After Vetoing Funding for Habitat MT, Governor Gianforte Poses For Photoshoot to Take Credit for the Program He Bilked
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 19, 2023
CONTACT
hadley@montanademocrats.org
After killing $30 million for wildlife habitat, public trails, state parks, working lands, weed management, and water conservation by vetoing SB 442, Gianforte posed for a photoshoot celebrating the opening of the Big Snowy Mountains Wildlife Management Area. The Big Snowies MWA was made possible by Habitat Montana, the very program he bilked days earlier.
Despite support from 132 legislators on both sides of the aisle, and 56 county commissioners, local government elected officials, public land advocates, and hunters, anglers, and hikers across the state, Governor Gianforte vetoed the bill that would have used marijuana tax revenue to secure millions of dollars for Habitat Montana, fund the maintenance and construction of rural roads, and provide assistance for veterans and their surviving spouses and dependents.
“The Governor has made some seriously bad choices with his veto pen this session. SB 442 has a historic coalition of support— did he think we wouldn’t notice he was taking credit for something he vetoed?” said Sheila Hogan, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. “But we aren’t surprised—Gianforte’s only real political skill is taking credit for other people’s work.”
This is not the first time Governor Gianforte has taken credit for something he has actively fought against. Last year, after decrying the American Rescue Plan as “fiscally irresponsible”, he went on a whirlwind credit-taking tour:
The Governor posed with a $1.9 million check for Dillon’s water infrastructure– money that had been secured through ARPA
Announced $1.5 million to address the case backlog with the Billings public defender office – money that had been secured through ARPA
Promoted a $31 million grant to child care facilities on a press tour, and failed to acknowledge the source of the money was ARPA
Celebrated his Return to Work Bonus program (despite falling far short of expectations) – all $3.7 million of those funds came from ARPA
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