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December 19, 2024
Programming note: Montana Free Press staff are on holiday Christmas week, so Capitolized will be taking a break as well. We’ll be back in your inbox on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.
Montana’s political watchdog faces challenges in monitoring lobbyist spending, according to legislative auditors. Reports filed with the Commissioner of Political Practices lacked crucial information on lobbying activities, including bill details and expenses. An overwhelmed office has prioritized deadlines over content accuracy.
Deputy auditor Christiane Rudmann informed lawmakers that due to high workloads, the office chose to focus on timeliness. The legislative audit points out the need for electronic-only report submissions, eliminating paper copies that require inspection of separate databases. Monthly reports are suggested during legislative sessions and quarterly otherwise, replacing the current biennial system.
Commissioner Chris Gallus supports the recommendations but emphasizes the need for more staffing. Reports are due at session midpoints and after adjournment, but monthly filings are only mandated when expenses exceed $5,000, a threshold that may allow some activities to evade public scrutiny.
Rep. Fiona Nave raised concerns about the prioritization of timeliness over accuracy, highlighting that complete information is essential. Gallus proposed automated prompts to improve report completeness, helping lobbyists remember to disclose key details.
Rural Montana’s China Tech Challenge
Montana’s largest telephone cooperatives suffered significant losses in 2019 when the U.S. government banned Huawei. These co-ops relied on Huawei’s affordable technology to extend service in underserved rural areas. The recent Senate vote allocated $1 billion for these providers as part of the “Rip and Replace Act,” but the compensation still falls short.
Sen. Steve Daines led the effort, though the Federal Communications Commission estimates an additional $3 billion is needed nationwide. Without full funding, some Montana carriers may be forced to reduce service, affecting vast areas unable to transition to 5G. The approved funds include $67 million for Nemont, though actual costs were higher.
On Drones
“People are very concerned about these drones. Are they from a form of government? One doesn’t know that. Well, we don’t know that. Let me, let me retract. We don’t know that. But I assure you, there’s someone within the community, okay, the intelligence community, that knows what these things are, who sent them, and what information they’re gathering. And the American people are the only ones being kept in the dark.
“I passed legislation back in 2013 in the Montana state Legislature, when the drone thing was just starting to kick off, that said anyone using a drone in the state of Montana cannot take that information and use it in a court proceeding unless it was collected, any of that data was collected, pursuant to a duly authorized search warrant.”
—U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Montana, discussing drones observed over New Jersey earlier this week on “American Sunrise,” a news program on Real America’s Voice.
Rosendale gained national attention in 2014 with a campaign ad where he appeared to shoot down a surveillance drone.
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