March 27, 2025
Editor’s Note: Kassmier was one of the nine censored by the Republican Party. Here is his response in its entirty.
Don Kaltschmidt
Montana Republican Party
PO Box 935
Helena, MT 59635
Dear Don:
Thank you for providing me the opportunity to submit this written statement. As you told me, the Montana Republican Party executive board is considering censuring me and other republican members of the Montana Senate. You told me the ultimate decision as to whether the Montana Republican Paty executive board will censure me will made by Matt Reiger.
You also provided me with a list of written questions. I am not going to waste my time
answering your questions. I do not answer to party bosses like you. I answer to the people who elected me. It looks like the questions were written by an attorney. I certainly hope the
questions were not written by Blacktail Law Firm. That would not be appropriate. If President Regier wants answers to these questions, he can come talk to me. He doesn’t need party bosses to do his work for him.
It is disappointing the Montana Republican Party executive board has decided to insert itself intolegislative business. Holding public office is a public trust. Our responsibility is to carry out our duties for the benefit of the people of Montana. Although I am a proud member of the Montana Republican Party, my obligation is to the people of Montana, not party bosses like you.
I am a conservative Republican. I support President Trump and the core principles of the Republican Party - limited government, lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, a strong national defense, law enforcement, veterans, life, and the Second Amendment. My strong conservative values were the reason I defeated Lola Sheldon-Galloway in the 2024 Republican Senate District 13 primary.
It is not lost on me that the Montana Republican Party decided to start the censure process after Senator Vance requested an investigation into President Regier’s fiscal management. Fiscal responsibility is not negotiable. It does not matter if the person is a Republican or Democrat. If someone is spending taxpayer resources inappropriately, I believe the person should be investigated and I am not going to make an exception for President Regier.
It is not surprising President Reiger is trying to use the Montana Republican Party to leverage me. President Regier has he told me he wants the rules and committees to go back to the way they were proposed on day one. Of course he does. There is a tax policy battle between the Governor’s office and President Regier. I believe President Regier wants to use Senate rules to leverage the Governor to sign bills into law.
I am not interested in using Senate rules to leverage the Governor. I believe each bill should be voted based upon its merits and each nominee for executive branch positions should receive an up or down vote. I did not come to Helena to play political games. I came to Helena to get things done for the people of Montana.
I am especially not interested in supporting President Regier’s political games because President Regier is pushing progressive tax bills and he is opposing the Governor’s conservative tax bills Senate leadership is pushing two bills containing progressive tax policy: Senate Bill 90 and Senate Bill 203. Senate Bill 90 is a redistribution of wealth scheme and Senate Bill 203 establishes a progressive tax scheme.
I support the conservative tax plans endorsed by Governor Gianforte. I oppose the liberal tax plans pushed by President Regier. I support the Governor’s bills because they lower rates, promote economic growth, and encourage investment and savings. The Governor’s tax plans are consistent with the Montana Republican Party Platform. The tax plans pushed by President Regier are not.
Each time I talk to President Regier about rules, he mentions the Executive Oversight Committee. It is my impression President Regier wants to hostage the Governor’s appointments as a tool to force the Governor to sign President Regier’s liberal tax plans. Since I do not support President Regier’s progressive tax policies, I have no interest in allowing him to weaponize the appointment process. The people the Governor has appointed are competent, conservative, and effective and I believe the confirmation process should begin immediately in the Executive Oversight Committee.
I have a fundamental issue with the way President Regier spends taxpayer money. When it
comes to spending, President Regier is a true liberal. He has spent taxpayer money on high
priced lawyers, new office furniture, a new big screen in his office, a new media studio, and hewants to build a new building for the Legislature. A real conservative would never dream ofspending money like President Regier. When it comes to spending taxpayer money, President Regier is not a leader I follow.
The last issue is working with Democrats. Almost everyday, I see House Minority Leader Katie Sullivan entering or leaving President Regier’s office. It is my impression they are working on a some type of agreement. I am not going to support any Regier/Sullivan deals and I am particularly incensed President Regier went and testified in favor of House Bill 373, another of House Bill 373, another liberal bill, opposed by Rep. Eric Matthews, a house Democrat.
This is not a new thing. Last session, President Regier routinely teamed up with House
Democratic leadership to work on bills to interfere with the Governor’s proposals. One bill was HB 927, a gigantic piece of liberal housing policy.
President Regier keeps saying he thinks Republicans should be running the state. If that is so, why is he working so closely with the House Democrats? What’s his deal with his constant coordination with House Minority leaders? If he was a real conservative, he would be working with the Governor.
Since you want us to work together, I think it should start by working on real conservative tax plans. If President Regier was a real conservative, he would stop supporting SB 90, the redistribution of wealth scheme, and SB 203, the attempt to establish a progressive tax scheme and support SB 322, the business equipment tax reduction, and SB 323, the income tax reduction. It is also time for President Regier to stop his dealings with Democrats and start working with the Governor’s office to pass conservative bills.
This week you and President Regier have a chance to show you are true conservatives. A rally will be held on Friday in support of SB 323. The rally is sponsored by Americans for Prosperity With this letter, I am inviting you, President Regier, and the other members of the executive committee to show you are true conservatives and join me in supporting this conservative tax plan.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to submit these comments. I will be providing a copy of these comments to all members of the Senate Republican caucus.
Kindest regards,
Sen. Josh Kassmier
