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U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s rally in Missoula on April 16 marked the last scheduled event on their 15-stop “Fighting Oligarchy” tour that included visits to some of the U.S. House districts that appear most vulnerable for Republicans during the 2026 midterm elections.
“We will start working now to give your Republican representatives the boot and replace them with a brawling Democrat who will stand up for the working people of Montana,” Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, said during the rally.
Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez filled the Adams Center on the University of Montana’s campus, a venue in the heart of the state’s western congressional district reconstituted in 2022 following once-every-decade redistricting. Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke defeated Democratic challenger Monica Tranel in the first election for that district by 4 points. Last November, Zinke won a rematch by 9 points, one of the closest margins of any statewide race in 2024.
On April 16, Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, called out Montana’s federal delegation for voting in favor of Republican proposals that liberals view as harmful budget reductions and tax breaks for the wealthy. The senator encouraged the crowd to contact Zinke and tell him to oppose cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, though congressional Republicans have voiced varying levels of opposition to trimming those programs.
“The president has said over and over again: no cuts to benefits and services of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, but we are going to look at fraud, waste and abuse,” Zinke said in a late-March interview with NBC Montana.
Sanders and AOC also took aim at campaign finance laws and criticized billionaires’ spending in elections.
“I believe, honestly, that I speak for conservatives, moderates and progressives, for the overwhelming majority of the American people who understand that there is something fundamentally wrong in our campaign finance system where billionaires can buy elections,” Sanders said. “Now, I may be a radical from Vermont and maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I believe that democracy is one person, one vote. Not billionaires buying elections.”
Billionaires made few direct, large-scale contributions in Montana’s 2024 elections — the state was not one of seven where Elon Musk constructed a $1-million-a-day sweepstakes in the leadup to the 2024 presidential vote — though Montana’s more significant federal races saw big spending from various out-of-state political organizations. Roughly $20 million poured into the race between Zinke and Tranel, with roughly 22% coming from outside groups like PACs. In the state’s Senate election that saw Republican Tim Sheehy defeat Democrat incumbent Jon Tester, PACs accounted for more than half of the $225 million spent on the race.
“I know sometimes that it can look impossible out here for the Republicans to be defeated,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “But that is not true. It is simply not true. And from the waitress who is now speaking to you all today, I can tell you: Impossible is nothing.”
Sanders has said he is hiring organizers in some of the states where he held rallies, including Iowa and Nebraska. Jeremy Slevin, a Sanders senior adviser, said Friends of Bernie Sanders has not yet made hires in western Montana, but intends to expand its organizing efforts in states like Montana.
Beth Trosello, a 50-year Montana resident living in Polson who attended the rally in Missoula, said the national representatives spoke to her belief that the county’s political infrastructure was “cruel,” “corrupt” and “crazy.”
“It’s always about money,” Trosello said. “It’s just ridiculous.”
– Katie Fairbanks and Zeke Lloyd
3 Questions For ❓
“Fierce Aunties!” is a new children’s book about powerful women. It hit the shelves earlier this week. The book follows a young Native American girl and her many aunties, who provide guidance, laughter and inspiration. A fierce auntie, according to the book, is someone who inspires you. It can be a family member, teacher, coach or friend. “Fierce Aunties are special, like honey on frybread,” the book reads. “ … Fierce Aunties are magic because they know what you need.”
Montana Free Press spoke with author Laurel Goodluck (Mandan, Hidatsa and Tsimshian) and illustrator Steph Littlebird (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) about the book and the importance of Native American representation. Responses are edited for length and clarity.
MTFP: Laurel, what inspired you to write this book?
GOODLUCK: Almost all my books include a large Native family structure based on clans, societies and community; fierce aunties are part of this structure. I grew up with strong, fierce aunties in my family who were role models, full of wisdom, and supported me. I want all children to explore their fierce aunties (or uncles) so they realize they have others who care for them and can be relied on.
MTFP: Steph, how did you approach illustrations for this book? How did you work to incorporate both traditional and contemporary styles?
LITTLEBIRD: “Fierce Aunties!” is very contemporary in some ways. I borrowed aesthetics from comics and graphic novel formats, combining them with subtle elements of pattern and color pairings that are often seen in modern-day powwow regalia styles. I wanted the book to reflect the vibrancy of our culture today while also incorporating visual elements of tradition.
MTFP: In 2018, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center found that 0.9% of children’s books included a primary Indigenous character. By 2023, that number increased to 2%. Why is Indigenous representation in children’s books important? How do you each think about writing or illustrating Native American characters?
GOODLUCK: I recently launched “Yáadilá! Good Grief!” Yáadilá is a Navajo word that translates to “good grief,” “oh, no,” or “not again!” After reading this interactive and heartwarming book at a school where students were from many cultures, they all had a hilarious time. Then, a second grade Navajo student approached me. With his arms out, as if to embrace all my books on a table, he said, “Thank you for writing your books. Now I can see my traditions in books.” I shook his hand and said, “These books are for you.” Then I turned to all the students and said, “These books are for all of you.” Indigenous people waited a long time to celebrate seeing ourselves in books that help us critically think and solve problems, but most of all let us be heroes of our own stories. We all deserve that.
LITTLEBIRD: As a young Indigenous person who grew up in the ’90s, there was scarce authentic representation of Native culture in media. I had little to aspire to in terms of seeing positive stories about tribal culture. Now, as an artist and auntie, I get to help fill the gaps in representation that I experienced and give young people today inspired images of our community that make them feel proud and powerful!
—Nora Mabie
Glad You Asked 🙋
With the April 17 announcement from state and local health authorities that five cases of measles have been confirmed in Gallatin County, Montana Free Press staff began digging into the latest information about how to protect against the highly contagious and deadly disease. If we’re having these questions, we’re assuming many of our readers are, too.
Decades of scientific studies have shown that — by far — the most effective and durable protection against measles is the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Without immunization or prior infection, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services said April 17 that individuals have a 90% likelihood of contracting the disease when they’re exposed to it. Health officials said all infected people identified in Gallatin County in recent days — children and adults — either are not vaccinated against measles or have an unknown vaccine status.
With that in mind, health authorities are instructing members of the public to check their own vaccination records to confirm they’ve received both doses of the two-shot MMR protocol. If not, talk to your health care provider about the vaccine and how to schedule an appointment.
Infants can typically receive the first dose of the MMR vaccine between 12 and 15 months old. The second dose can be given between 4 and 6 years old. If you plan to travel with a newborn, an earlier dose can be given after 6 months.
Other public health protections include staying away from people who have measles or may have been exposed to the virus. Measles particles can stay in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the space.
If you suspect that you have been exposed to measles, medical experts direct people to isolate at home, monitor for symptoms and call your doctor. People carrying the virus can spread it to others up to four days before they begin showing symptoms.
Last but not least, here are some of the most common symptoms of measles, in general chronological order, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- High fever, cough, runny nose, and/or red, watery eyes
- Small white spots on the inside of the mouth
- Flat, red spots typically beginning along the hairline and spreading downward to the neck, torso and limbs.
More resources about possible public exposure sites can be found on the Gallatin City-County Health Department website.
—Mara Silvers
Musical Chairs 🪑
Lawmakers this week voted to confirm the appointment of Christy Clark, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte’s pick to lead Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Clark has been directing the agency for about four months following Dustin Temple’s retirement in December.
During the committee confirmation hearing on her nomination, Clark described her background: She grew up on a Rocky Mountain Front ranch, joined the Montana Legislature in 2011 and worked for the Montana Department of Agriculture, which she was tapped to lead in 2022. She thanked FWP staff for their graciousness, passion and support and vowed to maintain an “open-door policy” directing an agency with a staff of roughly 750 people and a budget of $110 million.
“I will maintain the highest quality of integrity and transparency, recognizing that that is what the citizens of Montana expect and deserve,” Clark said.
Clark said she brings a predominantly agricultural perspective to the job and will partner with landowners on conservation initiatives. She also pledged to increase access to private land and the roughly 2 million acres of state and federal holdings that remain inaccessible to the public, and to work to alleviate pressure on the state’s wildlife, rivers and parks in the face of growing recreational activity.
More than 20 individuals and nonprofits supported her appointment, including groups that often disagree on how endangered species, game species and public land should be managed. Supporters of her nomination included the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, Trap Free Montana, the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, Wild Montana and the Property and Environment Research Center.
Rep. Jill Cohenor, D-Helena, testified before her legislative peers April 15 to support Clark’s nomination. Clark is a “wonderful” fit for the job, Cohenour told the Senate Fish and Game Committee. The lawmaker added that she’s “already seen such a difference in the morale of [FWP] employees.”
Noah Marion, Wild Montana’s political and state policy director, echoed that sentiment, noting the “pretty incredible cultural shift” he’s seen at FWP that he attributes to Clark’s leadership.
Jeff Hindoien, FWP’s top lawyer, became emotional as he recounted his experience working for Clark, describing her as “what any Montanan should want as a cabinet head.”
No one testified in opposition to Clark’s appointment.
Clark is the third director Gianforte has appointed to lead FWP. Henry “Hank” Worsech came out of retirement (he’d formerly worked as the agency’s license bureau chief) to assume the department’s top post in 2021. Worsech retired (again) in 2023 and was succeeded by his deputy director, Dustin Temple. Temple held the directorship for about 18 months before retiring in December.
The Senate resolution to support Clark received a unanimous vote in the Senate Fish and Game Committee on April 15 and a 39-10 vote in the Senate on April 17.
– Amanda Eggert
Verbatim 💬
“We have yet to receive a response from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the status of our Title X funding. HHS provided no timeline or indication about whether they will release, continue to freeze, or completely withdraw our funding. Our entire Montana Title X network — comprising 20 clinics — has now been operating without any federal Title X funds for 16 days. We’ve been forced to temporarily sustain this federal program using private donations while awaiting a decision.”
— Olivia Wathne, spokesperson for Bridgercare, the Bozeman-based health nonprofit that administers Montana’s Title X family planning grant, in an April 17 statement to Montana Free Press.
Bridgercare was informed in late March that its roughly $2 million of federal funding set to take effect April 1 was on hold “to review our compliance with the conditions of the grant,” according to the health care organization. KFF, a national health research group, said that the pause affected almost 1 in 4 clinics funded by Title X across the country. Title X funding has historically supported low- to no-cost health care, including birth control, cancer screenings and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. Abortion medications and procedures are not covered by Title X funding.
Legislation Graveyard 🪦
Senate Bill 561, which sought to revise the makeup of the Montana Public Service Commission, failed in the House State Administration Committee April 15. With a 7-12 vote, the committee rejected Billings Republican Sen. Daniel Zolnikov’s proposal to allow the governor to appoint three members of the state’s utility board. Under SB 561, the other two positions would be elected. Proponents of the measure had argued that it would bring more expertise, professionalism and regulatory certainty to the agency that oversees monopoly utilities. Opponents said they prefer the accountability and responsiveness incorporated in the current system, which establishes that all five commission seats are elected by district.
House Bill 848, which would have allocated $2 million annually from the rail car tax for regional rail authorities, failed in the Senate on April 15 by a 23-27 vote. The bill also outlined the powers of rail authorities, of which Montana only has one — the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority. Bill sponsor Rep. Denise Baum, D-Billings, said the authority would use the money for rail infrastructure projects throughout the state and to help advance restoration of passenger rail service in southern Montana. While the bill passed the House on a 63-35 margin, some senators spoke against spending state money on “unprofitable” passenger rail, and others raised concerns about the effect on freight rail.
House Bill 907, a proposal seeking to revise large nonresident landowners’ access to big game combination licenses, was narrowly voted down in the Senate Fish and Game Committee on the evening of April 15 with a 5-6 vote. HB 907, which was sponsored by House Minority Leader Katie Sullivan, D-Missoula, failed to garner traction with Republican committee members, who said they’d like to give the program the 2023 Legislature established more time to develop a track record. All but one of the committee’s Republicans, Senate Majority Leader Tom McGillvray of Billings, voted to table the bill. Speaking after the vote, Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, said the program “better get fixed, or you’re going to find it gone in the next period.”
Highlights ☀️
In other news this week —
The Border Patrol is accusing three men of being members of a Venezuelan gang. Defense attorneys say there’s no evidence of that.
A federal judge told the Trump administration it can’t revoke the visas of two Montana State University students.
NorthWestern Energy wants to raise natural gas rates by 9%.
On Our Radar 
Alex — Spring has officially sprung, which means I’m finally getting around to the one chore I’ve put off all winter: tying a season’s worth of fishing flies. To get into the zone, I’ve been watching a steady stream of expert tyers on YouTube. It’s a meditative if not slightly finicky art, one I’m sure fellow trout chasers will find hypnotic.
Nora — A “This American Life” episode this week told the story of Mika Westwolf, a 22-year-old Indigenous woman who was hit and killed while walking along Highway 93 on the Flathead Reservation in 2023. The piece follows her parents’ pursuit of justice. It’s a story all too familiar to Native American families in Montana.
JoVonne — Today marks the premiere of the new romantic comedy “The Wedding Banquet,” which centers on the themes of love, identity and family and features Golden Globe winner and Montanan Lily Gladstone. ICT News Editor Jourdan Bennett-Begaye interviewed Gladstone, who discussed her experience filming the light-hearted film and the opportunity to indigenize characters.
Jacob — A federal court has held that Google’s ad technology arm is in violation of antitrust law, marking the company’s second major courtroom defeat within the past year after losing a case on search‑engine dominance. The court concluded that Google “willfully engaged in anticompetitive acts” to uphold its monopoly, though Google plans to appeal. The continued push for more enforcement of antitrust law in the U.S. has the potential to reshape American business for a generation and is something I will continue to watch with the Facebook trial going on right now.
Mara — In our house, the cusp of spring turning into summer means gearing up for trail running season — and, relatedly, figuring out what the heck to eat on long days out, other than gross goos and gels. This online PDF recipe book is a treasure trove.
Tom — The cover story in the current edition of “Technology Quarterly” by “The Economist” is about the medical possibilities of CRISPR, a gene editing technique that, put simply, involves snipping errors from DNA sequences or inserting segments that block a problematic gene from operating. The article seemed timely, given that the Legislature recently passed the Genomic Security Act to prevent foreign software from being used for genetic sequencing in Montana.
Zeke — Mara and I might need to agree to disagree. Urged on by warm weather and long days, I’m fueling my runs with one of the best goos and gels on the market: GoGo SqueeZ Applesauce, a quick and filling snack for an active lifestyle.
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