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Montanans protest GOP ‘assault’ on environmental and labor programs | The Raw Story
"More than a thousand Montanans gathered in front of the state Capitol of Helena on Monday to protest budgetary plans to cut health, educational, environmental and labor programs while pushing for corporate tax cuts.
Republicans in Montana are pushing legislation to gut the Montana Environmental Policy Act, reduce workers' compensation insurance, close the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls, prevent the establishment of a state health insurance exchange, slash a number of health programs, and cut funding to higher education in the state.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have said they will eliminate the state’s business equipment tax. Eliminating the tax would amount to a loss of $90 million to local governments statewide, The Daily Inter Lake reported.
The rally followed similar demonstrations that occurred in Wisconsin and Ohio, where public employees have organized large protests against efforts to curb their collective bargaining rights.
Conservationists, sportsmen, firefighters, teachers, correctional officers and others at the rally chanted slogans such as "hunting, fishing, recreation — makes Montana the best in the nation," The Great Falls Tribune reported.
One piece of legislation, introduced by Republican State Rep. Joe Read, would declare global warming a "natural occurrence" that it is "beneficial to the welfare and business climate of Montana."
"More than a thousand Montanans gathered in front of the state Capitol of Helena on Monday to protest budgetary plans to cut health, educational, environmental and labor programs while pushing for corporate tax cuts.
Republicans in Montana are pushing legislation to gut the Montana Environmental Policy Act, reduce workers' compensation insurance, close the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls, prevent the establishment of a state health insurance exchange, slash a number of health programs, and cut funding to higher education in the state.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have said they will eliminate the state’s business equipment tax. Eliminating the tax would amount to a loss of $90 million to local governments statewide, The Daily Inter Lake reported.
The rally followed similar demonstrations that occurred in Wisconsin and Ohio, where public employees have organized large protests against efforts to curb their collective bargaining rights.
Conservationists, sportsmen, firefighters, teachers, correctional officers and others at the rally chanted slogans such as "hunting, fishing, recreation — makes Montana the best in the nation," The Great Falls Tribune reported.
One piece of legislation, introduced by Republican State Rep. Joe Read, would declare global warming a "natural occurrence" that it is "beneficial to the welfare and business climate of Montana."
