Rapid Response Team:

   Just FIVE days remain until the transmittal deadline, the date by which all bills in one chamber must be transmitted to the other. Most of the bills we're following will be voted on by Monday or Tuesday of next week.  

   So, here's a LONG list of action items.  Please take action when you can and as often as you can; Don't let up until one week from tomorrow. 
   You will receive an update when bill statuses change, meaning you'll be getting a lot of email over the next week.  
                                                           Thank you for your advocacy! 
                 Don't let up!  It's perfectly fine to send more than one message on the same topic!

   For all of the following bills, please use one or a mix of these contact points:

• Use this link to contact committees and individual legislators.  
• If your local elected official is on the committee, please call and/or text them to back up your message. 
• A list of committee members is here.
• You can also reach them by leaving a message at the Capitol Switchboard at 406.444.4800 (during business hours only).  The messages get printed and delivered.

     
Power Grab!

• HB 588 was introduced, scheduled for a hearing, and passed out of committee in the last 48 hours.  It is on its way to the full House floor. 
• Please call your local Representative and ask them to VOTE NO!
• HB 588 allows the Governor to appoint up to 10 percent of the employees at any agency (280 people in DPHHS), completely circumventing the hiring process in an 11th hour power grab.
• Employees should be hired according to their skill set, not their friendships or political affiliations.

Union-Busting Bills (Oppose all!)

1. HB 168 HAS BEEN TABLED in House Business and Labor Committee
   • Please THANK THE COMMITTEE!
   • Talking points: 
     • THANK YOU FOR STANDING WITH MT WORKERS!
2. SB 89 is stuck between committee and the full Senate Floor
   • Please contact your Senator and ask them to SCHEDULE THE BILL ON 2ND READING AND VOTE NO!
   • Talking points here
3. HB 251 is stuck in House Business and Labor Committee
   • Please ask the committee to HOLD A VOTE AND TABLE THE BILL.
   • Talking points here
4. SB 228 had a hearing in Senate State Administration Wed. 2/24
   • Please ask the committee to TABLE THE BILL!
   • Talking points here
5. HB 461 has a hearing in House Business and Labor Fri 2/26
   • Please ask the committee to TABLE THE BILL!
   • Talking points:
     • This is "Right to Work" for healthcare providers (nurses) at non-profit institutions.
     • Why target them, especially NOW?

Attacks on Public Education (Oppose all!)

1. HB 129 is stuck in Senate Taxation Committee
2. Please ask the committee to TABLE THE BILL!
3. HB 129 allows for 529 Education Savings accounts to be used for private, religious, and homeschool expenses--the school doesn't need to be accredited, have an elected board, or located in Montana.  This is an expansion of the federal law and will put all 529 accounts at risk in MT

     2. HB 279 is stuck in House Education Committee

• Please ask the committee to TABLE THE BILL!
• HB 279 gives a tax credit to anyone who contributes to a student scholarship organization (SSO). SSO's fund private, religious institutions. HB279 defunds public education by siphoning off public funding that should be going to public purposes. The schools who receive the SSO money do not have to be accredited, have an elected board, or be located in Montana.  See fiscal note here.

     3. HB 329 is on it's way to a vote in the full HOUSE of Representatives.

• Please contact your Representative and ask them to VOTE NO!
• HB 329 will force public schools to send a portion of their funding to OPI, who will then send the public money to any private entity (corporation, private school, religious school, etc.) for any IEP or 504 student who chooses to seek services outside their school. It is an unconstitutional appropriation of public funding for private purposes (Article 5, section 11).  See the legal review note and fiscal note.

     4. Funding for mental health services has not been included in the budget.

• Please contact the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Claims committees and ask them to FUND CSCT SERVICES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
• This legislature needs to approve funding for CSCT (mental health) services in schools until the Federal/State plan kicks in in a few months. Students mental health should be a priority now more than ever.  Students should not have to suffer while we wait for federal aid to come.  Fund the bridge!

State Employee Pay Plan (support)

• HB 13 is stuck in Senate Finance and Claims committee
• Please contact the committee and as them to PASS THE BILL!
• HB 13 is a fair deal negotiated with the governor and passed by the House.  The Governor supports it. Public employees have shown up do deliver essential services to MT every single day during this year-long pandemic.  

 Pensions

• SB 188 is in Senate Education
• Please contact the committee and ask them to TABLE THE BILL!
• SB 188 extends the number of years that retired teachers can return to work when districts can't find a certified teacher to fill a position. This compromises the stability of the Teachers Retirement System (TRS).

Defund Public Services

• HB 303, SB 159 and SB 182 have all passed out of their committees and are up for votes in the full Senate
• Please call your local Senator and ask them to VOTE NO!
• These bills will reduce revenues to support vital public services like public safety, public education, higher education, and more.  Over time, these bills will lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in reductions.  
• Don't Brownback our state! We don't want to look like Kansas!

Voting Rights

• HB 176 is up for a vote in the full Senate
• HB 176 eliminates same day voter registration, preventing thousands of Montanans from voting.
• Same-day voter registration was approved by Montana voters on the general election ballot, and legislators shouldn't overturn the will of the people.
• Montana's Constitution guarantees free and fair elections and prevents interference in the free exercise of our right to vote.

HB251

   This week, workers came out in droves from across the state and spoke in solidarity opposing HB251 and “right-to-work” legislation in front of the House Business and Labor Committee. However, we need YOUR help to keep up the momentum and let legislators in this committee know that "right-to-work" is wrong for Montana.
 
   By every important measure, the quality of life is worse in states with “right-to-work” laws. These laws take away working people’s freedom to join together and negotiate for a fair return on our work.

   In states with "right-to-work" laws, wages are lower, poverty levels are higher, people are less likely to have health insurance and resources for education are lower—even infant mortality and the likelihood of being killed on the job are higher.

   Putting a stop to "right-to-work" legislation will protect our wages, benefits and even save lives. Together, we can keep Montana the Last Best Place.

   Make a call to the House Business and Labor Committee and tell them to vote NO on HB 251 at committee because our unions are important to our good pay and quality healthcare.

   By clicking the link above, we will connect you with the Montana legislature and guide you through how to leave a message for the House Business and Labor Committee. Calls can be made between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

In Solidarity,
Team Montana AFL-CIO

HB 251

   This bill was being heard in the House Business and Labor Committee this morning at 8:30.  You can watch here.  HB 251 is being pushed by the National Right to Work Coalition. They are spending money on mailers and paid phone calls to push their extreme anti-worker agenda. Randy Pope out of Belgrade is their Montana point person.

HB129

   THREE school privatization bills are being heard in the Montana legislature THIS WEEK!
 
   All these bills seek to privatize public education in Montana, and taken together, would divert tens of millions of public tax dollars to unaccountable and unregulated private schools. 
 
Call your Senator and Representative TODAY and leave them a message asking for
 "NO" vote on all three of these bills.

You can leave a message using the Capitol switchboard by calling 406-444-4800.  
 
Use this link to follow up with an email saying the same thing--"Please, vote NO on these three school privatization bills!"
 
You can use this link to find your Representative/Senator.
 
   HB 129 (Bedey) – would allow tax deductible contributions to k-12 tuition savings accounts to attend private schools, religious schools, and home schools. Nothing in the bill requires that schools actually be in Montana, that they be accredited, that they hire licensed and endorsed educators, or that they adhere to any local, state, and federal requirements for educating students. 

   Bill has already passed through the House and is currently in front of Senate Tax Committee. 
Please urge all Montana Senators to vote NO!
 
   HB 279

   HB 279 (Berglee) – would allow any taxpayer (including corporations) to receive a tax credit of up to $200,000 (yes – that’s right - $200,000) for contributions to private school scholarship organizations. 
   Schools benefiting from these scholarships would not have to meet accreditation requirements and could be located anywhere in the world. 
   HB 279 would also eliminate testing and accountability requirements that were previously in place for this program.    Worst of all, taxpayers who funnel money to these scholarship organizations are allowed to meet their TOTAL Montana income tax obligation through these donations.  If their contribution is more than their tax obligation, they can carry over the remainder to cover Montana income taxes owed for up to two additional years. 

   Bill is currently in House Education Committee. 
Please urge all committee members to vote NO!

  HB329

   HB 329 (Vinton) – HB 329 provides any special education student in Montana with a publicly funded “savings account” to attend a private school, again anywhere in the world, utilizing local school district and state funding. 
   
   Despite students not attending a local public school, students would still be classified as students of their home public school district, creating potential liability and expense for Montana school districts.  

Bill to be heard Monday in House Education committee. 
Please tell all committee members to vote NO!
 
Public schools in Montana serve all Montana students and are accountable to all of us. 
They deserve the support of all Montanans. 
 
   Contact your legislators right away and tell them to vote no on these egregious efforts to undermine public education in Montana. 

HB 251

The hearing for HB251 - the bill to implement "Right-to-Work" in Montana - has been rescheduled in the House Business and Labor Committee for Tuesday, February 16.

We must get as many messages as possible to this committee to let them know how dangerous this bill is for Montana's workers. We are encouraging everyone to tell members to call the House Business and Labor Committee and voice their opposition to HB251. 
 
The following link will connect members to a "click-to-call" program that will give them instructions on how to leave a message in opposition to HB251. Please share widely:

Make a call to the House Business and Labor Committee and tell them to vote NO on HB 251 at committee because our unions are important to our good pay and quality healthcare.
 
Here is the link for our Right-to-Work social media and messaging toolkit with further resources:
http://go.aflcio.org/mt-rtw
 
Also please note: HB201, a bill that changes prevailing wage zoning, is still being heard this Thursday. 
 
James Burrows
Communications Director
Montana AFL-CIO
Cell: 406-439-2355

Senate Bill 89

   How many times will they try to kill us this session?  What will Montana look like when they're through?  This legislature seems bent on gutting union rights, eliminating voting rights and inserting big government into our local control, our personal lives, our workplaces...
   Yesterday, Senate Bill 89 was amended and passed out of committee.
​It will be up for a vote of the full Montana Senate any day now.                   66 Days left...
 
URGENT

What is Senate Bill 89 and why is it a problem?

   Senate Bill 89 is government intrusion on the voluntary relationship between unions and our members.

   In its current form, the bill eliminates our ability to pay our union dues through paycheck deduction. If the bill passes, every MFPE member will have to sign up for a bank account deduction to pay union dues.

   The bill has one purpose - to make it harder to be part of a union.

What do Montana's state senators need to know? Here are the facts:

• State employees can contribute to over 350 organizations through paycheck deduction, including the NRA. Local government and school employees have similar arrangements to contribute to charities, pay bills, and more. It's wrong to single out union dues.
• It doesn't cost the employer ANYTHING to process payroll deduction because it's an automated process.
• Paycheck deductions have been bargained through employee/employer agreements as the most efficient and convenient way to process dues.  
• SB 89 tells workers what we can and can't do with our paychecks.
• SB 89 is government intrusion into the voluntary relationship between employers/employees
• This bill takes away bargained rights of essential workers (teachers, law enforcement, nurses). Why pick on us, especially now?
• This bill affects every union in Montana: MFPE, Montana AFL-CIO, MNA, IBEW, Operators, Teamsters, Machinists, Carpenters, Ironworkers. All testified against it in committee. The only proponent was a corporate lobbyist.

From Amanda Curtis, MFPE president 

How many MFPE-killers will they bring this session?  Two so far.
How many union-killers will they bring this session?  Three so far.
 
The Senate Committee postponed a vote on this bill today for some unknown reason.  Maybe it's because they realize that, in addition to union dues, public employees can have 350+ other voluntary deductions taken from their paychecks, including NRA contributions.  
 
SB 89 is a bad bill.
 
The only proponent was and out-of-state, Koch-funded schill for Americans for Prosperity. 

There's still time to call your Senator. 
​ A full list of phone numbers and emails follows the article:
 
Public Unions Oppose Senate Bill 89 Banning Member Paycheck Deductions

KEMC | By Kevin Trevellyan
Published January 25, 2021 at 9:27 PM MST

A Montana lawmaker introduced a bill Monday that would require public unions, not employers, to collect dues from members. Union representatives oppose the bill.

Senate Bill 89 would bar public employers from deducting dues from a union member’s paycheck.

Republican Sen. Keith Regier of Kalispell said the proposal aligns Montana with the spirit of a watershed 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision saying public employees don’t have to pay dues to unions that collectively bargain on worker’s behalf.

“To have union dues as withholding can give the impression that it’s also mandatory to belong to a union," Regier said.

The bill hearing featured one proponent, a lobbyist for the conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity Montana. More than two dozen public and private union representatives testified in opposition to the bill.

Montana Federation of Public Employees President Amanda Curtis said public employers use automated deductions for various other non-mandatory payments, including to utilities, charities and auto loan providers.

The Senate State Administration Committee hasn’t yet scheduled a vote on Senate Bill 89.

HB 168

   The House Business and Labor Committee will soon vote on HB168 and whether or not to send this anti-worker bill to the floor. Committee members need to hear as much opposition as possible.
(Please see the list of committee members at the bottom of this message.)
 
   Please send messages to the members of this committee to state your opposition.
Below are instructions on how to do this:
 
   BY PHONE: individuals can call 406.444.4800 and say they want to leave a message for members of the House Business and Labor committee.

SUBMIT COMMENT ONLINE:

To submit a comment opposing HB 168 go to https://leg.mt.gov/web-messaging/ and follow the instructions below.

1. After you fill out the required fields, you must choose the committee to which you would like to submit a comment. You have the option of either legislators or committee. 
 
This is a house bill so you must make sure you select (H) Business and Labor from the drop-down menu.

2. Under Bill Type and Number select HB and type 168.
3. Enter your message to the committee. Keep it simple and to the point. Below are message guidelines.
 
Attached to this email I've also included individual contact information for each member of the committee.
 
RECOMMENDED MESSAGING:
 
HB 168: ILLEGAL INTRUSION ON WORKER RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS
 
(1) Unlawful government intrusion on the voluntary relationship between unions and their members
(2) Creates a bureaucratic nightmare 

THE FACTS 
• Every single state and federal court to consider the issues presented in HB 168, including a state court in Montana, has ruled that the Janus decision does not apply to the voluntary relationship between unions and their members. 

HB 168 is government overreach and an assault on the freedom of speech and association of frontline workers like nurses, educators, police, and state troopers who protect, serve, educate, and care for Montana citizens. 
 
Union members are not forced to join the union but instead choose to join. 

HB 168 creates chaos in school districts, local governments, and state governments by allowing any number of parties to negotiate with public employers. SB 89 sows discord and undoes a century of labor stability and peace in Montana. 

• HB 168 is harmful, unnecessary, and unconstitutional. Our nurses, law enforcement, firefighters, and teachers who have delivered essential services to every Montana community during a global pandemic deserve better. 
 
HB 168:  HARMFUL, UNNECESSARY, AND UNLAWFUL.
 
James Burrows
Communications Director
Montana AFL-CIO
Cell: 406-439-2355

   HB 168 has been referred to the House Business and Labor Committee.
   Members should flood this committee with messages opposing the bill.

NOTE:  The Great Falls Legislators on the committee are Ed Buttery, Fred Anderson, and Steve Gist. 
(Attached to the end of this email is the full contact list for the Committee.)
   
   A FIRST HEARING WILL BE HELD ON THIS BILL FRIDAY.

   HB 168 is unlawful government overreach that interferes with the voluntary agreements between unions and members. This bill seeks to fundamentally undermine our collective voice as workers and will lead to lower wages and less safe workplaces.

WHAT IT DOES --
   1. Requires union members to opt-in to their union once a year by signing an unlawful waiver of rights. If a worker does not opt-in, then that worker's union membership ceases and dues are no longer paid to the union. 
   2. Takes important resources and time away from a unions ability to collectively bargain for higher wages and safer working conditions. 

WHO TO CONTACT -- House Business and Labor Committee
 
  LINK:   People can go to the link below, and they have to select "committee." Then, choose the committee they're looking to contact:  https://leg.mt.gov/web-messaging/

   PHONE:  By phone people can call 406.444.4800 and say they want to leave a message for members of the House Business and Labor committee.

Attached to the bottom of this email is the full contact list for the Committee:
​

MESSAGING TO USE --

• Most Montanans agree that working people should have the freedom to join together in strong unions if they choose to. HB168 is an attack on public service workers’ freedom to negotiate for the quality public services we all rely on.

 

• HB168 targets frontline workers—the nurses, teachers, firefighters, law enforcement, sanitation and food service workers who kept us safe and our communities functioning during the COVID outbreak.

HB 168:  ILLEGAL INTRUSION ON WORKER RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

   1.  Unlawful government intrusion on the voluntary relationship between unions and their members;
   2. Allows the government to tell workers what they can and can't do with their own paycheck;
   3. Creates a bureaucratic nightmare. 

THE FACTS --  
   • Every single state and federal court to consider the issues presented in HB 168, including a state court in Montana, has ruled that the Janus decision does not apply to the voluntary relationship between unions and their members. 

   HB 168 is government overreach and an assault on the freedom of speech and association of frontline workers like nurses, educators, police and state troopers who protect, serve, educate and care for Montana citizens. 

   • No one is ever forced to join a union and union members voluntarily agree to pay dues.

   Union members are not forced to join the union, but instead, choose to join. 

   HB 168 creates chaos in school districts, local and state governments by allowing any number of parties to negotiate with public employers.
   SB 89 sows discord and undoes a century of labor stability and peace in Montana. 
   In every unionized public sector worksite in Montana - school districts, universities, cities, counties, state and more, management and workers have VOLUNTARILY negotiated that the employer will deduct dues for members from their paychecks. No one forced this to occur; both workers and employers have agreed over and over again that this is an efficient and practical option. 

   • HB 168 is harmful, unnecessary and unconstitutional.
   Our nurses, law enforcement, firefighters, and teachers who have delivered essential services to every Montana community during a global pandemic deserve better. 

HB 168:  HARMFUL, UNNECESSARY, AND UNLAWFUL.

Attached below is the full contact list for the Committee: