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What the Helena 2021 Archives - Forward Montana
What the Helena – Week 13
April 5, 2021
Events this week: Tuesday, April 6 — Join us and some of our partners for a virtual Public Lands Rally from 12-1pm. We’ll hear short speeches from Conrad Anker (climber, mountaineer, & author), Francine Spang-Willis (board member, Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation), Rachel Schmidt (former director, MT Office of Outdoor Recreation), and Andrew Posewitz (sportsman & hunting ethics…
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What the Helena – Week 12
March 30, 2021
*March 28 2021* If you’re anything like us, you’re tired AF and ready for spring. However, now is not the time to disengage! More than ever, we need everyone contacting their representatives and spreading the word on the multitude of bills moving through our legislature. The good news? Our newsletter makes it super easy! And it takes…
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What the Helena – Week 11
March 24, 2021
*March 21, 2021* Events this week: Tuesday, March 23 — Voting Rights Legislative Happy Hour Wednesday, March 24 — Climate Justice & Public Lands Legislative Happy Hour Join us to ask questions on bills and practice crafting testimony! Let’s talk about decorum Decorum: a fancy word for appropriate conduct in the legislature. It’s causing quite a stir. Last week, the House Rules Committee…
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What the Helena – Week 10
March 24, 2021
*March 14, 2021* Hey there! We’re feeling rejuvenated and hope you are too. As we launch into the second half of the legislative session, there are plenty of bills still on the chopping block. If you’ve been itching to get involved, now is the time! Events this week: Monday, March 15 — Rainbow Rally at the Capitol (masks…
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What the Helena – Week 9 [Guest Edition!]
March 10, 2021
*March 7, 2021* It’s transmittal break and damn are we thankful for the chance to take a breath. Our legislative team has been taking some much needed time for R&R and we hope you are too! It’s been a wild few weeks and our legislators will be hitting the ground running again tomorrow. We’re incredibly honored and excited…
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What the Helena – Week 7
March 3, 2021
*Feb 21, 2021 Storms are a-brewin’ Our thoughts are with our friends in Texas as record-breaking cold temperatures, frozen natural gas pipelines (part of a deregulated, privatized power grid), and inept leadership have left millions of people without power, food, or clean water. BIPOC, the homeless, seniors, and people with disabilities are being…
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What the Helena – Week 8
March 3, 2021
*Feb 28, 2021* Welcome back There is a major deadline approaching for Montana legislators. The transmittal deadline is the date by which all general bills have to pass from one chamber to the next. If a bill hasn’t passed out of either the House or Senate by this Wednesday it will not pass GO and collect…
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What the Helena is Coming?
March 2, 2021
Join us on March 18th, 2021 at 12:00 PM MST. Executive Director Kiersten Iwai, Program Director Amara Reese-Hansell, and Issue Advocacy Manager Abby Sophir will discuss Forward Montana’s efforts during the legislative session. We will be discussing lessons learned, bills, youth mobilization, and more! Once complete, you will receive a confirmation email with the relevant…
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What the Helena – Week 6
February 17, 2021
*February 14th 2021* It’s getting hot in Helena It’s Valentine’s Day and things are heating up in Helena. If you thought we were coming in with candy hearts and sweet nothings, think again, loves. You might be asking: “With SO MANY bad things happening, where do I even begin?” First things first, we hear you….
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What the Helena – Week 5
February 9, 2021
*February 7, 2021* Let’s get our priorities straight We’re in the thick of a pandemic and an economic crisis, yet our Republican-controlled legislature seems more concerned with attacking individuals’ rights (voting rights, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ+ rights, to name a few) than focusing on bills that would help Montanans through these tough times. We’re as…
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What the Helena – Week 4
February 1, 2021
*January 31, 2021* A Glimmer of Hope It’s been a whirlwind of a week and we’re happy to be on the other side of some exciting wins. In this week’s edition of What the Helena, we’ll be covering updates on voting rights, equality, student debt, and energy accountability. Engaging in the legislative session doesn’t have…
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What the Helena – Week 3
January 29, 2021
*January 24, 2021* When the going gets tough… We huddle up As President Biden moved into the Oval Office last week, Montana legislators continued trucking away in Helena. A full slate of legislation came at us, and a lot of it was, well, alarming. Deep breaths. Before we dive in, we want to invite you to Forward…
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What the Helena – Week 2
January 29, 2021
*January 17th, 2021* Holy smokes, welcome back folks! An attempted coup on our nation’s democracy as COVID-19 deaths continue to surge – 2021 is shaking out to be quite the year. How is it only January?! As Inauguration Day for President-elect Joe Biden approaches on January 20th, there have been threats of armed marches at all…
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What the Helena – Week 1
January 27, 2021
*January 10, 2021* Welcome to What the Helena! We’ll be hitting your inbox weekly with everything you need to know about Montana’s 67th Legislative Session and how it affects young Montanans. Was your New Year’s resolution to be a better activist? You’re in the right place. Thanks for joining us! The legislative session kicked off…
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