Gianforte: Governor Should Demand Public Meeting with Interior Secretary During Upcoming Visit to Montana

Press Release

Bozeman businessman and tech entrepreneur Greg Gianforte called on the Governor of Montana to demand a public meeting with Interior Secretary Sally Jewell when she visits Big Sky Country on Tuesday.

Gianforte credited US Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) for inviting Jewell to visit with the working families in Colstrip. Gianforte held a town hall meeting in Colstrip last November, and says he hopes Jewell will make the trip. If she can't make the Colstrip trip, Gianforte says the Secretary should easily be able to hold a public meeting when she's in Helena.

Gianforte says the governor needs to ask the Secretary to call off plans to increase royalty tax rates on federal coal leases and to impose a moratorium on new federal coal leases. The state of Montana receives half of the royalty revenue generated by coal production on federal land in our state, amounting to approximately $50 million per biennium.

GIANFORTE: "We've seen layoffs all across the State of Montana, particularly in our mining industry, which is threatened by more burdensome regulations and policies coming from Secretary Jewell's Department of Interior. The governor needs to stand up for high wage Montana jobs and demand a public meeting with the Interior Secretary."

Gianforte says the governor needs to discuss several important issues with Secretary Jewell; including, royalty hikes on Montana producers, the coal leasing moratorium, and the Clean Power Plan which threatens 7,100 Montana jobs.

Jewell's visit is intended to promote the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Gianforte is an avid outdoorsman and life member of the NRA. He applauded the strong bi-partisan support for the LWCF.

GIANFORTE: "We cherish and enjoy our public lands here in Montana. But working Montana men and women won't be able to enjoy our outdoors if they're put out of work or forced to leave the state for job opportunities."

Gianforte is the founder of RightNow Technologies. He started the company out of his house in Bozeman, and created over 500 jobs in Montana. The average Montana salary at RightNow was nearly $90,000 a year. Oracle purchased RightNow in 2012, and continues to expand the company's footprint in Montana.

Source