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Commissioner rebukes secretary note; dispute erupts after accusation of unlawful paid ads
Summary
Study Commissioner Beck Guay objected to a secretary's characterization of a public comment and denied an Ex‑Officio's claim that commissioners’ paid newspaper ads violated law, citing MCA Sections 7‑3‑171 through 7‑3‑193 and Local Government Center guidance; the chair deferred final approval of minutes.
Study Commissioner Beck Guay sharply criticized how the February 26 meeting minutes summarized a public commenter, saying a secretary's parenthetical note that the commenter ‘‘went on for roughly 7 minutes’’ was pejorative and should instead be recorded verbatim.
Guay addressed the Study Commission during the March 18 meeting and said the secretary's note ‘‘reduces this discussion to a Secretary’s Note’’ and that omission of the full exchange would undermine the commission’s long‑standing practice of near‑verbatim minutes and discourage public participation. "This discussion must be recorded in the minutes word for word," she said.
The exchange escalated after Ex‑Officio Kevin Hart said at the earlier meeting that several study commissioners had placed paid advertisements that ‘‘were advocating for a particular turnout for a particular item’’ and that doing so could be a violation of law for study commissioners. Guay responded that she ‘‘paid out of pocket to place in the newspaper’’ and denied advocating how voters should vote. She said the ad "simply encouraged the public to ask the Study Commission to place these items on the ballot" and that the ad was paid for by "Bill Dee and Becky Guay," adding that she could find no law in MCA Sections 7‑3‑171 through 7‑3‑193 that prohibited such a personal advertisement and cited guidance from the Local Government Center that personal advocacy is permitted so long as public funds are not used.
Hart said he stood by his earlier remarks; Guay demanded an apology for what she called an unfounded accusation. The commission took a procedural vote to approve the February 26 minutes; Study Commissioner Kevin Orrino moved to approve and Chairman Huotte seconded. Ms. Guay abstained and contested whether the procedural requirements were met. Chairman Huotte indicated the matter would be advanced to the next meeting rather than finalized at the March 18 session.
Why it matters: The disagreement raises questions about how the commission records public remarks and how members may communicate with voters during an active study period. The exchange included a specific citation to state statutes and external guidance and signals continuing tension within the commission over outreach and transparency.
What’s next: The approval of the February 26, 2026 minutes was advanced to the next meeting for resolution.
