Thousands of Montanans have joined in BLM protests, including many tribal members, following the tragic death of George Floyd. Montana may only have a 1% African American population, but many protesters spoke on the state’s history of racism, division, and lynchings. Groups gathered peacefully in different cities and leaders worked with local police departments to keep the organized protests safe.
In response to the Black Lives Matter movement, Senator Daines said, “Sadly it seems to have become a partisan issue and we’ve got to move beyond that and unify as Americans and as Montanans to both back the blue as well as confront the issues of racism.”
His challenger, Steve Bullock gave as his response, “I don’t know how you define Black Lives Matter necessarily in a nutshell, but when individuals view health disparities, economic disparities, concerns about whether they’re treated fairly under the law, I think we should listen.”
Gov. Bullock also said in a press call, “We need to recognize that people across the country and indeed many Montanans are in pain and we need to protect avenues for people to express those first amendment rights. Doing so can be done lawfully and peacefully.”
Although Bullock has remained somewhat silent during the protests, as Governor he has worked hard for equality and criminal justice reform in Montana. Due to the issue of mass incarceration, Montana would expect drastic increases in prison populations, but Steve Bullock implemented evidence-based practices to help offenders transition back into society and the workforce. The state legislation ensures spending of taxpayer money is invested in ways proven to reduce recidivism and overcrowding instead of investing in building more prisons.
Bullock Believes Justice For All Looks Like:
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Supporting entrepreneurs of color to expand economic opportunities
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Raising home ownership rates to create more affordable housing
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Preparing students of every background for higher education and success in their workplace by investing in public education
For Montana’s Eight Tribal Nations, Bullock Has:
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Secured millions in funding to help Native Americans start businesses
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Invested in tribal colleges
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Funded Native language preservation
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Signed legislation to help fight the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
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Increased access to healthcare for thousands of Native Americans through Medicaid expansion
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Created the first tribal college apprenticeship program in America
As U.S. Senator, Steve Daines has stood by President Trump through all of his outrageous, controversial, and racist remarks. During the protests, Daines stood where he always does. While Trump threatened governors to activate the National Guard or he would send the military and sent tweets like “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” Daines expressed gratitude toward Trump’s leadership approach.
Bullock has proven that he understands the importance of protests in the fight for justice. Bullock will fight for the interests of ALL Montanans. In comparison, Daines has proven that he will fight for Trump’s interests.
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Click here to learn more about the unusually-high spending in Montana this election cycle, here to learn more about Daines' position on the new Supreme Court nominee, and here for information on how to vote in Montana.