Far wing of GOP denies jobs and axes fixes

By Jim Larson

Extreme wing of GOP denies jobs, axes fixes to crumbling infrastructure

Despite Democrats and Republicans coming together to find compromise, the extreme wing of the Republican Party failed the people of Montana by voting down SB416, a bipartisan bill creating thousands of jobs through investments in critical Montana infrastructure.

Republican leadership and extremists have no one to blame but themselves for failing to fix our crumbling roads and ensure clean drinking water for our communities while creating thousands of jobs.

Governor Bullock and House and Senate leadership negotiated the bill and Senator John Brenden (R-Scobey), a former chair of the Montana Republican Party, sponsored it. The bill represented the bipartisan, solution-oriented spirit Montanans expect.

Senate Bill 416 would have provided a $150 million investment in Montana’s infrastructure including $40 million for communities in Eastern Montana impacted by the Bakken oil boom.

The vote by GOP extremists denies Montana thousand of jobs and critical infrastructure improvements including fixing roads and bridges and updating sewer and water systems.

It’s time Sen. Debbie Barrett and Speaker Knudsen take responsibility for their failed leadership that denied Montanans good-paying jobs.