2021 Voting Record

MEIC 2021 Voting Record

The MEIC Legislative Voting Record has provided objective, factual information about the most important environmental legislation of all members of the Montana Senate and House of Representatives for every session since 1974. This year’s legislative scorecard includes critical votes on fossil fuels, land use planning, water quality, climate change, environmental policy, and clean energy.

For the full scorecard, including the list of 30 bills we scored, visit our website: https://meic.org/bill-tracker/#/legislators/ statescorecard

Rep. Denise Hayman (D-Bozeman)

Sen. J.P. Pomnichowski (D-Bozeman)

Environmental Champions

A number of legislators have been heroes when it came to advocating and passing strong environmental protections throughout the years. MEIC relies heavily on these heroes in the fight for clean air, clean water, and a just transition to a clean energy economy. We’d like to acknowledge some of our biggest champions who are term-limited. They will be sorely missed.

Sen. Jill Cohenour (D-Helena) Rep. Mary Ann Dunwell (D-Helena)

Sen. Mary McNally (D-Billings)

Senator Town

Ankney, Duane Colstrip

Bennett, Bryce Missoula

Blasdel, Mark Kalispell

Bogner, Kenneth Miles City

Boland, Carlie Great Falls

Boldman, Ellie Missoula

Brown, Bob Thompson Falls

Cohenour, Jill East Helena

Cuffe, Mike Eureka

Ellis, Janet Helena

Ellsworth, Jason Hamilton

Esp, John Big Timber

Fitzpatrick, Steve Great Falls

Flowers, Pat Belgrade

Fox, Mike Hays

Friedel, Chris Billings

Gauthier, Terry Helena

Gillespie, Butch Ethridge

Glimm, Carl Kila

Gross, Jen Billings

Hertz, Greg Polson

Hinebauch, Steve Wibaux

Hoven, Brian Great Falls

Howard, David Park City

Jacobson, Tom Helena

Kary, Douglas Billings

Keenan, Bob Bigfork

Lang, Mike Malta

Lynch, Ryan Butte

Manzella, Theresa Hamilton

McClafferty, Edie Butte

McGillvray, Tom Billings

McNally, Mary Billings

Molnar, Brad Laurel

Morigeau, Shane Missoula

O’Brien, Shannon Missoula

Osmundson, Ryan Buffalo

Pomnichowski, J.P. Bozeman

Pope, Christopher Bozeman

Regier, Keith Kalispell

Sales, Walt Manhattan

Salomon, Daniel Ronan

Sands, Diane Missoula

Small, Jason Busby

Smith, Cary Billings

Sweeney, Mark Philipsburg

Tempel, Russ Chester

Vance, Gordon Belgrade

Webber, Susan Browning

Welborn, Jeffrey Dillon Score

0%

87%

0%

0%

100%

100%

0%

100%

0%

100%

0%

0%

0%

100%

100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

0%

0%

13%

0%

73%

0%

13%

0%

73%

0%

93%

0%

93%

27%

87%

100%

0%

100%

100%

7%

7%

7%

100%

7%

0%

80%

7%

0%

100%

7% Representative Town Score

Abbott, Kim Helena 100%

Anderson, Fred Great Falls

Bartel, Dan Lewiston 19%

13%

Beard, Becky

Bedey, David

Berglee, Seth Elliston

Hamilton

Joliet 13%

6%

0%

Bertoglio, Marta Clancy 6%

Binkley, Michele Hamilton 13%

Bishop, Laurie Livingston 100%

Brewster, Larry Billings

Buckley, Alice Bozeman

Buttrey, Ed

Caferro, Mary Great Falls

Helena

Carlson, Jennifer Manhattan 0%

100%

6%

94%

0%

Curdy, Willis Missoula

Custer, Geraldine Forsyth

Dooling, Julie Helena

Dunwell, Mary Ann Helena

Duram, Neil Eureka 100%

25%

6%

100%

13%

Farris-Olsen, Robert Helena

Fern, Dave Whitefish 100%

94%

Fielder, Paul Thompson Falls 13%

Fitzgerald, Ross Fairfield 6%

Fleming, Frank Billings 0%

France, Tom Missoula 100%

Frazer, Gregory Deer Lodge 0%

Fuller, John Whitefish 0%

Funk, Moffie Helena 100%

Galloway, Steven Great Falls 13%

Galt, Wylie

Garner, Frank Martinsdale 0%

Kalispell 0%

Gillette, Jane Bozeman 0%

Gist, Steve

Greef, Sharon Cascade

Florence 13%

7%

Gunderson, Steve Libby

Hamilton, Jim Bozeman

Harvey, Derek

Hawk, Donavon

Hayman, Denise

Hill, Ed Butte

Butte

Bozeman

Havre

Hinkle, Caleb Belgrade

Hinkle, Jedediah Belgrade

Holmlund, Kenneth Miles City

Hopkins, Mike Missoula

Jones, Llew Conrad 13%

100%

69%

81%

100%

13%

13%

13%

6%

7%

7%

Karjala, Jessica Billings 100%

Kassmier, Joshua Fort Benton 0%

Keane, Jim

Kelker, Kathy

Keogh, Connie Butte

Billings

Missoula 69%

94%

100% Representative Town Score

Kerns, Scot Great Falls 13%

Kerr-Carpenter, Emma Billings 94%

Knudsen, Casey

Knudsen, Rhonda Malta 0%

Culbertson 0%

Kortum, Kelly

Lenz, Dennis

Ler, Brandon

Loge, Denley

Malone, Marty

Marler, Marilyn

Marshall, Ron Bozeman 100%

Billings 13%

Savage

St. Regis 0%

0%

Pray 0%

Missoula 100%

Hamilton 13%

McKamey, Wendy Ulm

Mercer, Bill Billings 6%

6%

Mitchell, Braxton Columbia Falls 13%

Moore, Terry

Nave, Fiona

Noland, Mark

Novak, Sara

Olsen, Andrea

Patelis, James

Phalen, Bob

Putnam, Brian

Read, Joe

Regier, Amy

Regier, Matt

Reksten, Linda Billings 19%

Columbus 0%

Bigfork 0%

Anaconda 81%

Missoula 100%

Billings

Lindsay

Kalispell

Ronan 0%

0%

25%

0%

Kalispell 13%

Columbia Falls 13%

Polson 19%

Ricci, Vince Laurel 0%

Running Wolf, Tyson Browning 94%

Schillinger, Jerry Circle

Seekins-Crowe, Kerri Billings 0%

0%

Sheldon-Galloway, Lola Great Falls 19%

Skees, Derek Kalispell 13%

Smith, Frank

Stafman, Ed Poplar 69%

Bozeman 100%

Stewart-Peregoy, Sharon Crow Agency 100%

Stromswold, Mallerie Billings 0%

Sullivan, Katie Missoula 100%

Tenenbaum, Danny Missoula 100%

Thane, Mark Missoula 100%

Trebas, Jeremy

Tschida, Brad Great Falls 0%

Helena 13%

Usher, Barry

Vinton, Sue

Walsh, Kenneth Billings

Billings 13%

13%

Twin Cities 6%

Weatherwax, Marvin Browning 100%

Welch, Tom Dillon 6%

Whiteman Pena, Rynalea Lame Deer 100%

Whitman, Kathy Missoula 6%

Windy Boy, Jonathan Box Elder 100%

Zolnikov, Katie Billings 13%

Colstrip Chaos (continued from page 6)

make the terms more favorable to NorthWestern. The state and federal constitutions do not allow governments to interfere with private contracts, but that is exactly what both bills do. The morning after the Governor signed both bills, the owners started filing lawsuits against each other in federal and state courts, making an already complex situation even more unwieldy and, ironically, almost certainly accelerating the plant’s closure. Never satisfied, NorthWestern also convinced the Legislature to eliminate a $2.5 million penalty, to have been paid by its shareholders for failure to comply with the Montana Renewable Energy Standard, money that would have gone to lowincome and tribal energy assistance programs. It also supported eliminating the public vote on nuclear power plants and the Montana Renewable Energy Standard, and repealed important provisions in law that leveled the playing field between fossil fuels and renewable energy (see the article on pg. 8 for more details).

Fortunately, some of NorthWestern’s bills were even too much for this Legislature to stomach. A bipartisan effort in the House Energy Committee led to the defeat of Senator Ankney’s SB 84, which would have weakened the Montana Consumer Counsel, the entity constitutionally charged with representing consumers before the PSC. Similarly, the House Energy Committee defeated proposals that would have weakened the PSC’s power to oversee NorthWestern’s interest in Colstrip (HB 314 and HB 245).

One thing is clear after this session, NorthWestern can’t be trusted. It is an unscrupulous monopoly utility that disdains its customers’ financial well-being. Its selfserving efforts prove the need for thorough and independent government oversight of public utilities.

Water Quality(continued from page 7)

development of total maximum daily loads for restoring waters that do not meet the standards.

SB 358 directs the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to adopt rules creating narrative nutrient standards and to develop an “adaptive management” program. The bill requires DEQ to complete the rulemaking by March 2022. Due to the overwhelming complexity of Montana’s water quality system and its variations, as well as the myriad sources of nutrient pollution, the adoption of sciencebased and legally defensible rules and regulations, particularly narrative ones, within this incredibly short timeframe is likely impossible.

After the adoption of regulations, DEQ would then approach the adaptive management program through an “incremental watershed approach,” as specified in SB 358. Experience in Montana has shown that the design and implementation of adaptive management processes for nutrient pollution, at a watershed scale, take several years and a large commitment of resources. Expanding this process statewide will likely take decades and, during the interim, will result in more nutrient pollution in our rivers, streams, and lakes.

MEIC intends to participate in the rulemaking process for SB 358 but has serious concerns regarding the legality and scientific integrity of the new law. The adoption of SB 358 will almost certainly put Montana into a backslide in terms of controlling and addressing nutrient pollution in our cherished waterways. “Backsliding” is specifically prohibited by the federal Clean Water Act and regulations established by the EPA. While the current system for controlling nutrient pollution is not perfect, it has resulted in economic and environmental benefits that a narrative approach simply can’t accomplish.