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Letter To The Editor: I-194 Is Important To All Montanans
Author: Debi Hanneman

I-194 is Important to All Montanans

Many thanks to our signature gatherers and Montanans statewide in our effort to collect signatures for I-194, the Montana ballot initiative to end corporate and dark money in Montana elections. We collected over 50,000 signatures that came from all of Montana’s 56 counties. This immense effort was powered by all volunteer signature gatherers, some 500 in total! To qualify I-194 for November’s ballot, we need 30,121 verified signatures state-wide out of our collected 50,000 and we need to meet Montanaʼs geographic distribution requirement by collecting signatures equal to at least 5% of the vote cast for governor in 34 state House districts. As of June 24, the Montana Secretary of State’s office verified 44,963 signatures, and our tally of house district numbers gives us confidence that we have also met the geographic district requirement.

This is all very good news for Montanans who worked diligently on this grassroots initiative and for those Montanans who signed the I-194 petition, agreeing that there is too much undisclosed money coming into Montana elections. However - the Montana Chamber of Commerce has apparently decided that it’s not in their best interest for this initiative to be on the November ballot. The Montana Chamber of Commerce, along with several other groups, already tried to stop this initiative last March after the Montana Attorney General ruled its ballot language was legally sufficient. The Montana Supreme Court quickly overruled this lawsuit, and we began to collect signatures. As we neared the end of signature collection, the Montana Chamber of Commerce tried to stop the initiative again. This time they sent out letters with prepaid return envelopes asking those who signed the petition to send the enclosed form to their county clerk and recorder’s office, requesting that their signature be revoked.

We bring this to your attention because we think that this won’t be the last time the Montana Chamber of Commerce tries to interfere with Montanans’ right to vote on I-194. Because we anticipate more backlash to I-194 throughout the summer and fall, we would like voters to know that The Montana Plan doesn't silence a single Montanan. Every business owner, every employee, every rancher and every shopkeeper retain every right they have: to speak, to donate, to organize, to spend their own money on any race and issue they choose. What changes with I-194 is who's doing the talking: a person, on the record, instead of a company bank account. In the end, what we really want is to make our elections more transparent and accountable, and that is what we’re all working for with I-194.

Deb Hanneman, Whitehall

Holly Harper, Whitehall

Shauna Thomas, Helena

Amy French, Whitehall