The Democratic governor signed the bill flanked by two Republicans, Sen. Duane Ankney of Colstrip, who sponsored the bill, and Rep. Frank Garner of Kalispell, who led the debate in the House. Later, a number of legislators who supported the bill and others who worked on it stood behind the governor and two lawmakers for another bill signing….
Ankney said he was proud that the bill passed after the Senate “squashed” a similar bill in 2013.
He recounted talking to one legislator this year who wasn’t sure he was going to support SB289.
“I said, ‘Okay, think of it this way,’” Ankney said. “ ‘You want a flier against you that says he voted for dark money or do you want to send a flier saying I voted to send them damn carpetbaggers out of this state?’ ”
The crowd cheered loudly at that line.
“Why in the world would not like to have fair elections?” Ankney asked, “Why would you not want to run your campaign in a manner that represents your constituents and not individual groups?”