[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6221474,"mediaKeyId","3613328-91270bf83ccfddd769425f5c8bc86e23","parentId",3613328,"title","Speaker warns House Bill 303 and a proposed constitutional amendment could strip affirmative action and Indian fee waivers","audioSeconds",967,"startMs",2011000,"endMs",2978000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3613328-91270bf83ccfddd769425f5c8bc86e23&start=2011&end=2978","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3613328-91270bf83ccfddd769425f5c8bc86e23/thumbnail_2011000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6221474/Missoula/Missoula-County/Montana/Speaker-warns-House-Bill-303-and-a-proposed-constitutional-amendment-could-strip-affirmative-action-and-Indian-fee-waivers","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221474-92887e87996d91c37b95b69a7ee024cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159706&Signature=n-nlwqggS9QOMnPhi5oPpQYdRZc3sL3l1539nIBzeUg9g1u4tuMjRdyP6MRdHIpbF~csiLfS8NBhfwwzVz0fsq1Eh8wW2uv7e9F0MSudfZRKb7Le3gUNjriYa8RoVFxS-4sj4zo05mHvS3TV94Mc~YMAvcTJP95NIzskHb2kOQ6L6zBgYBL88faf4JqT-0EKIphHo~KNzG0k353V9fsKWmGB5~PyiWzPu6w92r2BcbugEboDzJSAFCsKMEtEERA7cM8mH5nYoVOCVsDcovaQUMwhIX~bMul21dInilns5ofxMrQ1WfVgcFX106N5LWPy05ZjLy5HAlBJ5Bp7hu2lcg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Missoula, MT","date","2025-05-30T18:09:14Z","article","Corky Bush, representing the Montana Association for Civil Rights and Affirmative Action and speaking as the affirmative‑action officer at Montana State University, urged attendees to oppose a proposal cited as House Bill 303 and a constitutional amendment described in the meeting as seeking to prohibit state‑level affirmative action.

Bush said HB 303—described in the presentation as having gone through a legislative council review—would remove language referencing American Indian, Native American, minority groups and women from parts of the Montana Code, and that doing so would eliminate Indian fee waivers and other targeted provisions. He characterized a concurrent ballot measure described during the presentation as a “condominium amendment” (as the speaker called it) that would ban Montana from ever implementing state‑based affirmative‑action preferences.

Bush urged people to sign a petition circulating at the meeting opposing HB 303 and the proposed constitutional change. He described affirmative action as a narrow federal requirement that applies mainly to federal contractors and said removing state protections or pre‑empting state policy would have long‑term consequences for access and opportunity.

Bush framed the issue with a long analogy about leveling a playing field and described affirmative action as a targeted, limited policy (a “soup ladle” approach in his analogy) that seeks to fill gaps created by historical discrimination. He asked attendees to consider what Montana’s responsibilities should be to correct long‑term effects of discrimination and to oppose measures that would foreclose future remedies.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Under The Copper Dome February 20, 1997","oneSentenceSummary","A presenter described House Bill 303 as removing references to American Indian, Native American and minority categories from state code and warned of a constitutional amendment that would bar state‑level affirmative action; petition circulation was announced.","taxTitle","Missoula, Missoula County, Montana","taxId",4050,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6221480,"Montana Women's Lobby frames welfare reform as punitive amid scarce jobs and urges local discussion",254,1755000,2009000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3613328-91270bf83ccfddd769425f5c8bc86e23&start=1755&end=2009","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3613328-91270bf83ccfddd769425f5c8bc86e23/thumbnail_1755000.jpg","/articles/6221480/Missoula/Missoula-County/Montana/Montana-Womens-Lobby-frames-welfare-reform-as-punitive-amid-scarce-jobs-and-urges-local-discussion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221480-7979a2a66f45c1858d7b142737a6989f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159706&Signature=CE8rdblPPdaVJvhT7-FVmOXszZuwQce1wSZ-KlPIdlbtghmuaeKEXMs9cSby8iyRKWqJ2j9m3bR2qdDInCaG~agp1EkdRPAj-DUQZ8DXoK0rqucVKETLym2T4h~erV7VMMOHjO1~pGiNs-Bbanc6lEZuybIe06RCB3pDLh5NpKZZXWz2WDdWC2VdxKdXXfgosP6dm9IWTrqt3q-HLYszIYJVY7zTzlEQxeEoIG3TqUa1bzKDziQClguZVgD6wF4r-uJFkjo~vQQBvRey7R9aJuEtffIEBR5fbMa8U~A4oozdo11F0N5JNiNe6k1cSmNCRMoKGGAt31nyXoswEH1mzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Missoula community conversation, the Montana Women's Lobby highlighted concerns about proposed welfare‑reform measures that speakers said could be punitive toward low‑income families in a state with limited employment opportunities. Sandy Eutzinger, with the Montana Women's Lobby, contrasted public visibility of food‑stamp recipients with corporate actors who avoid scrutiny and said policy changes could shrink the welfare roll without addressing underlying scarcity of jobs.

Eutzinger used a local example from Helena to illustrate how corporate actors can influence policy: she recounted discovery of a Superfund site near a ball field where a railroad volunteered to clean up contamination, then later sought reimbursement through a legislative amendment. She argued that similar political dynamics shape welfare and corporate policy debates and warned that shrinking programs without creating jobs is a “fallacy.”

Eutzinger invited attendees to continue the discussion in small groups to develop Montana‑specific frames for economic‑justice advocacy. The presentation emphasized the need to link public attitudes about welfare recipients to policy choices and to organize local responses rather than rely solely on legislative fights.","Montana Women's Lobby urged attendees to view proposed welfare changes as punitive and to consider local employment scarcity when forming economic-justice responses; the speaker invited small‑group discussions.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6221485,"Missoula advocates press civil‑rights case, cite court challenge to deviant‑conduct law and community violence",347,1195000,1542000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3613328-91270bf83ccfddd769425f5c8bc86e23&start=1195&end=1542","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3613328-91270bf83ccfddd769425f5c8bc86e23/thumbnail_1195000.jpg","/articles/6221485/Missoula/Missoula-County/Montana/Missoula-advocates-press-civilrights-case-cite-court-challenge-to-deviantconduct-law-and-community-violence","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221485-f69c3f7d7aeb8d6fe1c8c88cc3583f2c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159706&Signature=B51mlfCstPE4zjv3lsQQMUgYw3gQst~5VvfdmfukCiU9T~-3UO~jTkdOzw1aU7YxduleqKwJKBRn4GFQnRwKC4ON8LcGOaIDC4l6Mw8cktqP~uiy4ScxxaQmVO6xLcCM-g6YKROoZe90CDtPX0um4DnvhfgNbafWyyDepCqlRYQsrchrknTu2agUh8HXMionKBSTsdxiHbjImFR4PS1lGnhveumTGDmYgf7xl9WQbHfiiaz2o3wbQwq0TdI4muFMa27tLN1J-kwOs-Uqzj4b4gHtCozexXKsDg5-P27BgkQtHgvA3FMH5VHjqxIBs6xjYd23EcC1Oq5sGCtRCqJoAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Speakers from PRIDE and allied organizations described legal and everyday barriers faced by gay, lesbian and bisexual Montanans and urged broader community engagement. Sandy Hill, executive director of PRIDE, said a district court ruled the state’s deviant conduct statute violated privacy and equal‑protection rights and that the issue was then before the Montana Supreme Court.

Hill reviewed specific civil‑rights gaps: Montana lacks statewide statutory protections for sexual orientation in employment, housing, education and public accommodations, she said, and she described several violent incidents and intimidation in Missoula that community members reported. “Violence motivated by hatred is just not a crime against the individual, it's a crime against the entire community,” Hill said, arguing hate‑motivated attacks create fear across the community.

Hill recounted that a group filed a legal challenge to the statute in December 1993 and that Judge Jeffrey Sherlock ruled in February 1994 that the law violated the state right to privacy; she said the case was pending before the Montana Supreme Court. Hill also described specific local incidents from 1995: two men assaulted on the University of Montana campus after being identified as gay, harassment and assaults at a 1995 Pride event, and distribution of flyers advocating violence against homosexuals.

Beyond criminal law, Hill said many same‑sex couples face day‑to‑day discrimination—denial of hospital visitation, family health benefits and recognition of committed relationships—and that callers and young people perceived as gay face harassment in schools. She urged community members to speak up and to create welcoming environments so lesbian, gay and bisexual people can participate safely in public life.

Hill also said PRIDE formed in the early 1990s to provide a public policy voice and to address the statute as a central barrier to equal treatment. She asked attendees to support efforts to change laws and to provide community support for victims of harassment.","PRIDE and allied groups described ongoing litigation over Montana’s deviant conduct statute, gaps in non‑discrimination protections, and incidents of violence and harassment in Missoula that advocates say underscore the need for legal and community action.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6221490,"Missoula advocates urge opposition to House Bill 365 banning intact D&E procedure",456,712000,1168000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3613328-91270bf83ccfddd769425f5c8bc86e23&start=712&end=1168","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3613328-91270bf83ccfddd769425f5c8bc86e23/thumbnail_712000.jpg","/articles/6221490/Missoula/Missoula-County/Montana/Missoula-advocates-urge-opposition-to-House-Bill-365-banning-intact-DE-procedure","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221490-adc7e74a83c3e387067923c3c3403a11/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159706&Signature=mua7nlU97Y9ym~XA~apgN838ibX~jd7KvhKjFw~b12nUquoCE65B2691lMcaFKRnFUHiie30AIleW3NJFTewTlQZCJ5KhzHIMl6b7K2Car5gbDi~s1i7qFy~6Lc~0VbwCAhn5x7drvKoWRZoKNeewgZdsYVqXDGujnOzIlJ28jEFZguHxwQcEOZoBrX2u~q9~cPU6cT4z5KkLmltS~l2BMbTFVcmMSqxtcsMKGnREwMNvGKmt6CIV-p6lEJjpczQEn2br1H7qDWJAM00CWSIYcG8EzCGNJPAWvFgDMhyIaKml~-bvBQoO-YNb-GELWm5J6jwLCdxaQC3w38LOrmuIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Missoula advocates urged local residents to oppose House Bill 365, a proposed state ban on an intact dilation-and-evacuation procedure commonly referred to in advocacy discussion as a late‑term abortion procedure. Gail Gucci, board president of Montana NARAL, told the meeting that HB 365 “is incorrectly named” and that the bill would ban a procedure used rarely and “only used in extreme and tragic cases where the life and health of the mother is at risk and or there are severe fetal anomalies.”

Advocates said the bill would make the procedure a criminal act for medical providers, imposing fines and prison terms and lacking a health‑of‑the‑mother exception. Gucci said the bill’s criminal penalties include a fine she described as $50,000 and up to 10 years in prison for providers. She also said Montana already prohibits abortion on a viable fetus except when the mother’s health is at risk and that this bill’s narrower wording—she said it excepts only death—would be “too narrow.”

The Missoula Human Rights Network hosted the event as part of a series of community conversations on legislation. Gucci called attention to a legislative hearing scheduled in Helena and encouraged attendance and written testimony; she said the hearing on HB 365 was set for “tomorrow at 8 a.m. in Helena” and that organizers planned a bus leaving Missoula at 5:30 a.m. for those who wanted to testify.

Discussion at the meeting emphasized that the intact D&E procedure is rarely used nationwide—Gucci said it is performed about 600 times a year across the country—and that medical providers perform it in extreme cases. Gucci added, “This is a decision, extremely private, painful decision to be made by the woman and her health care provider,” and argued legislators lack medical expertise to write rules on such procedures.

Gucci also described additional bills advocates were watching but said they had not yet been introduced: an “unborn child abuse” proposal aimed at punishing pregnant people for substance use and a broad parental‑rights bill that could restrict minors’ access to sexual‑health information and services. She asked attendees to reserve detailed questions for small‑group discussions and offered to coordinate testimony and travel for the Helena hearing.","Speakers at a Missoula community conversation warned that House Bill 365 would criminalize a rare late‑term abortion procedure, impose heavy penalties on providers and lack a health exception; advocates urged testimony at a Helena hearing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Speaker warns House Bill 303 and a proposed constitutional amendment could strip affirmative action and Indian fee waivers

Montana Women's Lobby frames welfare reform as punitive amid scarce jobs and urges local discussion

Missoula advocates press civil‑rights case, cite court challenge to deviant‑conduct law and community violence

Missoula advocates urge opposition to House Bill 365 banning intact D&E procedure