Montana Public Interest Research Group

THE MONTANA PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP (MONTPIRG) IS A STUDENT DIRECTED AND FUNDED NON-PARTISAN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO AFFECTING TANGIBLE, POSITIVE CHANGE THROUGH EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CIVIC LEADERS.

MONTPIRG IS DEDICATED TO TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CIVIC LEADERS THROUGH HANDS-ON ADVOCACY. WE TAKE ON THE IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING MONTANA INCLUDING PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT, ADVANCING CLEAN ENERGY, EMPOWERING YOUNG VOTERS, AND DEFENDING CONSUMER RIGHTS. IN 2021, WHILE STILL FACING THE CHALLENGES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, MONTPIRG ADVOCATED FOR THE BLACKFOOT CLEARWATER STEWARDSHIP ACT (BCSA), STOOD UP FOR STUDENTS AT THE 2021 MONTANA LEGISLATURE AND OF COURSE, REGISTERED YOUNG VOTERS. WE DID SO WITH THE CARE AND CAUTION THAT IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE SAFE, EFFECTIVE FIELD WORK SO THAT WE CAN MEET YOUNG MONTANANS WHERE THEY ARE.-VOTER ENGAGEMENT & VOTER PROTECTIONREGISTERING TO VOTE IS ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS TO BECOMING CIVICALLY ENGAGED AND ACCORDINGLY, ONE OF MONTPIRG'S MOST IMPORTANT GOALS IS ITS YEARLY VOTER REGISTRATION GOAL. EVERY SEMESTER, THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS MOVE TO THE MISSOULA AND BOZEMAN AREAS, EITHER NEEDING TO REGISTER TO VOTE OR UPDATE THEIR REGISTRATION. MONTPIRG IS THERE ON CAMPUS AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE GIVEN MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO SO BY ANOTHER YOUNG PERSON.THROUGH THE FALL OF 2020, MONTPIRG WORKED TO ENSURE THAT STUDENT VOICES WERE HEARD IN ONE OF THE BIGGEST ELECTIONS OF OUR LIFETIME. IN ADDITION TO REGISTERING 5,612 VOTERS FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION, MONTPIRG MADE 81,775 PHONE CALLS INCLUDING 34,607 "GET OUT THE VOTE" PHONE CALLS.IN 2021 MONTPIRG CONTINUED THIS TRADITION BY REGISTERING 1,026 VOTERS, 853 OF WHOM REGISTERED TO VOTE BY MAIL. FOR THE 2021 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN BOZEMAN AND MISSOULA, MONTPIRG MADE 2,169 PHONE CALLS AND KNOCKED 4,048 DOORS REMINDING PEOPLE TO GET THEIR BALLOTS IN.FOR FORTY YEARS, MONTPIRG HAS WORKED TO ENSURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE'S VOICES ARE HEARD. THIS MEANS GUARANTEEING EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF AGE, HAS EQUAL ACCESS TO THE BALLOT. IN THE 2021 MONTANA LEGISLATURE THERE WERE MULTIPLE ATTACKS ON VOTING RIGHTS, INCLUDING SAME DAY VOTER REGISTRATION AND VOTER IDENTIFICATION. MONTPIRG WAS PROUD TO STAND AGAINST BILLS THAT ENDED SAME DAY VOTER REGISTRATION, SEVERELY LIMITED THE USE OF STUDENT ID'S FOR VOTER IDENTIFICATION AND LIMITED BALLOT DISTRIBUTION TO NEWLY TURNED EIGHTEEN YEAR OLDS. WE WILL CONTINUE THIS WORK IN 2022 WITH OUR LAWSUIT AGAINST THE SECRETARY OF STATE, WHICH CHALLENGES THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF HB 176, SB 169 AND SB 506 AND THE COCKTAIL OF VOTER SUPPRESSION LAWS THEY CODIFY.-DEFENDING OUR OUTDOORSBLACKFOOT CLEARWATER STEWARDSHIP ACT: IN THE SUMMER OF 2021, MONTPIRG ORGANIZED AND EXECUTED A STATEWIDE CANVASS TO EDUCATE MONTANANS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PASSING THE BLACKFOOT CLEARWATER STEWARDSHIP ACT (BCSA) WHICH WOULD EXPAND FEDERAL PROTECTION OF THE BOB MARSHALL WILDERNESS AND THE SURROUNDING AREA TO FURTHER TIMBER, RECREATION, AND CONSERVATION GOALS. THE BILL ADDS AN ADDITIONAL 80,000 ACRES TO THE BOB MARSHALL, SCAPEGOAT, AND MISSION MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS AREAS; OPENS 2,013 ACRES FOR SNOWMOBILE ACCESS AND 3,800 ACRES FOR HIKER AND MOUNTAIN BIKE ACCESS; CALLS FOR AN UPDATED COMPREHENSIVE TRAIL PLAN FOR SNOWMOBILERS; ENHANCES TIMBER AND FOREST PROTECTION AROUND SEELEY LAKE; AND REQUESTS THAT THE NATIONAL FOREST SERVICE STUDY NEW RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES MADE AVAILABLE BY THESE PROTECTION EXPANSIONS. MONTPIRG HAS A STRONG HISTORY OF SUPPORTING POLICY THAT PROTECTS OUR WILD PLACES AND THE BCSA DOES JUST THAT.FOR THE CANVASS, MONTPIRG KNOCKED ON APPROXIMATELY 13,131 DOORS IN MISSOULA, BOZEMAN, HELENA, BILLINGS, KALISPELL AND WHITEFISH, TALKING WITH FOLKS ABOUT THE BCSA AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR MONTANA. MONTPIRG ALSO HAD SIXTEEN LETTERS TO THE EDITOR PUBLISHED IN VARIOUS MONTANA NEWSPAPERS AND COLLECTED 2,495 COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF PASSING THE BCSA. THESE COMMENTS WERE THEN DELIVERED TO SENATOR JOHN TESTER, TO SHOW MONTANANS SUPPORT THIS IMPORTANT LEGISLATION.MARIJUANA TAX REVENUE & CONSERVATION FUNDING: FOR THE 2020 ELECTION, MONTPIRG WORKED TIRELESSLY TO COLLECT SIGNATURES TO CERTIFY CI-118 AND I-190 FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION BALLOT. PASSED BY MONTANA VOTERS IN NOVEMBER 2020, CI-118 AND I-190 LEGALIZE, REGULATE AND TAX RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA FOR INDIVIDUALS OVER THE AGE OF 21 IN MONTANA. AS OUTLINED IN THE I-190, NEARLY FIFTY PERCENT OF LEGAL MARIJUANA'S TAX DOLLARS ARE DIRECTED TOWARDS CONSERVATION FUNDING IN THE STATE, MAKING A FIRST OF ITS KIND STATEWIDE CONSERVATION FUNDING MECHANISM FOR THE STATE OF MONTANA.IN THE SPRING OF 2021, MONTPIRG WORKED TO ENSURE THE MONTANA LEGISLATURE WOULD IN FACT DIRECT A LARGE PART OF THIS TAX REVENUE TO CONSERVATION, AS THE VOTERS OF MONTANA INTENDED. WE MADE 51,946 PHONE CALLS TO MONTANANS URGING THEM TO CONTACT THEIR LEGISLATORS AND ASK THAT THE MARIJUANA TAX REVENUE GO TO FUND MONTANA'S PUBLIC LANDS AND TRAILS.-LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CIVIC LEADERS: AT THE CORE OF EVERYTHING MONTPIRG DOES IS TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF CIVIC LEADERS. EACH YEAR, MONTPIRG TRAINS THREE CLASSES (SPRING, SUMMER, FALL) OF INTERNS AT MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY (MSU) BOZEMAN AND UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA (UM) WHO LEARN LEADERSHIP SKILLS TO CREATE CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, STATE, NATION AND WORLD. WE WORK ON THE MAJOR ISSUES FACING MONTANA WHICH INCLUDES EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT, EXPAND VOTING RIGHTS, PROTECT RENTERS, AND MORE.MONTPIRG HAS BUILT A ROBUST INTERNSHIP AND VOLUNTEER PROGRAM AT UM AND MSU. OUR WORK IS FOCUSED ON GIVING YOUNG MONTANANS THE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING SKILLS TO STEP UP, TAKE CHARGE, AND LEAD ON THE ISSUES FACING OUR STATE. INTERNS LEARN THESE SKILLS BY ENGAGING IN HANDS-ON WORK ON CAMPUS AND ACROSS THE STATE. DURING THEIR TIME WITH MONTPIRG, THEY WILL LEARN SKILLS SUCH AS CANVASSING, DOOR KNOCKING, PHONE CALLING, EVENT ORGANIZING, AND CAMPAIGN PLANNING. IN ADDITION TO THE WORK THEY DO IN THE FIELD, THESE YOUNG LEADERS ARE TRAINED IN CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT, FUNDRAISING, COMMUNICATIONS, LOBBYING, RUNNING FOR OFFICE AND MUCH MORE THROUGH WEEKLY CLASSES. OUR CURRENT INTERNS DEDICATE A MINIMUM 10 HOURS PER WEEK OVER A SEMESTER TO LEARN NEW SKILLS THAT THEY PUT TO USE ON REAL CAMPAIGNS TO MOVE MONTANA FORWARD. THEY ARE EACH ASSIGNED AN INDIVIDUAL PROJECT AND TO COMPLETE IT, THEY MUST USE THEIR NEWLY ACQUIRED SKILLS. OUR TIME TESTED INTERNSHIP PROGRAM BUILDS NEW ORGANIZERS THAT ANY CAMPAIGN, NON-PROFIT OR BUSINESS WOULD EAGERLY PURSUE. OUR INTERNS AND VOLUNTEERS HAVE GONE ON TO BE ELECTED OFFICIALS, NON-PROFIT LEADERS, LAWYERS, AND SUCCESSFUL PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN MANAGERS.-MEASURING OUR IMPACTMONPIRG KNOWS THAT CREATING CHANGE IS ONLY POSSIBLE BY SETTING TANGIBLE GOALS AND MEASURING YOUR PROGRESS. BELOW YOU WILL SEE THE PROGRESS MONPIRG MADE IN LATE 2020 AND EARLY 2021 FOR OUTDOORS, YOUTH ENGAGEMENT IN OUR LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, AND MORE. THESE NUMBERS REPRESENT THE HARD WORK DONE BY MONTPIRG VOLUNTEERS, INTERNS, AND STAFF IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR:VOTER REGISTRATION AND ENGAGEMENT:TOTAL VOTER REGISTRATION (2021) 1,026VOTER REGISTRATION - ABSENTEE (2021) 853VOTER REGISTRATION DROP BOXES (2021) 70GOTV DOORS (2021) 4,048GOTV PHONE CALLS (2020 GENERAL ELECTION) 81,775GOTV PHONE CALLS (2021 MUNICIPLE ELECTION) 2,169BCSA (2021):LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SUBMITTED 16DOORS KNOCKED 13,131COMMENTS SUBMITTED 2,495LEGISLATIVE ACCOUNTABILITY (MARIJUANA):PHONE CALLS 51,946PATCH-THRU CALLS 376LEGISLATIVE ACCOUNTABILITY:LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SUBMITTED 58LEGLISATIVE COMMENTS SUBMITTED 1,026RENTERS RIGHTS (2021):RENTER'S SURVEY PARTICPANTS 263INTERNS (FY 2020/2021):MISSOULA INTERNS 21BOZEMAN INTERNS 20