Rep. Derek Skees, R-Kalispell, listens to debate during a House floor session in May 2019. Credit: John Adams / Montana Free Press

[xyz-ihs snippet=”podcast-subscribe-buttons”]

Republican firebrand Derek Skees on conservative losses in the 2019 Legislature

House Majority Whip Rep. Derek Skees is among the group of conservative Republicans — the self-described “38 specials” — who resisted efforts by 20 or so members of the so-called Solutions Caucus to pass major legislation during the 2019 legislative session.

Rep. Derek Skees Credit: John Adams / MTFP

“I honestly think we suffered more losses than we did gains,” Skees said in a wide-ranging Montana Lowdown podcast interview. “It was summed up perfectly in the minority leader’s speech on the House Floor: Democrats got everything they wanted.”

From Medicaid expansion to infrastructure bonding to the state budget, the Solutions Caucus, along with minority Democrats, managed to override the House Republican leaders in 2019.

“It’s the arrogant attitude of these people, behind the scenes, treating us with disdain…that pissed off everybody on my side of the group,” Skees said.

[xyz-ihs snippet=”MC-Podcast-Sign-up”]

Veteran award-winning investigative and political reporter John S. Adams founded Montana Free Press in 2016. John was formerly the Capital Bureau Chief of the Great Falls Tribune and a correspondent for USA TODAY. John is known as a dogged investigator whose unbiased reporting has changed the shape of Montana politics. John serves as an elected member of the Institute for Nonprofit News board and on the board of the Montana Newspaper Foundation. He lives in Helena.