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Montana politics, elections and legislative news

COPP Nominating Committee Resumes Work After Bullock, Sales Meeting

Gov. Steve Bullock.
Corin Cates-Carney
/
MTPR
Gov. Steve Bullock. File photo.

Governor Steve Bullock and Senate President Scott Sales reached an agreement Wednesday on a list of nominees for the next Commissioner of Political Practices, ending a more than week long stall in the nomination hearings. Bullock says he did not try to leverage his administration's legislative goals during that meeting, which was outside of the public nominating process.

During a weekly sit-down with the Montana press corps Thursday, Governor Bullock said he discussed his administration's priorities when meeting with Senator Sales — a meeting that resulted in the rebooting of the nominating process for the state's next top political cop.

Previous meetings of the COPP nominating committee were canceled or ended when Senate and House leaders could not agree on enough candidates to send to the governor.

By statute, the committee needed to pick at least two of the seven candidates interviewed, but the nominating committee, divided along party lines, has so far failed to do so. 

Montana Senate President Scott Sales.
Credit Mike Albans
Montana Senate President Scott Sales.

Senator Sales says he was asked by the governor for "cooperation" on legislative issues supported by the executive branch.

Bullock characterized their conversation this way:

"I had conversations with the leadership of both of the houses that certainly included discussions of Commissioner of Political Practices, discussions about infrastructure, discussions about other bills as well. As far as any deals made ... I would be hard pressed to say any deals were made in the end of this, by any measure."

Sales says he made a commitment to the governor to help get his cabinet nominees through the nominating process.

Hours after the governor's meeting with Senator Sales Wednesday, it was publicly announced that the nominating committee for the position of Commissioner of Political Practices would meet Friday.

That meeting will start at 3:00 p.m. on the third floor of the Capitol.

Corin Cates-Carney manages MTPR’s daily and long-term news projects. After spending more than five years living and reporting across Western and Central Montana, he became news director in early 2020.
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