Worst bill ever
We've already seen a ton of bad bills coming out of the Republican-dominated Legislature, but a bill that enhances the child-custody rights of rapists is a new low.
You can help. Speak out against the bad bills here, speak up for the good bills here, and support our work to recruit progressive women to win seats across Montana.
Bad bills
A Bozeman-area freshman Republican has introduced a bill that basically boosts a rapist’s right to co-parent a child born from the assault.
This vile bill — astonishingly — is getting a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Friday morning. Message the entire committee using this link, and tell them to vote no on HB 209. You can also make a donation to support our work recruiting and supporting a good candidate who can replace this House member.
Other bad bills you can speak out on:
All four of the anti-abortion bills that passed the House. They’re heading over to the Senate Judiciary Committee soon, so please send a message to the whole committee, telling them to vote no on House Bills 136, 140, 171 and 167. These bills do nothing for women’s health care, though we heard plenty of paternalistic language on the House floor about “protecting women.”
A bill that meddles in medical care for trans kids, which was voted down on the House floor yesterday thanks to the votes of 18 Republicans (who joined all the Democrats in voting no). Use this handy form from our friends at ACLU of Montana to thank those Republican legislators for voting down this terrible bill.
A voter-suppression bill that Republicans have tried to pass a bunch of times. HB 176 takes away your right to register to vote on Election Day. Remember the ballot initiative in 2014, when almost 60 percent of Montana voters rejected this same barrier? Here it is again. Tell the House State Admin Committee to vote no on HB 176.
Good bills
A slate of bills moving through the Legislature would continue and expand on the work of the state’s Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force.
Jobs/economy bills introduced by Sen. Minority Leader Jill Cohenour (D-Helena), Rep. Emma Kerr-Carpenter (D-Billings), and others that would give property tax breaks to the not-rich and increase the earned-income-tax credit for working families.
#womenrule - links you can share to support D women legislators
House Minority Leader Kim Abbott (D-Helena) is on Twitter, and you should follow her. And retweet her. She sees the big picture and doesn’t post doom all day, even though as Minority Leader in this session we’d understand if she did.
Sen. JP Pomnichowski (D-Bozeman) did a Facebook Live with the Gallatin County Democrats about, among other things, her common-sense bill relaxing retail alcohol sales before 8 am.
Sen. Jen Gross (D-Billings) was crowned “Hero of the Week” in Forward Montana’s weekly Leg report, What the Helena, for her remarks on HB 102 (the terrible campus concealed carry bill). From the report:
Sen. Gross brought up the key point that alcohol and guns combined is, erm, BAD. She spoke to her own experience as a server for many years and called out the missing perspective of restaurant and bar owners -- requesting they be brought into the conversation before moving forward. Her willingness to share her personal experience and ask hard-hitting questions warmed our weary hearts!! Thank you Senator Gross, we are behind you all the way and would love to share a meal with you any day.