Governor Greg Gianforte has appointed Chris Gallus as Montana’s new Commissioner of Political Practices.

Gallus previously served as legal counsel for the Montana Chamber of Commerce before starting his own private practice.

The Montana Senate has not yet confirmed Gallus’s appointment and no date has been set for his confirmation hearing.

If his appointment is approved, Gallus will serve a six-year term as Commissioner of Political Practices.

Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices, Jeff Mangan, has announced his retirement, effective November 7.

During his almost six-year tenure, Mangan was celebrated by Republicans and Democrats alike for his nonpartisan approach to the role.

Before leaving office, Mangan is focusing on shoring up protections for election officials in response to the uptick of hostility towards the country’s election integrity.

Mangan stated his reason for stepping down early was to return to the private sector.

Gov. Greg Gianforte will select the next commissioner from a shortlist submitted to him by lawmakers.

The House of Representatives introduced a bill eliminating the Office of the Commissioner of Political Practices.

House Bill 535 establishes a Campaign Practices and Ethics Review Board appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, and the minority leaders.

The bill also transfers investigative duties and duties related to the filing of ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance report, statements, forms, and other documents to the Office of the Secretary of State.

Enforcement duties for ethics, lobbying, and campaign practices complaints will be transferred to the Campaign Practices and Ethics Review Board, the Attorney General, and county attorneys.

If passed, House Bill 535 becomes effective July 1, 2021.

Campaign contribution limits increased following an every other year adjustment to match inflation required by state law.

The amount an individual or PAC may give to a campaign for governor rose from $680 to $710 per election.

The aggregate amount a PAC may give to a candidate for state Senate rose from $2,850 to $3,050.

Additionally, the same amount rose from $1,750 to $1,850 for a candidate for state House.

The Commissioner of Political Practices is in charge of calculating the increase by multiplying last cycle’s limits by an inflation factor provided by statute.

The new contribution limits took effect September 21. Contributions made before that date are subject to the old limits.

However, those who have already given money may contribute again up to the new limits.

Gov. Steve Bullock called the Legislature into a special session late Monday to address the state’s budget issues caused by an unforeseen drop in state revenue and costly wildfires.

Gov. Bullock has been working with lawmakers for months to come up with a plan to fix budgetary issues without calling a special session, but no agreement could be reached. Gov. Bullock released a list of cuts he would be willing to make to state agencies to help close the gap in revenue.

Smaller state agencies, including the Commissioner of Political Practices who oversees the state’s ethics, will see 10% cuts while larger agencies such as the Department of Corrections and the state university system will be burdened much less.

The special session is scheduled to convene November 14, 2017.

The Montana Supreme Court ruled Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathon Motl’s term has expired, but he must remain in office until a replacement is found. A lawsuit was filed in December 2016 claiming Motl, who was appointed to the position in 2013 by Gov. Steve Bullock, was entitled to a full six-year term ending in 2019.

The Court stated they did not want to interfere with Bullock’s appointment and later confirmation by the Senate. The order went on to say Motl must remain in office until the Senate confirms a successor.

State Republicans are pleased with the quick ruling, providing an opportunity to confirm a new commissioner during the current 2017 legislative session. Motl’s chief legal counsel, Jamie MacNaughton, and former Billings city commissioner Michael Larson have already submitted applications to be considered as Motl’s replacement.

On December 16, the Commissioner of Political Practices’ proposed rule amendment increasing the threshold amount of payment triggering lobbyist and employer registration to $2,550 for 2017 and 2018 was adopted.

The payment threshold is adjusted by an inflation factor determined by the commissioner. The previous threshold amount was $2,500 for the calendar years 2015 and 2016.

On April 24, the Montana Senate confirmed Jonathan Motl as the Commissioner of Political Practices. Motl has been serving in the position since June of 2013 when he was appointed by Gov. Steve Bullock.

His confirmation had been contentious because of a perception by many Republicans that Motl was partisan in his pursuit of violations of campaign finance laws. However, eight Republican senators joined all the Democratic senators to confirm Motl with a vote of 29 to 21. According to the Helena Independent Record, Motl said, “I’m delighted and humbled, and I fully remember that I work for the people of Montana, and I’ll do my best to make them proud.”

The commissioner monitors and enforces the state’s laws concerning campaign finance, lobbying, business interest disclosures of candidates and officials, and ethical standards of elected and public officials.

Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Dave Gallik has resigned his job after his staff accused him of using state resources for private law practice.

For the full story read:

“Staff says ethics commissioner not ethical” by The Associated Press in the Billings Gazette.

“Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices resigns” by John S. Adams in the Great Falls Tribune.

“Top Montana Ethics Leader Resigns Amid Allegations” by Caroline Cournoyer on Governing.com.

Photo of Dave Gallik courtesy of the Montana Legislature website.

Governor Brian Schweitzer has appointed Dave Gallik to serve as Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices.

Gallik previously worked as Staff Attorney for the Montana State Insurance Commissioner and served for several years in the Montana House of Representatives.

The Commissioner of Political Practices is appointed to serve one six-year term and requires Senate confirmation.

Photo of the Montana State Capitol courtesy of Galaksiafervojo on Wikipedia.