This story is excerpted from Capitolized, a twice-weekly newsletter that keeps an eye on the representatives you voted for (or against) with expert reporting, analysis and insight from the editors and reporters of Montana Free Press. Want to see Capitolized in your inbox every Tuesday and Friday? Sign up here.
Senate Resolution 49, sponsored by Sen. Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka, passed the Senate on a 47-3 vote Tuesday. The passage of the resolution confirms the appointment of Chris Gallus, Gov. Greg Gianforte’s pick to lead the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices office, which enforces state campaign finance law and investigates related complaints.
Gallus, a longtime attorney and lobbyist for the Montana Chamber of Commerce and several conservative-aligned causes — some of which have appeared before the commissioner’s office — replaces Jeff Mangan, who resigned late last year.
Cuffe applauded Gallus for weathering questions in the Senate State Administration Committee last week related to how he would handle COPP complaints related to his past clients — Gallus has said he’ll recuse himself where appropriate.
“By golly, Chris Gallus stood up there and answered those questions as straight as I could have imagined,” Cuffe said.
Three lawmakers, all Democrats, voted against Gallus’ confirmation: Sens. Willis Curdy of Missoula, Jen Gross of Billings and Susan Webber of Browning. After the hearing, Gallus expressed gratitude for the chamber’s vote of confidence, though he jokingly bemoaned the fact that he had received three times the opposition as his predecessor — Mangan’s 2017 confirmation received only one no vote, from then-Sen. Jennifer Fielder, R-Thompson Falls.
“Even those folks — I had talked to one of them — they came up and told me before the floor vote that they just couldn’t get there on the recusal issue, is what she said,” Gallus said after the vote. “And that’s fine, those things are gonna happen.”
He said he looks forward to doing “what needs to be done” in the commissioner’s office: “apply the facts to the law that the Legislature creates and reach decisions that way, because that’s what we’re tasked to do.”
latest stories
How Montana’s federal campaigns are funded
Montana’s federal candidates have arrived at the final stage of the general election largely fueled by individual contributions. National political action committee donations and contributions from congressional leadership committees also play a major role. Here’s a summary of the financial picture for each major candidate who raised at least $90,000 in individual contributions leading up…
First Nations celebrate Albertans’ decision to remain a part of Canada
The Blackfoot Confederacy, a coalition of tribes in Montana and Alberta, celebrated Albertans’ decision this week to remain a province within Canada. The “no” vote represents a long-sought victory for First Nations in Alberta, who brought a legal challenge and launched a public information campaign to thwart the secession. Alberta’s independence movement dates back to…
Crow Legislature rejects bill to expand enrollment
After nearly two hours of impassioned debate, the Crow Tribe’s Legislature on Wednesday voted down a bill that would dramatically change who counts as a tribal member. The bill, brought by Chairman Frank White Clay, would have revised the tribe’s “blood quantum” standard, effectively making more people eligible for tribal citizenship. Supporters argued that the…
