Tag Archives: Montana

You’ve seen what Citizens United has done to federal politics. Now, imagine if we let the same thing happen at the state and local level.

Imagine unrelenting attack ads accusing your state treasurer of being a socialist — or accusing your state legislator of being a secret Muslim — or of your city councilor waging a war against religious freedom.

Right-wing groups are dismantling campaign finance laws across the country to allow unlimited corporate spending up and down the ballot in all 50 states.

We’ve got to fight back. Last week, we launched our campaign to get attorneys general across the country to stand up for common sense campaign finance laws.

The response has been amazing. So far, over 75,000 DFA members have joined our campaign.

Can you contribute $4 right now to get your Attorney General to stand up for common sense campaign finance laws?

All you need to do is look at Montana to see how far right-wing groups are willing to go to undo common sense campaign finance laws — and exactly how your Attorney General can stop them.

Montana’s ban on corporate spending in political campaigns was challenged in court — and Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock stood up to defend it. He fought hard to keep it on the books and took his case all the way to the Montana Supreme Court.

He won.

That is the sort of leadership we need from AGs today. Please contribute now to fuel the campaign.

Thank you for everything you do.

– Michael

Michael Langenmayr, Political Director
Democracy for America

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

50 Attorneys General vs. Citizens United … Michael Langenmayr, Democracy for America

03/14/2012 Nativegrl77

Two years ago, the Supreme Court decided that big corporations and the super rich have a “right” to spend unlimited amounts of money in our elections. The Justices that supported this ridiculous decision just expected states to fall in line behind the ruling and abandon their campaign finance laws, but they haven’t.

States like Montana are fighting back against Citizens United — and they’re winning.

Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock took his fight to keep common sense election laws on the books all the way to the Montana Supreme Court — and he won. It’s time that other State Attorneys General do the same.

Back-up Steve Bullock in his fight against Citizens United — Sign the petition to get your Attorney General to stand up for common sense campaign finance laws.

Right-wing groups like Citizens United aren’t stopping at the federal level. They’re dismantling campaign finance laws across the country — working to allow unlimited corporate spending up and down the ballot and even to undo basic disclosure laws that require campaigns to report who’s giving these unlimited contributions.

We’ve seen what the Citizens United ruling has done to federal politics — attack ads flooded the airwaves in 2010 and are dominating the Republican presidential primaries. We can’t allow that same sort of unlimited corporate spending at the state and local levels.

The campaign to overturn Citizens United is going to be a long one, but state Attorneys General can make a real difference right now — and you can get them off the sidelines.

Tell your Attorney General to stand up for common sense campaign finance laws — Sign the petition now.

Thank you for everything you do.

– Michael

Michael Langenmayr, Political Director
Democracy for America

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Exxon warned years before Yellowstone spill -Brant Olson

07/07/2011 Nativegrl77

By now you have likely heard about last weekend’s horrifying oil spill in which Exxon’s pipeline ruptured and spilled 42,000 gallons of crude oil onto Yellowstone River’s overflowing banks.

What we’ve learned since the spill is that federal regulators warned Exxon about problems with its pipeline in 2009. Then Friday happened, spilling oil into one of the world’s most beautiful places.

Here is the full story. In July 2009, federal inspectors found evidence that an above-ground span of Exxon’s pipeline in Montana had become submerged under a creek and was piling up debris. Nearly 20 months later, in March of this year, Exxon reported that it was “evaluating control measures to keep future debris from accumulating over the pipeline.”

Last weekend, in the same region cited in the inspection, the same pipeline ruptured during record flooding of the Yellowstone River. Oil has already been found hundreds of miles away.

Exxon’s spill in Montana is just the latest in a string of accidents as long as the industry is old. And while Big Oil says that it is learning from its mistakes, even its newest pipelines can’t seem to contain the increasingly corrosive oil, much of which is mined from Canada’s tar sands.

We don’t need more pipelines. And we don’t need more dirty oil. Most analysts actually expect a steady decline in U.S. demand for oil. What we do need is a system of regulations and penalties that keep our communities safe from the pipelines already in the ground

Thanks for taking action to stop more oil spills!

For a clean energy future,

Brant Olson
Freedom From Oil Campaign Director

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Defend Democracy …

05/06/2011 Nativegrl77

As a legislator in Montana, I’m proud that my state has defeated several bills aimed at suppressing the vote.

Unfortunately Montana is one of only a few success stories in efforts to combat a concerted Republican campaign to make it much more difficult to vote in dozens of states across the country.

In a New York Times editorial last week, the Advancement Project, a civil rights advocacy group, described this rash of Republican-sponsored legislation as “the largest legislative effort to scale back voting rights in a century.”

That’s why two organizations dedicated to preserving our rights have teamed up to take a stand against this outright assault on the fundamental democratic right to vote. Click here to join us today.

As a long-time Democracy for America Member and activist, I’m excited to partner with the Young Democrats of America, where I serve as Vice President along with a talented and dynamic group of young leaders. Both DFA and YDA are committed to a more progressive future — and standing up for what’s right.

A democracy depends on the people choosing their elected officials — not the politicians choosing their voters — and for that reason, DFA and YDA are launching a national campaign to defend democracy and defeat the Koch-funded attacks on voting rights.

Join us in defending democracy right now. http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/716?akid=746.1480546.su7zOV&t=1

In addition to this national statement in support of voting rights, YDA and DFA will be working together on a state by state basis to defeat the individual bills aimed at suppressing the votes of young people, working families, people with disabilities, the elderly and minorities. http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/716?akid=746.1480546.su7zOV&t=1

There is little else more precious than our ability to participate in our democracy. Join me today in standing up for voting rights. http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/716?akid=746.1480546.su7zOV&t=1

Together, we can make sure all our voices are heard. Thanks for everything you do.

– Ellie

Representative Ellie Boldman Hill

Democrat

Missoula, Montana