Gov. Schweitzer brands VETO on the first of several bills Apr. 13.

A branding party participant expresses what all foes of the legislature’s senseless budget cuts think: Veto the majority’s budget bill, and the cuts with it.

Apr. 13 – It was a rare light-hearted moment in a deadly serious legislative session.

Today, Governor Schweitzer held a “branding party” outside the state capitol, the same area where our two rallies took place earlier.

Several MEA-MFT members, governance, and staff walked across the street from MEA-MFT’s headquarters office in Helena to attend the festivities.

Wielding his “calf-size,” “yearling-size,” and “bull-size” VETO brands, Schweitzer used his trademark sense of humor to address a serious subject. 

The legislative majority, dominated by right-wing ideologues, has passed dozens of bills ranging from frivolous to dangerous that Schweitzer intends to veto.

Following the branding party, Schweitzer returned to his office where he exchanged the branding irons for a pen, and vetoed the bills for real — promising many more vetoes are on the way.

Top among the list for MEA-MFT: veto the budget (HB 2) passed by the legislative majority. It contains hundreds of millions of dollars of unnecessary cuts that will hurt Montana’s people and the economy.

Read more about the cuts.

View a video of the branding party.

Stay tuned!