INTRODUCTION: In the 2019 Montana legislative session, 2-4 trapping related bills were voted on by a legislator. Whereas, 8 trapping/anti-wolf related bills made it to the floor of the full House and Senate vote in the 2021 session. Another two trapping bills died in committee. In 2019, TFMPL gave a "B" grade to a legislator for 3:4 bill votes, "C" for 2:4, and an "A" for the one and only vote a legislator had to cast and that was in support of our position. For the 2021 votes, we used standardized percentages for the grade. For more insight, the percentage is provided of the legislator's vote in support of TFMPL's position on the *10 trapping related bills.
Although opposing trapping is bipartisan, the Montana 2021 trapping related and wildlife bills were almost exclusively voted along party lines.
Montana State Senate 2021
A Total of 25 seats out of the chamber's 50 Senate seats were up for election in 2020.
District | Senator | Party | Incumbent |
| 2019 Grade | 2021Grade |
2 | Glimm, Carl | R |
|
|
| F 8% |
3 | Regier, Keith | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
6 | Hertz, Greg | R |
| uncontested |
| F 0% |
7 | Brown, Bob Sponsored 2021 SB267, SB314 | R |
| 2019 Rep (HD13) | F | F 0% |
10 | Fitzpatrick, Steve | R | x | uncontested | A (e.g. 1 bill) | F 0% |
15 | Osmundson, Ryan | R | x | uncontested | F | F 0% |
16 | Fox, Mike | D |
| uncontested |
| B 85% |
17 | Lang, Mike | R | x | uncontested | F | F 0% |
18 | Hinebauch, Steve | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
21 | Small, Jason | R | x |
| A | F 23% |
23 | McGillvray, Tom | R |
| uncontested |
| F 0% |
25 | Gross, Jen | D | x |
| A | A 92% |
26 | Friedel, Chris | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
28 | Molnar, Brad | R |
| uncontested |
| F 1% |
31 | Pope, Christopher | D |
|
|
| A 92% |
35 | Sales, Walt | R |
| uncontested |
| F 8% |
36 | Welborn, Jeff | R | x |
| F | F 8% |
37 | Lynch, Ryan | D |
|
|
| B 85% |
38 | McClafferty, Edith | D | x |
| A | A 92% |
39 | Sweeney, Mark | D |
| 2019 Rep (HD77) | B | B 85% |
District | Senator | Party | Incumbent |
| 2019 Grade | 2021Grade |
40 | Gauthier, Terry | R | x |
| A | F 23% |
44 | Manzella, Theresa | R |
|
| F | F 0% |
45 | Boldman, Ellie (Hill-Smith) | D |
|
| A | F 92% |
46 | O'Brien, Shannon | D |
|
|
| A 92% |
47 | Salomon, Dan | R | x |
| A | F 23% |
The following won the 25 open Senate seats for the 2021 legislative session:
District Senator Party 2021 Grade
1 Mike Cuffe R F 0%
4 Mark Blasdel R F 8%
5 Bob Keenan R F 0%
8 Susan Webber D A 92%
9 Bruce Gillespie R F 0%
11 Tom Jacobson D F+ 54%
12 Carlie Boland D A 92%
13 Brian Hoven R F 38%
14 Russel Tempel R F 0%
19 Kenneth Bogner R F 15%
20 Duane Ankney R F 15%
22 Doug Kary R F 0%
24 Mary McNally D B 85%
27 Cary Smith R F 8%
29 David Howard R F 0%
30 John Esp R F 8%
32 Pat Flowers - D C 77%
Sponsored SB60
33 Jennifer Pomnichowski D A 92%
34 Gordan Vance R F 8%
41 Janet Ellis D B 85%
42 Jill Cohenour D B 85%
43 Jason Ellsworth R F 8%
48 Shane Morigeau D A 92%
49 Diane Sands D A 92%
50 Tom Steenberg D assumed office September 21, 2021 NA
End of Senate members.
Montana State House 2021
All 100 seats in the Montana House of Representatives were up for election in 2020. Grades A-F assigned 2019. For 2021, added to the grade was the percentage of the vote in support of TFMPL's position on *8 trapping related bills and 2 bills tabled in committee.
District | Representative | Party | Incumbent |
| 2019 Grade | 2021 Grade |
1 | Steve Gunderson | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
2 | Neil Duram | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
3 | Braxton Mitchell | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
4 | Matt Regier | R | x | uncontested | F | F 0% |
5 | Dave Fern | D | x |
| A | B 85% |
6 | Amy Regier | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
7 | Frank Garner | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
8 | John Fuller | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
9 | Brian Putnam | R |
|
|
| D+60% |
10 | Mark Noland | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
11 | Derek Skees | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
12 | Linda Reksten | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
13 | Paul Fielder - Sponsored HB138, HB163, HB224, HB225, HB367 | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
14 | Denley Loge | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
15 | Marvin Weatherwax Jr. | D | x |
| A | B 87% |
16 | Tyson Runningwolf | D | x |
| A | B 87% |
17 | Ross Fitzgerald | R | x |
|
| F 0% |
18 | Llew Jones | R | x |
|
| F 0% |
19 | Wendy McKamey | R | x |
|
| F 0% |
20 | Fred Anderson | R | x |
|
| F 0% |
21 | Edward Buttrey | R | x |
|
| F 0% |
22 | Lola Sheldon-Galloway | R | x |
|
| F 0% |
23 | Scot Kerns | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
District | Representative | Party | Incumbent |
| 2019 Grade | 2021 Grade |
24 | Steven Galloway | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
25 | Steve Gist | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
26 | Jeremy Trebas | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
27 | Joshua Kassmier | R | x | uncontested | F | F 0% |
28 | Ed Hill | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
29 | Dan Bartel | R | x | uncontested | F | F 0% |
30 | Wylie Galt | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
31 | Frank Smith | D |
|
|
| B 85% |
32 | Jonathan Windy Boy | D | x |
| A | A 92% |
33 | Casey Knudsen | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
34 | Rhonda Knudsen | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
35 | Brandon Ler | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
36 | Bob Phalen | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
37 | Jerry Schillinger | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
38 | Kenneth Holmlund | R | x |
| C | F 0% |
39 | Geraldine Custer | R | x | uncontested | A | F 0% |
40 | Barry Usher | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
41 | Rynalea Whiteman Pena | D |
| uncontested |
| A 92% |
42 | Sharon Stewart-Peregoy | D | x |
| A | B 85% |
43 | Kerri Seekins-Crowe | R |
|
|
| F 6% |
44 | Larry Brewster | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
45 | Kabe Zolnikov | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
46 | Bill Mercer | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
47 | Katharin Kelker | D | x |
| A | A 92% |
48 | Jessica Karjala | D | x |
| C | A 92% |
49 | Emma Kerr-Carpenter | D | x |
| A | C 77% |
District | Representative | Party | Incumbent |
| 2019 Grade | 2021 Grade |
50 | Mallerie Stromswold | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
51 | Frank Fleming | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
52 | Jimmy Patelis | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
53 | Dennis Lenz | R | x | uncontested | F | F 0% |
54 | Terry Moore | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
55 | Vince Ricci | R | x | uncontested | F | F 0% |
56 | Sue Vinton | R | x | uncontested | F | F 0% |
57 | Fiona Nave | R |
| uncontested |
| F 0% |
58 | Seth Berglee | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
59 | Marty Malone | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
60 | Laurie Bishop | D | x |
| A | B 85% |
61 | Jim Hamilton | D | x | uncontested | A | C 77% |
62 | Ed Stafman | D |
|
|
| B 85% |
63 | Alice Buckley | D |
|
|
| B 85% |
64 | Jane Gillette | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
65 | Kelly Kortum | D |
|
|
| B 85% |
66 | Denise Hayman | D | x | uncontested | A | B 85% |
67 | Jedediah Hinkle | R |
| uncontested |
| F 0% |
68 | Caleb Hinkle | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
69 | Jennifer Carlson | R |
| uncontested |
| F 0% |
70 | Julie Dooling | R | x | uncontested | F | F 0% |
71 | Kenneth Walsh | R |
|
|
| F 15% |
72 | Tom Welch | R | x | uncontested | F | F 15% |
73 | Jim Keane | D | x |
| C | C 77% |
74 | Derek Harvey | D | x |
| A | F 54% |
75 | Marta Bertoglio | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
District | Representative | Party | Incumbent |
| 2019 Grade | 2021 Grade |
76 | Donavon Hawk | D |
|
|
| B 85% |
77 | Sara Novak | D |
|
|
| F 29% |
78 | Gregory Frazer | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
79 | Robert Farris-Olsen | D | x |
| A | B 87% |
80 | Becky Beard | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
81 | Mary Caferro | D | x |
| A | B 85% |
82 | Moffie Funk | D | x |
| A | B 85% |
83 | Kim Abbott | D | x |
| A | B 85% |
84 | Mary Ann Dunwell | D | x |
| A | B 85% |
85 | Michele Binkley | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
86 | David Bedey | R | x | uncontested | C | F 0% |
87 | Ron Marshall | R |
|
|
| F 0% |
88 | Sharon Greef | R | x | uncontested | C | C 73% |
89 | Katie Sullivan | D | x |
| A | A 92% |
90 | Marilyn Marler | D | x |
| A | B 87% |
91 | Connie Keogh | D | x |
| A | B 85% |
92 | Mike Hopkins | R | x |
| A | F 0% |
93 | Joe Read | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
94 | Tom France - Sponsored HB523, HB524 | D |
|
|
| B 80% |
95 | Danny Tenenbaum | D |
|
|
| B 85% |
96 | Kathy Whitman | R |
|
|
| A 92% |
97 | Brad Tschida | R | x |
| F | F 0% |
98 | Willis Curdy | D | x |
| A | C 77% |
99 | Mark Thane | D |
|
|
| C 77% |
100 | Andrea Olson | D | x |
| A | A 92% |
End of Montana House of Representatives members.
To review the basis of the Montana legislator's 2019 trapping voting record and grades.
*For the 2021 legislative session, legislators were graded on 10 trapping related bills, 8 bills that made it to the floor and 2 bills tabled in committee.
These bills were assigned two categories based on type and weight of impact. The following bills were given 1 point:HB138: Private property permission, HB163: Increase F&W Commissioners, SB60: Trapper Education, and the two bills tabled in committee: HB523: Relaxing Snares & dates, HB524: Relaxing Snares & public posting.
2 points were assigned to: HB224: Wolf Snaring, HB225 Extended Wolf Trapping Season, HB367: Constitutional Amendment, SB267: Wolf Bounties, SB314: Reduce Wolves to bare min.
See: 2021 MT Trapping & Related Bills
No matter the state, get to know your legislator and those running for office. Thank those who vote for wildlife. Respectfully communicate that you will not tolerate the proliferation of these destructive and unnecessary attacks on wildlife, disrespectful and unethical treatment of them, and the indiscriminate cruelty inherent in trapping. Insist wildlife management be based on the best available science, non-lethal alternatives to mitigate wildlife conflicts, preserving wildlife biodiversity for healthy ecosystems, and for safe use of our public lands from trapping.
Legislators need to either vote for wildlife or they need to be voted out!
We urge you to speak up for wildlife! Make them a priority in your voting record!
We have a voice, they do not!
Thank you!
