Gianforte Tours Colstrip, Emphasizes Need to Stand up for the Community

Press Release

Bozeman businessman and tech entrepreneur Greg Gianforte toured Colstrip today meeting with community members and raising awareness of the dangers to the community and to Montana posed by the Obama/EPA Clean Power Plan.

Gianforte has been a strong advocate for Colstrip and the 7,100 jobs that are threatened by the Obama carbon plan. He held a town hall meeting in Colstrip last November, and returned today for similar events.

GIANFORTE: The Colstrip Community is a vital part of Montana. The people in this Community provide power for hundreds of thousands of Montanans. Everyone across the state benefits from the work done by the hard-working people of Colstrip. I thank everyone for showing me such great hospitality today.

Gianforte began his day with coffee with the "Rusty Zippers," followed by a tour of the city led by Ashley Dennehy and Lori Shaw of the group Colstrip United. He then attended the 100 Days celebration with Western Energy Co. miners and employees, and a luncheon at city hall. Gianforte finished his time in Colstrip with a public event at the local park.

Emphasizing that both state and federal policy makers needed to stand up for the community, Gianforte took aim at Governor Bullock and the Obama Administration.

GIANFORTE: The people of this community are doing everything they can to save their livelihoods. They deserve a governor who will stand with them against these bad policies from Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, Governor Bullock won't take a stand. Just this week, he accepted the endorsement of an anti-coal dark money group. As governor, I'll fight for Colstrip and good paying job opportunities for all Montanans.

In March, Gianforte, his running mate Lesley Robinson, representatives of Colstrip United, and labor leaders held a press conference in Billings urging Gov. Bullock to pressure Washington Governor Jay Inslee to veto a bill that paves the way for the closure of Colstrip. Just last week, Gianforte called on U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to hold public meetings in Colstrip and with Crow tribal members.

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