Montana Chamber proud to endorse candidates

Political tactics tend to center around distortions, obfuscation, accusations of fake news, deep fakes, and misinformation. And now these tactics have hit the non-partisan races of the Montana Supreme Court. 

Imagine the Montana Chamber’s surprise to a recent op-ed (Montana Chamber of Commerce endorsements can’t be trusted, Aug. 18) stating that we “…. have already spent thousands of dollars advocating for the extreme partisan candidates — Swanson and Wilson — even before making their endorsements official.”

The accusation is egregiously false and employs multiple tactics familiar with the ugliness of today’s politics. 

Explicit in the op-ed message is that Montana business leaders, main street employers and local companies need to “butt out” of Montana Supreme Court races. 

Why? Why should a local repair shop or your neighborhood business “stay out of it” when it comes to races that have the potential to affect all aspects of their livelihood, including their financial stability as well as that of their employees? We take protecting the rights of our members to make a living wage that supports their employees seriously. Environmental groups, organized labor and trial attorneys endorse Supreme Court candidates and spend big bucks backing their preferredcandidates. Local businesses and Chamber members have the same constitutionally protected right to political speech and to engage in elections — it is what helps keep our main streets healthy and our teams employed.

When developing our strategic plan to improve Montana’s economy nearly 10 years ago, business leaders across the state of Montana were frustrated by a judicial system they viewed as harmful to Montana’s business climate. Enough so that “judicial climate” was listed along with taxes and regulations as a headwind to creating a healthier Montana’s economy.

Business leaders understand an inequitable ruling in court is every bit as harmful to the general business climate as raising taxes or creating onerous regulations. 

The Montana Chamber of Commerce introduced 14 bills in the last two legislative sessions that specifically sought to improve our business climate. Thirteen of those bills have been signed into law. These bills have improved the wrongful discharge act and lowered litigation risk on businesses through major tort reform initiatives.

However, the most well intended, pro-business legislation, can be legally interpreted in ways that go beyond legislative intent and end up harming business interests. 

Electing fair, impartial, and balanced judicial candidates to the Montana Supreme Court is critical to ensuring we have an independent, reasoned and stable judicial climate in Montana. It’s foundational to a healthy business climate that grows an economy. 

It is appropriate that the state’s largest business advocacy organization, the Montana Chamber of Commerce, invests the time and energy in these races so business leaders have information relevant to them and their livelihoods. 

It is true that the Montana Chamber of Commerce will endorse candidates for the Montana Supreme Court in the coming days. That endorsement comes after a committee of attorneys and retired judges interviewed all the candidates, evaluated their temperament, applicable rulings and ability to be fair and unbiased in the decision-making process. Few of the other groups or individuals investing in these races can say the same. 

I am proud of the process the Montana Chamber of Commerce put in place to fairly evaluate the candidates. I am proud of the candidates we will endorse. When we announce our endorsements for Montana Supreme Court, you will know it.

Todd O’Hair is president and CEO of the Montana Chamber of Commerce.