HELENA - A group of 15 people, including a handful of legislators, staged a rally in front of the Montana Capitol before the special session began Thursday to urge lawmakers to return most of the projected $1 billion state treasury surplus to taxpayers.
Members of the group carried signs aimed at Gov. Brian Schweitzer and legislators that said: “Big Hat, No Cattle Castrates Montana,” “Give It All Back,” “Stop Overspending. The Surplus is Not Your Money” and “You're Taxing and Spending the Middle Class Out of Existence.”
“I think this is our money that we're talking about,” said one participant, Bruce Hanson, a Manhattan businessman. “Quite frankly, I think the Democrats ought to be just as outraged as Republicans that Schweitzer has some under-the-table deal to get them to flip and change their votes and break ranks.”
Hanson said secret deals have no place in a democracy.
“The reason why we have this building and the reason people are invited is for the public to watch,” he said. “That's good government when we can see what people are seeing and we have representation.”
Hanson refused to criticize the dozen or so House Republicans who agreed to the deal Saturday with some of Schweitzer's top aides.
“I won't bad-mouth Republicans,” he said. “I still believe in the 11th commandment so I'm not going to run them out of the Republican Party.”
Legislators at the rally were Republican Reps. Roger Koopman and Jack Wells of Bozeman and Republican Sens. Jerry O'Neil of Columbia Falls and Joe Balyeat of Bozeman.
The Legislature's lone Constitution Party member, Rep. Rick Jore of Ronan, also attended.
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