Page 12 - Flathead Beacon // 5.27.2015

12 | MAY 27, 2015 NEWS FLATHEADBEACON.COM Tribes Defend ‘Grassroots Lobbying’ in
Facts
FIGURES
Numbers in the news
48,270
Number of visitors to
Glacier National Park in April, an increase of roughly 20,000 people over April 2014.
4:47
Bigfork freshman Bryn Morley’s all-class state record time in the Class B girls 1600 race. Morley held the top time for 15 minutes before Christina Aragon of Billings ran 4:46 in the AA girls race at the state championship meet in Kalispell on May 22.
60
Increase in significant pipeline accidents since 2009 as U.S. crude oil production continues to grow.
19,000
Public comment submis- sions for the Flathead National Forest’s proposed revision of its forest plan.
Response to Water Compact Complaint
Flathead Republican chairman accuses CSKT of illegal lobbying in pro- motion of controversial compact bill
By TRISTAN SCOTT of the Beacon
The Confederated Salish and Koo- tenai Tribes responded May 18 to a com- plaint alleging the tribes illegally lobbied support for the Flathead water compact last legislative session, writing that so- called “grassroots lobbying” isn’t subject to reporting under Montana law.
Flathead County Republican Party Chairman Jayson Peters filed the original complaint in April, and Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl accept- ed it.
The complaint names CSKT, public affairs firm Mercury LLC, registered lob- byists Mark Baker and Shelby DeMars, and the pro-compact group Farmers and Ranchers for Montana (FARM), which the complaint identifies as a “grassroots lobbying group working on the tribes’ be- half.”
According to Motl, the alleged rules vi- olation falls in a “gray area” surrounding the regulation of grassroots lobbying ef- forts, which he said deserves further clari- fication through a rules change.
The complaint argues that FARM has “chosen to use dark money and skirt Mon- tana lobbying laws to hide the full amount of funds to lobby the Montana Legislature and other elected officials.”
“This is a breach of the public trust and open government,” the complaint states.
The tribes’ response, submitted by Helena law firm Morrison, Sherwood, Wilson & Deola, states that the tribes reg- istered with the commissioner and report- ed paying two registered lobbyists – Baker and Shane Morigeau – in 2015. DeMars,
Tribal Chairman Vernon Finley, left, celebrates with other tribal members and legislators after Gov. Steve Bullock signed the Flathead Water Compact into law during the 64th Montana Legislative Session in Helena. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
however, is employed by FARM in a non- lobbyist capacity, the complaint states.
According to rules governing lobbying in Montana, lobbyists must register with the state if they engage in face-to-face dis- cussions with legislators and disclose the in-kind value, or cash value, of their con- tributions.
The same rules don’t apply to so-called “grassroots” groups that make contribu- tions that are less quantifiable – for ex- ample, by urging constituents in a law- makers’ legislative district to contact the lawmaker and urge him or her to vote a certain way.
Motl said lobbying violations in Mon- tana are challenging to enforce due to the state’s unclear lobbying rules.
His office will begin work later this year to reform and clarify those disclosure requirements.
Motl and a team of lawyers will work this summer to implement the state’s new campaign finance disclosure law, passed
by the Legislature earlier this year. He said he expects they will finish that work by mid-November, and a smaller team will begin tackling lobbying regulations the following month.
With the recent passage of the Mon- tana Disclose Act, even Peters, the author of the complaint, said lobbying regula- tions needed reform, and the issue tran- scended partisan politics
Motl said that while the Flathead Re- publicans brought this particular com- plaint, similar complaints could just as easily been brought against conservative groups. Drawing comparisons to local ef- forts by Americans for Prosperity – Mon- tana to target Rep. Frank Garner, R-Ka- lispell, for his refusal to sign a blanket pledge opposing Medicaid.
“The sort of grassroots activity that people are concerned about is not just confined to one entity,” Motl said in an in- terview last month.
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