Steve Bullock in 2020 MT Governor's race


On Social Security: Vetoed state tax exemption for Social Security income

Bullock vetoed Senate Bill 217, a proposal that would exempt from taxes the first $30,000 in Social Security income for a single person and $60,000 for a couple. He said SB 217 "would have an immediate $3 million negative impact in Fiscal Year 2019, increasing to more than a $36 million during the 2021-2022 biennium. "A negative impact of this magnitude would jeopardize critical services that Montanans of all ages rely on, including low-income seniors," he wrote.
Source: Great Falls Tribune on 2020 Montana gubernatorial race Apr 19, 2019

On Gun Control: Background checks & age restrictions to reduce gun violence

On gun control: "You know, I would," Bullock told CNN when asked if he would support a ban on semiautomatic weapons. "There are things that we can do immediately, everything from red flag laws to closing, sort of having a universal background check, to making sure that we're doing everything we can, some age restrictions, magazine restrictions."
Source: CNN coverage of 2020 Montana gubernatorial race Aug 19, 2018

On Immigration: Public DACA support, also tries private persuasion with GOP

Bullock brings up the Trump administration's recent decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program protecting young undocumented immigrants. He spoke out publicly against the move when it happened, but he also privately confronted John Kelly, Trump's chief of staff, about the program's survival when the retired general was serving as the Homeland Security secretary earlier this year.
Source: Politico.com on 2020 Montana gubernatorial race Aug 19, 2018

On Civil Rights: We celebrate progress, but fight for equal rights continues

Bullock said at 25th annual Pride parade in Helena: "We're going to reflect on what we've done, we're going to celebrate but we're not going to stand still. We're not going to stand still until equal rights aren't an abstract, it's something for everyone."
Source: The Missoulian on 2020 Montana gubernatorial race Jun 16, 2018

On Gun Control: Believes in 2nd Amendment, but not guns in wrong hands

In 1994, I learned my 11-year old nephew had been˙shot and killed˙in Butte, Montana. Last fall, my son shot his first deer. He was prepared. We reinforced his hunter safety course. It was a moment he and I will never forget. Both experiences shape my views of gun policy, as a policymaker and a parent. Americans calling for restrictions on weapons want their families to be safe. Americans calling for protection of the Second Amendment want their families to be safe.

I'm a gun owner who believes in the Constitution. If we approach gun violence from the shared value of protecting our families and focus on what we have in common, we can make meaningful progress. We need to work towards a society where mass shootings and schoolyard deaths are not only illegal, they are unheard of. Let's focus on what works. Most gun owners are law abiding, yet too often guns get into the wrong hands. That's why the first step ought to be universal background checks.

Source: Great Falls Tribune OpEd for 2020 Montana gubernatorial race May 30, 2018

On Immigration: No Guard troops to border without asking state governor

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock says he'll never deploy National Guard troops "based simply on the whim of the President's morning Twitter habit." Bullock, a Democrat, said in a statement Thursday that the responsibility of sending Guard soldiers anywhere is one of the most difficult things he faces. Bullock administration officials say the request for troops would have to come directly from the governor of a border state, and Montana has received no such requests as of Thursday.
Source: Helena Independent Record on 2020 Montana gubernatorial race Apr 5, 2018

On Abortion: An abortion, even late-term, is a legal, personal decision

Gov. Bullock vetoed a proposal that would bar doctors from performing late-term abortions. Bullock said lawmakers should not interfere in "deeply personal medical decisions." The legislation would have banned late-term abortions by requiring doctors to try to save the life of a viable fetus. "A woman could be subjected to forced caesarian section or inducement of labor if continuing her pregnancy after viability threatened her life--in violation of established legal precedent," Bullock said.
Source: The Missoulian on 2020 Montana gubernatorial race May 9, 2017

The above quotations are from 2020 Montana Gubernatorial race: debates and news coverage.
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Page last updated: Apr 14, 2020