office as governor.
Democrats who are inclined to bemoan their party’s current political fortunes could take solace in the fact that the Legislature isn’t as Republican-dominated as it was in the 1920s. The 1921 House, for example, included 98 Republicans in its 108 seats. (The Legislature wasn’t set at its current size of 100 representatives and 50 senators until the passage of the state’s modern Constitution in 1972.)
Likewise, Republicans who anticipate their current control over Montana politics to endure indefinitely should consider examining historical trends. In the mid-1930s, Democrats experienced a resurgence, reclaiming power and commanding 81 out of 102 seats in the House by 1937.
—Eric Dietrich, Deputy Editor
Photo Op
Republican Montana congressman Matt Rosendale said this week that he didn’t know the identity of a group of neo-Nazi white supremacists when he posed for a picture with them between hearings in Washington, D.C. on March 1, as first reported by the Billings Gazette.
Earlier this month, a photo surfaced on social media featuring Rosendale alongside a group of four individuals. Among them were Greyson Arnold, a well-known neo-Nazi podcaster and former YouTuber who manages a popular Telegram channel, and Ryan Sanchez, a former member of the Rise Above Movement, a notorious Nazi street-fighting gang.
Both individuals have gained significant popularity on social media and streaming platforms, mainly due to their association with Nick Fuentes. Fuentes, a prominent white supremacist influencer, is the founder of the America First Political Action Conference, which serves as an explicitly nationalist alternative to the more widely known Conservative Political Action Conference.
In a statement provided by his office to Montana Free Press, Rosendale expressed strong disapproval and complete intolerance towards hate groups, hate speech, and violence. He clarified that he did not hold a meeting with these individuals and was unaware of their identity or affiliation with hate groups when he was requested for a photo while walking between hearings. He further emphasized that these hate groups go against his personal beliefs.
An additional question regarding whether Rosendale, the second-term U.S. representative, former state auditor, and state legislator, was concerned about individuals with such beliefs seeking him out for a photo opportunity, did not receive a response from his office.
On Instagram, Arnold praised Rosendale as a courageous representative who truly puts America first.
Rosendale is an arch-Republican and a member of the U.S. House Freedom Caucus who’s taken hardline stances on immigration and refugee resettlementin Montana in the past. Other Freedom Caucus members, like Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, have previously attended the America First Political Action Conference.
In the early stages of his first term, Rosendale cast his vote in opposition to the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
In September 2021, Rosendale received $5,800 in campaign donations from Julie Fancelli, daughter of the founder of Florida-based Publix grocery stores and a major financial backer of the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021. And while he voted in favor of an earlier version of the measure, Rosendale was ultimately among the 21 House Republicans who voted against giving congressional gold medals to the U.S. Capitol police, explaining through a spokesperson at the time that he felt the bill was “playing politics” with the events of Jan. 6. He’s since opposed a congressional investigation into the Capitol riot.
Rosendale has been pictured with right-wing extremists and militants before. In 2014, he spoke at an Oath Keepers event in Kalispell. The Oath Keepers, a far-right militia group, are led by Flathead County resident Stewart Rhodes, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy last year for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. And in 2022, Rosendale’s Twitter account posted photos of the lawmaker visiting Hoplite Armor, a Montana body armor producer. The owner of the company, Lyman Bishop, has called for Montana to secede from the U.S.
“On the company’s website, Bishop boldly stated, ‘The moment has arrived, rendering your votes insignificant. It is now a choice between secession or oppression.'”
In the Telegram channel managed by Arnold, individuals openly advocate for national socialism in the United States and share offensive memes and derogatory language targeting specific races and religions. In response to a post featuring an image of Rosendale, Arnold, and Sanchez, a user expressed curiosity about the Jewish origin of the name “Rosendale.”
Rosendale has been subject to criticism from Democrats regarding the image.
“This week, Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Sheila Hogan stated in a press release, ‘If you are unable to distinguish between a Nazi and someone who is not a Nazi, you are unfit to be a representative for Montanans.'”
—Arren Kimbel-Sannit, Reporter
On Our Radar
Amanda — I’m continually impressed by Billings Gazette reporter Tom Lutey’s deep knowledge of energy and regulatory dynamics in the state. He showed that expertise again last week with this piece on the power plays at work in attempts to garner ownership of a transmission line proposed for eastern Montana. Three days after the story was published, the bill at issue, Senate Bill 353, was tabled in committee.
Alex — In the wake of his recent censure by the Montana Republican Party, former Republican Montana Gov. Marc Racicot spoke with the Flathead Beacon for a feature centered on his civic past and how he’s responded to the increased divisiveness of American politics.
Eric — I’m not entirely sure how he pulls it off, but this YouTube video of a guy wandering around his house with an infrared camera is somehow the most fascinating thing I’ve seen all week.
Arren — National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair and Republican Montana U.S. Sen. Steve Daines is looking to tap Bridger Aerospace CEO and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy to challenge Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, in 2024, according to reporting from Axios.
*Some stories may require a subscription. Subscribe!
