Press Release

Dear State Central Committee Members:

Our annual State Central Committee meeting will be held in conjunction with the Officers’ Convention as follows:

Saturday, June 15, 2019
Helena Great Northern Hotel
835 Great Northern Boulevard Helena, MT 59601
1:00 PM

A copy of the Agenda can be found here.

The Rules Committee has recommended amendments to the Bylaws for your consideration. A copy of the proposed changes with the rationale for them have been mailed and emailed to you.

A Credentials and Proxy form was included with your Call to Convention. If you have already submitted your credentials/proxy form, then you do not need to complete another one. It is good for both the Officers’ Convention and the State Central Committee meeting.

However, if you are attending only the State Central Committee meeting and have not yet provided your credentials, please complete the form and return it to the Montana Republican Party via email to Elections2019@mtgop.org.

As with prior conventions, we recommend you bring a copy of your completed credential/proxy form with you to Convention. Remember, you MUST have a paid registration and pick up your badge at the Convention prior to Saturday, June 15th at 9 AM to be fully credentialed.

We look forward to seeing you in Helena.

In Liberty,

Debra Lamm, Chairman
Montana Republican Party

8 days ago, Senator Tester promised Montanans he’d endorse a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate in the next week (while once again declining to endorse Gov. Bullock’s run for President).

When Tester was asked if he would endorse his home-state Governor he responded with: “I’m going to be endorsing. I’ll tell you this, Margaret: It’s going to happen in the next week.”

Well, last week has come and gone – and Tester has yet to utter a word about who he’s supporting for President in 2020.

Tester has so far shown little interest in backing Bullock’s long-shot presidential campaign. He even took a shot at Bullock for not having the fire in his belly nor the willingness to make the necessary sacrifices to run for the U.S. Senate seat.

Here’s what Tester had to say on Morning Joe a few weeks ago about Bullock’s run:

“Well I will tell you that we need good people to run and we will have a good person to run in Montana, somebody that has a fire in their belly and willing to do the sacrifice needed to do to win a Senate seat… Look, Steve Bullock is a very good friend… He’s been a long time friend – and a good one. I’ve got a lot of good friends in this race cause there’s so many people running for president. And I would just tell you that I want to let things move out.”

So, is Tester planning to snub Bullock on a presidential endorsement? We’ll just have to wait and see how much longer he drags this out…

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Welcome to Day 3! Our dedicated Governor Bullock arrives in Iowa today for a three-day swing through Des Moines, Newton, Independence, Dubuque, Maquoketa, Clinton, and Davenport.

You got that right – our Montana Governor arrives in Iowa today to chase his hopeless presidential dreams.

And while he jet-sets off to Iowa for his long-shot bid to challenge President Trump, many Montanans are asking (rightfully so) who exactly will govern Montana.

In addition to abandoning his job as Governor, he’s also leaving the Montana taxpayer to foot the bill for his executive protection while he’s out-of-state on the campaign trail.

Seriously – Every time Bullock leaves the state for a campaign event or fundraiser, or to rub shoulders and schmooze with lobbyists and liberal special interests at high-end dinners – the Montana taxpayer is picking up the tab for his executive protection.

And – it’s not a small amount either – we’ve already paid $309,420 in taxpayer dollars for Governor Bullock to campaign on our dime! And that number is only going to increase now that he’s officially running to defeat President Trump!

We deserve to know why the Montana taxpayer should have to swallow the cost of his executive protection when he’s out campaigning and not doing his job as Governor.

As Governor Bullock begins Day 2 of his pipe-dream to become President of the United States, he’s not off to a great start…

This morning on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Senator Jon Tester was asked about Gov. Bullock’s decision to take a pass on running for U.S. Senate, and whether he’d endorse Bullock for president.

First, Tester takes a swipe at Bullock for not running for the U.S. Senate and promises folks that they’d find a candidate who actually has ‘fire in their belly’ and was ‘willing to do the sacrifice needed to do to win a Senate seat.’ Ouch.

Sen. Tester: “Well I will tell you that we need good people to run and we will have a good person to run in Montana, somebody that has a fire in their belly and willing to do the sacrifice needed to do to win a Senate seat.”

Watch it all right here…

Things got even more awkward when Tester said Bullock was a very ‘good friend’ but expressed no interest in backing his presidential run.

Sen. Tester: “Look, Steve Bullock is a very good friend … He’s been a long time friend – and a good one. I’ve got a lot of good friends in this race cause there’s so many people running for president. And I would just tell you that I want to let things move out. We’re 18 months before the election and like I said I’ve got to work with all these folks so hopefully we’ll get some policy done over the next 6-8 months, next year and a half, and help move the country forward.”

Yikes… Gov. Bullock can’t even get an endorsement from his good friend and home-state Senator Jon Tester – and they’re already looking for a real candidate who has fire in the belly for the 2020 U.S. Senate race! Did they forget about Wilmot Collins already?

Better luck with Day 3, Gov!

It’s official, Governor Bullock is ready to jet-set off to Iowa and New Hampshire in his bid to become the next President of the United States.

And, boy, does he have a sweetheart deal …

As Bullock travels to these early primary states and holds fundraisers across the nation, his security detail for his out-of-state campaign travel will be paid for by the Montana taxpayer – a total amount just shy of $300,000 this year alone.

This raises a simple question: Why should the Montana taxpayer be left on the hook to pay for Gov. Bullock’s security detail when he travels out-of-state for campaign purposes?

With at least five visits to Iowa and New Hampshire under his belt, the Montana taxpayers have already been picking up the tab for quite some time – and that doesn’t even include all of his out-of-state fundraisers with wealthy donors and special interest groups he’s held in anticipation of today’s announcement that he’s kept under wraps …

This wouldn’t be the first time Bullock abused taxpayer resources … During his 2016 re-election campaign he used the State Plane to attend campaign events and fundraisers across the state. Even back then, Bullock was ignoring state law that prohibits the use of taxpayer dollars for campaign purposes. He ended up paying back the state of Montana over $7,500 for his campaign travel and fines incurred for violating the law.

Just because Bullock’s leaving Montana in his rear-view mirror to run for President doesn’t mean Montana taxpayers should have to pick up the nearly $300,000 tab to pay for his pipe dream.

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Helena, Montana – Chairman of the Montana Republican Party, Debra Lamm, released the following statement today after Governor Bullock announced he is running for President of the United States:

“Governor Bullock joins a long list of 20-plus Democrats hoping to take on and defeat President Trump, and he’s doing it at the Montana taxpayers’ expense. Montanans are footing his campaign bill so he can jet-set off and raise millions of dollars from lobbyists, special interests, and liberal activists. Just because Gov. Bullock’s ego thinks he can become President of the United States doesn’t mean that hard-working Montanans should be left picking up a nearly $300,000 tab to pay for his pipe dream.”

Background:

HB 693 was introduced during the 2019 Legislative session to address campaign travel reimbursement for Montana’s statewide elected officials.

In the fiscal analysis, the Montana Highway Patrol estimated that Governor Bullock’s out-of-state campaign travel for 2019 is expected to cost taxpayers $273,000.

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Helena, Montana – Chairman of the Montana Republican Party, Debra Lamm, released the following statement today after Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins announced he will seek the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Montana:

“Wilmot Collins is just another liberal Democrat who will be a rubberstamp for the far-left’s radical agenda. Collins will stand against President Trump every chance he gets and reverse all that we’ve accomplished these last few years. He will be a vote for open borders and eliminating ICE, restoring voting rights for terrorists and felons, seizing our guns, giving Social Security and Medicare benefits to illegal immigrants, and bankrupting our nation with Medicare-for-All and the Green New Deal. Collins will be in lockstep with the extreme far-left – and not with Montanans.”

“Senator Daines has fought tirelessly to protect our Montana way of life – standing in strong support of our Second Amendment Rights, expanding access to our public lands, securing our borders and protecting our citizens, cutting taxes and creating high-paying jobs across the state, and keeping the federal government out of our lives. Daines will be a consistent voice for our Montana values and work with President Trump to Keep America Great!”

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Debra Lamm, Chairman of the Montana Republican Party, released the following statement on Kathleen William’s candidacy for the Democrat nomination for the U.S. House:

“Kathleen Williams is just too extreme for Montana. She supports gun control, Medicare for All, sanctuary cities, open borders, and amnesty. The people of Montana rejected this California liberal once—and I have no doubt they’ll reject her again next November.”

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Official Call of the 2019 Montana Republican Party State Officers’ Convention

Dear Central Committee Members and Elected Officials,

We are excited to announce the 2019 Montana Republican Party State Officers’ Convention will be held on June 13-15, 2019 at the Helena Great Northern Hotel.

Purpose. According to the Montana Republican Party Bylaws B.IV.B., “The State Officers’ Convention shall elect a state chairman and a state vice chairman, one of whom must be a woman, one of whom must be a man, a secretary, a treasurer, and an assistant treasurer of the State Central Committee.”

Convention Delegates. B.IV.D. of our Bylaws also state, “Those entitled to vote at the Convention shall be the members of the State Central Committee, the Republican incumbents in national and statewide office, Republican incumbents on the Public Service Commission, and Republican members of the Legislative Assembly, or their duly appointed proxies. Each delegate shall have one vote.”

Registration. Your registration ticket includes full-access to the Convention and the VIP Dinner. We are offering an Early Bird Special registration fee of $195. After Friday, May 3, 2019 at 11:59 PM, the registration fee will increase to $245.  A late registration fee of $295 will go into effect after Friday, May 24, 2019 at 11:59 PM. Please don’t delay and register today!

If interested in attending only the VIP Dinner, you can purchase a ticket just for that event. The cut-off date is Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 11:59 PM.

You can register online at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-mtgop-state-officers-convention-tickets-59791056660

Credentials & Proxy. Please complete and return the credential form, and if needed, the proxy form, which can be accessed HERE.

***You must be credentialed for the event by Saturday, June 15, 2019 at 9:00 AM.***

Room Block. We have a room block available at a discounted rate with the Helena Great Northern Hotel. Please call the hotel directly at: (406) 457-5500 and tell them you are with the Montana Republican Party. You will have until Tuesday, May 28, 2019 to reserve a room at the discounted rate.

Questions. If you have any questions please contact us at elections2019@mtgop.org or call the Office at (406) 442-6469 and we’d be happy to assist you.

We are looking forward to another successful event!

In Liberty,

Debra Lamm
Chairman
Montana Republican Party

How many trips will Gov. Bullock make to Iowa and New Hampshire before he announces his grand ambitions to run for President of the United States?

Bullock has already been to Iowa three times this year during the Legislative session, and this weekend he jet-sets off to New Hampshire to attend a Snowflake Reception hosted by a local Democrat group and will also celebrate the 40th Birthday of the New Hampshire Democratic Senate Majority Leader, Dan Feltes.

There’s also the matter that Chuck Schumer is begging Bullock to enter the U.S. Senate race against Daines – where Bullock would no doubt be another puppet for Schumer and the far-left liberal agenda.

In just a short amount of time, Bullock has moved quickly to the left as he strives to stay in lock-step with his radicalized Party …

• Bullock has done a 180 and is doubling-down on his support for universal background checks and a ban on semi-automatic guns
• Bullock denounced President Trump’s efforts to secure our border and build the wall. As criminals, drugs, and human traffickers flood across our border, Bullock doesn’t believe that’s an emergency that our country should address.
• Bullock is actively pushing a universal, government-run pre-Keducation program for our kids.
• Lastly, Bullock is the latest Democrat embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal. He refused and even concealed the fact to a future employer that his close friend and trusted adviser was fired for sexual harassment. This individual would later be accused of sexually harassing two more women in this new job.

Now whether Bullock’s running for President or U.S. Senate, there’s no doubt that he will be another loyal foot soldier for Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi.

Expect even more out-of-state travel from Gov. Bullock over the coming months as he looks to higher office….

Overview

We’re halfway through the Legislative session and our Republican Legislators are doing great work standing up and defending our conservative values and protecting our Montana way of life:

• NO NEW TAXES – and killing Gov. Bullock’s tax increases
• Reducing the size of government
• Demanding accountability in government agencies
• Expanding job and educational opportunities
• Increasing access to public lands
• Protecting the rights of private landowners  

Op-Ed from the House Speaker

We encourage you to read House Speaker Greg Hertz’s op-ed below.

Billings Gazette: Montana GOP legislative agenda on track
March 3, 2019

As speaker of the House, it is a goal of mine to have unity within the Republican Caucus and a positive working relationship with the minority party. At the halfway point of the 66th legislative session, we are hitting those marks. 

Another goal of this session, was to put the K-12 funding bill on the governor’s desk very early in the process. In other sessions this bill was often used as a political football late in the session, sometimes as late as May. We passed it out of the House in January and it has been signed by the governor. 

Success in the Legislature is not always about passing legislation, rather it is often measured by killing bad legislation. So far this session we have been able to stop several pieces of bad legislation including: a tax on fireworks, a carbon tax, multiple sales taxes and limiting a restaurants ability to use plastic straws. 

The House of Representatives has been able to pass out several pieces of good legislation including several gun rights bills. One of these bills would allow people with a concealed weapon permit to move to a different city or county within the state without having to notify law enforcement. Another Second Amendment bill would prohibit local governments from regulating private sales and the carrying of a concealed weapon. 

One of the most important issues every legislative session is the state budget. The governor submits his budget proposal to the legislature at the beginning of each session. This session the governor’s budget included $150 million in new taxes on the backs of Montana families. It also included a 10 percent increase in spending and growth of government by 76 full-time equivalents. The Republican-controlled Legislature soundly rejected those ideas. We can live within our means and restore the governor’s detrimental cuts to essential services, such as provider rates, while at the same time balancing our budget. We can do all of this without increasing taxes on Montana families. 

The session is only half over and we still have work to do. We will need to finalize the budget, work on Medicaid reform and come to an agreement on an infrastructure plan. 

As Republicans we, are unified behind the ideas of no new taxes, reducing the size of government, demanding accountability in our government agencies, expanding job and educational opportunities, increasing access to hunting opportunities and protecting the rights of private landowners.

Social Media

Be sure to follow the Montana House and Senate Republican Leadership on social media. You will find a great selection of posts, articles, charts, op-eds, and videos discussing important bills and issues this session.

-You can follow the Montana House Republicans on Facebook by clicking HERE and on Twitter by clicking HERE.

-You can follow the Montana Senate Republicans on Facebook by clicking HERE, on Twitter by clicking HERE, and on Instagram by clicking HERE.

We hope you enjoy these posts. Please LIKE/SHARE and RT to help us spread the word! Thank you.

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