Happy Wednesday, Beacon readers! Mariah Thomas here, marveling at the swiftness with which Montana spring comes and goes. Last week I was writing about how excited I was to break out my Chacos, and this week, it’s rainy and I had to wear a winter coat to the office. Cue the old adage about how the weather changes every five minutes…
Anyway.
Last weekend, the Montana Federation of Public Employees — the state’s largest union, which represents teachers, school employees, law enforcement officers, and city, county and state employees — underwent a sea change, electing Melissa Romano to serve as its next president, starting June 15.
“Livable wages, real benefits, and fair working conditions unite MFPE members across our wide professional and political spectrum,” Romano said in a statement announcing her election to the position. “I ran for president as a longtime member with deep policy experience, and I know unionism is about leveraging informed, engaged, and empowered members into winning fights for our shared values. I’m so excited to get started.”
Romano (left) has long worked in education — as a math teacher and instructional coach in the state capital — and won accolades as Montana’s Teacher of the Year in 2018.
Romano also ran twice to serve as the state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, facing off both times against former Superintendent Elsie Arntzen.
Most recently, she served as a Democratic representative hailing from Helena’s House District 80, a seat she won by around 400 votes in 2024. As a Democrat in the state legislature, Romano was focused on education, and she is currently serving as one of the members of the School Funding Interim Commission, which is in the throes of a once-a-decade study of school funding in the state of Montana. Two Democrats — middle school teacher Megan Lane and public defender Qasim W. Abdul-Baki — and one Republican, Katie Fruits, are vying to fill her seat in this year’s election.
Romano takes over the helm of the organization from six-year president Amanda Curtis, formerly a schoolteacher in Butte who also served in the statehouse and ran for higher office, facing off against U.S. Sen. Steve Daines in his 2014 run for his first senate term. Curtis was the first woman elected to head the union, taking over for Eric Feaver, who served as president of the organization from its inception all the way up until 2020.
“Together over the past six years, we’ve won historic pay plans for state and higher education employees, secured a statewide school health trust, and held the line against unaccountable privatization and union busting,” Curtis said in a statement. “I’m grateful to all members for stepping up to lead across this state, and I know Melissa will take this baton and run.”
Still, for the wins Curtis heralded, MFPE has also met headwinds. In the last legislative session, a bill aiming to end the use of state-mandated pupil-instruction-related days for teachers’ union conferences narrowly failed.
After snippets of audio recordings from this year’s and last year’s conferences were posted on social media by Finley Warden, a Liberty University student who is running for a legislative seat in Polson in a contested Republican primary this spring, Senate president Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, alongside Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen, promised to revive the bill in 2027. Curtis, at the time, responded by inviting elected leaders to attend the conference or visit Montana’s classrooms. To read more on that, scroll to the bottom of this newsletter.
… And that’s what I’ve got for you folks today. On to the rest of the Daily Roundup!
Flathead Forest Authorizes Logging Project West of Blacktail Mountain
Officials said the West Truman Project near Lakeside will use emergency logging and thinning to reduce wildfire risk and protect the community. The decision authorizes 2,823 acres of treatment and 5.6 miles of temporary roads.
Kalispell Middle School Health Instructors Say Program Cuts Have Had Negative Impacts
Teachers organized a public comment period at a recent board meeting to share how last year’s cuts impacted their department. Administrators warn more cuts could come down the pike should an elementary district levy on the ballot this spring fail to pass.
Developers Plan Renovations for Three Low-Income Housing Units
Kalispell Senior Apartments, Two Mile Vista Apartments and Westwind Village Apartments would receive significant renovation while retaining their status as low-income rentals
The outcry stems from a series of audio recordings a student posted on his personal X account, which have gained attention in conservative circles. The Montana Federation of Public Employees called the rhetoric and response an example of “misinformation.”
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