#MTGov Daily Rundown: Bullock is Bad for Labor

On Labor Day, many Montanans will take the chance to relax and enjoy their day off. However, for many other Montana workers, there is a great deal of uncertainty as job losses mount in our natural resource industries.

• Under Governor Bullock, Montana has lost nearly 700 jobs in the timber industry in the last year alone– leaving the industry reeling.
• Weyerhaeuser has closed timber mills in Columbia Falls
• Colstrip Units 1 and 2 are now slated for shutdown by 2022
• Montana mines are laying off workers
• Dozens of Montana rail workers have been laid off or furloughed
• Overall Montana has experienced a net loss of 2700 logging and mining jobs during Bullock's tenure, from 9,700 in December of 2012 to 7,000 in June of 2016 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Meanwhile, Governor Bullock continues to argue that the state economy is in good shape. However, the data shows that Montana has actually experienced two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth.

"The Montana economy has shrunk for the second straight quarter as oil and gas, timber, mining, agriculture and transportation all reported losses.

The Billings Gazette reports that according to a Bureau of Economic Analysis report issued this week, drops in industry pulled Montana’s gross domestic product into negative figures for the last three months of 2015 as well as the first quarter of 2016." -Associated Press via the Great Falls Tribune 7/31/2016

While Montana workers suffer, Governor Bullock is taking money from leaders of the very groups working to shut down our natural resource industries, as well as directly benefitting from anti-coal dark money.

Steve Bullock has already been criticized for raising nearly $5 million in dark money from anti-coal and anti-Keystone Pipeline activists. Now, another anti-coal special interest group- Montana Conservation Voters- is spending big bucks to back Bullock. The MCV is reportedly planning to spend $500,000 campaigning against the pro-coal and pro-Colstrip candidate Greg Gianforte.
Montanans are no doubt appalled at the fact that Bullock would stand alongside an anti-jobs group like Montana Conservation Voters. As evidence of their anti-coal views, the MCV is even opposing a Northern Cheyenne tribal member, labor union leader, and Colstrip worker named Jason Small simply because he is opposed to Obama's Clean Power Plan.

Meanwhile, Governor Bullock took campaign contributions from board members of both the Montana Environmental Center and the Sierra Club, the two groups who filed the suit to close Colstrip 1 and 2.

From MEIC:

Greg Lind (Missoula) - $1,300 to Steve Bullock 2016, $1260 in 2012
Bob Ream (Helena) -$300 to Steve Bullock in 2016, $1260 in 2012
Jennifer Swearingen (Bozeman) - $200 to SB in 2016, $650 in 2012
John Rundquist Treasurer (Helena) - $250 Steve Bullock 2012 
Alexis Bonogofsky (Billings) -$350 Steve Bullock (2012)

From the Sierra Club's Montana Executive Committee:

Teresa Brock - $100 to SB in 2016
Mike Scott (staff) - $400 to SB in 2016 (there are two Michael Scott's in the database, but the other donated $40 in 2012)
Bob Clark - $100 to SB in 2016, $25 in 2012

ICYMI-Governor Bullock endorsed Hillary Clinton for President, who promises a radical anti-coal, anti-gun agenda for Montana and the nation.

“…we’re gonna put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business”-Hillary Clinton, on CNN, 3/13/2016