Table of Contents
Do not index
Do not index
Excerpt: by Q2’s Isabel Spartz
BILLINGS — The floor of the Lincoln Center was nearly full Saturday afternoon for a discussion about money in politics and a proposed ballot initiative that could reshape how elections are funded in Montana.
Listen to former Montana politicians share their thoughts on corporate campaign spending:
The event centered on the Montana Plan, a proposal backed by the Transparent Election Initiative, which would remove state-granted powers that allow corporations to spend money in political campaigns. Supporters said the change would limit the influence of corporate and outside spending, as well as "dark money," or political spending by organizations that are not required to disclose the sources of their funding, in Montana elections.
Speakers included former U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot, independent U.S. House candidate Gary Buchanan, and former state Commissioner of Political Practices, Jeff Mangan, who founded TEI. Organizers said the event's goal was to explain the initiative and highlight campaign finance as a nonpartisan issue.
