April 2023
Thursday, April 27
7:30 a.m.
Gave remarks at the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America Legislative Conference
9:00 a.m.
Met virtually with students from Billings West High School AP Government Class
9:30 a.m.
Met with representatives from the Independent Insurance Agents of Montana: Tom Chamberlin, Aaron Beard, John Braut and Jamie Barlog
9:45 a.m.
Met with Blackfeet Tribal Leadership & COLT: Councilwoman Shelly Hall; Councilman Patrick Armstrong; Councilman Marvin Weatherwax; Jerry Lunak, Director, Blackfeet Water Resources; Dion Killsback; Dan Gans; Kwebb Galbreth; Jennifer Weddle; and Dion Killsback
10:00 a.m.
Phone call with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo
10:00 a.m.
Banking Committee hearing: Oversight of the Credit Reporting Agencies with Mark Begor, CEO, Equifax; Chris Cartwright, President & CEO, TransUnion; and Brian Cassin, CEO, Experian
11:15 a.m.
Press interview
11:30 a.m.
Met with representatives from the Department of Labor, Veterans’ Employment and Training Service: James Rodriguez, Assistant Secretary; Julian Purdy, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary; Karla Langham, Chief of Staff; and Edward Edney, Senior Legislative Officer
12:15 p.m.
Press interview
12:30 p.m.
Senate floor session
12:45 p.m.
Met with 2023 Montana Teacher of the Year Catherine Matthews, Manhattan, and Karen Lauritzen
1:00 p.m.
Press interview
1:30 p.m.
Senate floor session
Wednesday, April 26
8:00 a.m.
Met with representatives from the Military Officers Association of America: ADM (Ret) James G. Foggo, Cory Titus, Director, Veteran Benefit and Guard/Reserve Affairs; Lt. Col (Ret) Marjorie Quant, USAF, Vice President of the Advocacy for Service Women and Military Families Virtual Chapter; Jim Rossi , Content Marketing Manager; and Vanessa Berry, VP, Western MT Chapter of MOAA, Missoula
8:15 a.m.
Attended Montana Coffee
9:00 a.m.
Met with representatives from the Trust for Public Land Montana and Northern Rockies: Dick Dolan, Bozeman, Director of TPL’s Northern Rockies Field Office; David Barclay, Marion, Northern Rockies Board Member; Sue Orb, Ketchum, ID; Chris Lea, Jackson, WY; and Alan Front, Conservation Pathways
9:05 a.m.
Met with representatives from Huntington Ingalls Industries meeting: Chris Kastner, CEO; Stewart Holmes, EVP, Govt Affairs; and Peter Courtney, Director, Legislative Affairs
9:15 a.m.
Press interview
9:45 a.m.
Met with representatives from Boone and Crockett Club: Tony Schoonen, Missoula; James Cummins; Simon Roosevelt; Greg Schildwachter, Watershed Results; and David Anderson, Natural Resource Results
10:00 a.m.
Met with students from Sheridan High School and Centerville High School
10:00 a.m.
Attended Banking Committee hearing
10:30 a.m.
Attended MilCon/VA Appropriations Subcommittee hearing
11:15 a.m.
Met with Gill A. Pratt, Chief Scientist and Executive Fellow for Research, Toyota Motor Corporation, and CEO, Toyota Research Institute
12:00 p.m.
Senate floor session
12:00 p.m.
Met with representatives from the Montana Stockgrowers Association: John Grande, President; Lesley Robinson, 1st Vice President; Turk Stovall, 2nd Vice President; Vicki Olson, MT Public Lands Chair; and Raylee Honeycutt, Executive Vice President
12:00 p.m.
Attended Democratic Chairs meeting
12:30 p.m.
Met with representatives from the National Park Foundation: Bill Singer, board member, and Sara Tucker, Natural Resources Results
12:45 p.m.
Attended Democratic Caucus meeting
2:00 p.m.
Press interview
2:15 p.m.
Gave remarks on the Senate floor in support of the Elizabeth Dole Veterans Programs Improvement Act
2:15 p.m.
Senate floor session
3:00 p.m
Chaired Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing
4:00 p.m.
Senate floor session
5:00 p.m.
Met with representatives from Alabama Coushatta and Ysleta Sur del Pueblo: Rick Sylestine (Tribal Chair), Nita Battise (Vice Chair), Ronnie Thomas, Melanie Battise, Roland Poncho and Romano Romani
Tuesday, April 25
3:30 p.m.
Met with representatives from Summit Beverage and MT Beer and Wine Distributors: Mike Markovich, Summit Beverage, Butte, Kalispell, Missoula; Debra Pitassy, Executive Director, MBWD, Helena; Kristi Blazer, Outgoing Executive Director, MBWD, Helena; Joe and Ed Brandt, Cardinal Distributing, Bozeman
3:45 p.m.
Press interview
4:30 p.m.
Met with Department of Labor’s Acting Secretary Julie Su, Liz Watson and Cathy Yu
5:15 p.m.
Received award and gave brief remarks at the Military Officers Association of America Award Presentation
5:30 p.m.
Senate floor session
Thursday, April 20
10:20 a.m.
Met with Kassidy Rismon, Gilford, MT and Dr. Cindy Farley
10:30 a.m.
Met with representatives from the Fort Belknap Indian Community: President Stiffarm, Jessica Stiffarm, Brian Wing, Kristal Fox, Dan Belcourt, Rollie Wilson, Tom Rodgers, and Joanne Curry
11:15 a.m.
Senate floor session
11:15 a.m.
Met with representatives from the Joint Action Committee: Nancy and Arnie Eisenberg, Gail Yamner, Judith Bloom, Marcia Fields, Lonnie & Murray Levin
1:15 p.m.
Press interview
1:30 pm
Met with representatives from the Crow Tribe: Chairman Frank Whiteclay, Secretary Levi Black Eagle, Andrew Treble, and Majel Russell
1:45 p.m.
Senate floor session
Wednesday, April 19
8:15 a.m.
Attended Montana Coffee
9:00 a.m.
Met with the Montana Association of Land Trusts: Whitney Schwab, Five Valleys Land Trust; Gavin Ricklefs, Bitterroot Land Trust; Mark Aagenes, The Nature Conservancy; Chet Work, Gallatin Valley Land Trust; Mary Hallow, Prickly Pear Land Trust; Chad Klinkenborg and Kendall Van Dyk, MT Land Reliance
9:30 a.m.
Gave remarks at the National Fallen Firefighters Congressional Flag Presentation Ceremony
10:00 a.m.
Met with students from Lodge Grass High School, Dodson High School, and Stanford High School
10:30 a.m.
Attended MilCon/VA Appropriations Subcommittee hearing
11:30 a.m.
Senate floor session
12:30 p.m.
Met with representatives from the US Travel Association: Racene Friede, President & CEO, Glacier County Regional Tourism Commission; Diane Medler, Executive Director, Discover Kalispell; Candace Strauss, Montana Chamber of Commerce; and Alex Tyson, Executive Director, Visit Billings
12:45 p.m.
Attended Chairs Lunch
3:15 p.m.
Met with Mitch Tropila, Goodwill Industries, Great Falls
2:15 p.m.
Attended Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee hearing
3:45 p.m.
Chaired Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing
4:15 p.m.
Senate floor session
4:30 p.m.
Attended Senate Committee Chairs meeting
Tuesday, April 18
9:00 a.m.
Met with Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Matt Quinn and family: Jonathan Quinn, Nicole Quinn, Jody Quinn, and Owen Quinn
9:15 a.m.
Met with representatives from the National Women’s Law Center: Mayra Guillen, Texas; Adelaide Kahn-Fowler, Protect Our Defenders, DC; Amy Braley Franck, Never Alone Advocacy; Amy Williams Navarro, NARAL, DC; Ash Wallis, Veteran, Colorado; Diana Danis, Service: Women Who Serve, Nebraska; Diana Ramirez, NWLC, Texas; Freya Riedlin, CRR, DC; Heather DeShone, Veteran, Virginia; Jackii Wang, NWLC, DC; Jessica Taylor, Veteran, Colorado; Lauren Carson, Veteran, Colorado; Lindsay Church, Minority Veterans of America, Virginia; Lindsey Knapp, Combat Sexual Assault, North Carolina; Lorry Fenner, SWAN, DC; Mia Renna, Veteran, Illinois; Steph Kalota, Veterans Legislative Voice, Florida; Stephanie Gattas, The Pink Berets, Texas; and Tiahna Pantovich, VETSxHBCU
10:00 a.m.
Attended Banking Committee nominations hearing
10:00 a.m.
Chaired Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing
11:30 a.m.
Senate floor session
12:00 p.m.
Met with representatives from Equifax: Mark Begor, CEO; Julia Houston, EVP & Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer; and Stephanie Gunselman, VP, Government Relations
12:15 p.m.
Met virtually with Montana Regional Tech Hub stakeholders: Joe Thiel, OCHE; Seth Bodnar, University of Montana; Alison Harmon, Montana State University; Jeff Turner, Applied Materials; Scott Whittenburg, University of Montana; Daniel Juliano; TechLink (Bozeman); Brant Bailey, MSU Applied Research Lab; Paul Gladen, Accelerate MT / Blackstone Launchpad @ UM; Paddy Fleming, Montana Manufacturing Extension Center; Christina Henderson, Montana High Tech Alliance; Alex Philp, MITRE Corp; Kelly Sullivan, Butte Econ Devo; and Christy Cummings Dawson, Kalispell Econ Devo
12:30 p.m.
Met with representatives from the Assiniboine Sioux Rural Water Supply System and Dry Prairie Rural Water System: Ashleigh Weeks, Joni Sherman, Heather Robertson, Mary Pavel, Eddie Ayoob, and Majel Russell
12:40 p.m.
Met with representatives from the Montana Electric Cooperatives Association – Central MT: Doug Hardy; Fergus Electric: Paul Descheemaeker, Jason Swanz, Carson Sweeney; Flathead Electric: Gary Boe, Duane Braaten, Jerry Bygren, Terry Crooks, Alan Ruby, Steve Streich, Jack Van Houten; Lincoln Electric: Myra Appel, Sandra Mason; Missoula Electric: Roy Handley, Mark Hayden, Dena Hooker; MECA: DeeDee Isaacs, Mark Lambrecht; Ravalli Electric: Rex Griffin; Sun River Electric: Russ Bloom; Tongue River Electric: Tary Hanson; Vigilante Electric: Rollie Miller; and Yellowstone Valley Electric: Dave Kelsey
12:45 p.m.
Attended Democratic Caucus meeting
2:00 p.m.
Met with Dylan Huisken, 2019 Teacher of the Year, and students from Bonner School
2:15 p.m.
Senate floor session
2:30 p.m.
Attended RDSA Classified Debrief
3:30 p.m.
Press interview
4:00 p.m.
Met with representatives from Textron: Scott Donnelly, CEO, and Shannon Hutcherson Hines, Senior VP, Government Affairs & Washington Operations
4:30 p.m.
Senate floor session
7:00 p.m.
Met with GEN Paul Nakasone, Director, National Security Agency
Monday, April 17
4:30 p.m.
Met with Troy Downing, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Office of MT State Auditor
4:45 p.m.
Met with Cody McCracken, Doug McCracken, Tracy McCracken and Sophia O’Neal, Chinook
5:00 p.m.
Met with representatives from the Montana Farmers Union & South Dakota Farmers Union: Eleanor Dutton, Forsyth; Andrea Getts, Columbia Falls; Trent Stoltz, Pompey’s Pillar; Shane Gagnon, Chester; Doug Sombke, President, SDFU; Scott Kolousek, Oren Lesmeister, David Reis, Lance and Sarah Perrion, and Karla Hofhenke
5:30 pm
Senate floor session
Friday, April 14
4:00 p.m. Spoke at the Montana Federation of Public Employees (MFPE) 6th Annual Conference in Helena
Thursday, April 6
8:00 a.m.
Press interview
Wednesday, April 5
6:35 a.m.
Press interview
7:40 a.m.
Press interview
8:30 a.m.
Hosted Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall; Major General Duke Pirak, Deputy Director, Air National Guard at Malmstrom; Lieutenant General Miller, the Air Force Surgeon General; and Major General Lutton, Commander, Twentieth Air Force, Air Force Global Strike Command at Malmstrom Air Force Base and Montana National Guard’s 120th Airlift Wing
3:45 p.m.
Press interview
4:30 p.m.
Met with Montana Defense Alliance