Montana Freedom Caucus - Friday, May 2
The Governor must veto all the bills listed below if he is to call himself a conservative.
Please call Governor Gianforte’s office at 406-444-3111 every day asking for a VETO.
House Bill 818, which was intended to ban foreign funding for ballot measures, has passed the Legislature with language making the bill ineffective. It is now headed to Governor Gianforte’s desk. This is a critical moment for election integrity in Montana, and we need your help in asking the Governor to veto the bill!
The final version of HB 818 is limited in scope and renders the bill useless to safeguarding Montana’s elections from foreign funding.
This bill fails to ban indirect contributions. Currently, foreign nationals utilize passthrough organizations to indirectly donate to statewide ballot initiatives in Montana. The Senate floor amendment stripped the indirect ban on foreign contributions and the conference committee failed to restore it. The Legislature’s bill only addresses direct contributions for the purpose of influencing a ballot measure, an uncommon method of ballot funding. The bill no longer prohibits indirect contributions to a passthrough organization’s general fund, which can in turn be donated to a ballot initiative. This is exactly how the Sixteen Thirty Fund contributed $3.1 million to a ballot issue committee supporting enshrining abortion into Montana’s state constitution.
Take Action:
Call or Email Governor Gianforte – Urge him to veto HB 818!
Phone: (406) 444-3111
Email: governor@mt.gov
Comment: Submit a comment online
Spread the Word – Share this message with friends, family, and community members.
Montana ballots should reflect Montana values–not foreign billionaires. Passing this bill in its current form is worse than doing nothing–it gives voters and legislators a false sense of security while leaving our elections wide open to foreign manipulation.
Thank you for taking action,
Montana State Director
Heritage Action