HELENA, Mont. 鈥� Incoming Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signaled he won鈥檛 continue a statewide mask mandate in place since July, though he said he plans to wear a mask himself and get vaccinated against COVID-19.
If Gianforte, a Republican, reverses outgoing Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock鈥檚 mask order, Montana will be just the second state to lift its mandate. Thirty-eight states now have statewide mandates.
鈥淚 trust Montanans with their health and the health of their loved ones,鈥� Gianforte said in a recent interview with KHN. 鈥淭he state has a role in clearly communicating the risks of who is most vulnerable, what the potential consequences are, but then I do trust Montanans to make the right decisions for themselves and their family.鈥�
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention masks help prevent transmission of COVID-19. has found that states with mask requirements have had slower COVID growth rates compared with those without mandates.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to encourage people to wear masks,鈥� Gianforte said. 鈥淚鈥檓 personally going to lead by example, wearing a mask in the Capitol.鈥�
Montana is the only state where control of the governor鈥檚 office is changing parties as a result of November鈥檚 election. Also, among the 11 governors being sworn in this January, Gianforte will be the only one new to managing his state鈥檚 response to the pandemic.
Nine of the others are incumbents starting second terms. The 10th, Spencer Cox, is Utah鈥檚 lieutenant governor in the current administration and has played a central role in his state鈥檚 COVID response.
Montana alone will have wholly new leadership next year as states try to keep hospitals from overflowing amid the surging virus, while adjusting to a new presidential administration and executing vaccine distribution plans.
Gianforte doesn鈥檛 plan to scrap everything the outgoing administration has done to fight the pandemic. For example, he said he and Bullock are 鈥渙n the same page鈥� when it comes to prioritizing distribution of the vaccine to health care workers and vulnerable residents.
Gianforte also said he plans to take the vaccine when it鈥檚 his turn.
鈥淲hen my name comes up on the list, I will raise my hand and I am going to get vaccinated,鈥� Gianforte said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very important that I lead by example because I think this vaccine is a critical part of us getting back to normal.鈥�
Gianforte, a businessman who sold his software company, RightNow Technologies, to Oracle for $1.8 billion in 2011, has long coveted Montana鈥檚 governor鈥檚 office, spending nearly $12 million of his personal fortune over four years and two campaigns to win the seat.
He ran against Bullock and lost in 2016, then won Montana鈥檚 congressional seat in a 2017 special election infamous for Gianforte鈥檚 against a reporter trying to ask him questions.
Gianforte won a second term in Congress in 2018 and defeated Bullock鈥檚 lieutenant governor, Mike Cooney, by more than 12 percentage points in November鈥檚 election.
Gianforte will be the first Republican in the governor鈥檚 office in 16 years. Republican lawmakers, who control the Montana Legislature, cheered Gianforte鈥檚 election and have high expectations for the session that begins the day of his inauguration.
Republican lawmakers will likely seek budget cuts after unsuccessfully asking Bullock to preemptively cut state spending during the pandemic. Bullock has said the state is in good financial shape and that any decision to cut spending would be made for ideological reasons, not out of necessity.
Gianforte has declined to indicate whether he plans to support spending cuts, saying his incoming team is still reviewing Bullock鈥檚 proposed two-year budget. That budget proposal includes spending increases to Medicaid, support for children and families, senior and long-term care and treatment for addiction and mental disorders.
John Doran, vice president of external affairs for , said he hopes lawmakers spare health services used by at-risk residents if they plan to reduce spending to balance the budget.
鈥淭hese are critical services and the need for them has only increased since the start of the pandemic,鈥� Doran said.
The structure of Montana鈥檚 Medicaid expansion program could emerge as one of the more contentious health issues this session. The federal and state health insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities extended eligibility to Montana adults who make 138% of the federal poverty level in 2015, and it now enrolls .
At least a half-dozen bill requests have been made by Republican lawmakers ahead of the session to revise the Medicaid expansion program, alarming some health care industry officials. Rich Rasmussen, president and CEO of the Montana Hospital Association, said Medicaid expansion has helped small, rural hospitals maintain financial stability, particularly during the COVID crisis.
鈥淲e will adamantly oppose any effort to dismantle the program,鈥� Rasmussen said. 鈥淲e will share with lawmakers how devastating it will be to employers.鈥�
Gianforte said he supports continuing Medicaid expansion but would be willing to revise the program to increase safeguards against fraud. There hasn鈥檛 been evidence of widespread fraud in the state鈥檚 Medicaid expansion program.
鈥淚f we let people sign up for it who are not qualified, the benefits may not be there for the people who really need it,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o I am open to additional accountability components.鈥�
Gianforte also is expected to be drawn into a legislative debate about changing or limiting the powers of county public health officials. Local conservative leaders and business owners complain that many health officials have overstepped their authority during the pandemic, while at least seven local health leaders have left their positions amid complaints about a lack of support by some county leaders and law enforcement officials in enforcing directives.
Republican Rep. is proposing a measure that would require county commissioners to ratify any decisions made by a local public health officer or panel. He said his proposal isn鈥檛 meant to take power away from public health officials, but rather to shift the accountability of such decisions to elected officials.
鈥淚 do not wish to punish public health officials,鈥� Bedey said. I think they need political cover to do their jobs.鈥�
Bedey鈥檚 proposal is one of a handful of bill requests seeking changes in the powers of local health officials. Some health industry officials and lobbyists worry about any infringement on the ability to respond to a public health emergency.
鈥淟ocal governments are best equipped to make decisions about the health of their communities,鈥� said Amanda Cahill, the Montana government relations director for the and . 鈥淧ublic health safeguards are more important than ever, and we hope that the ability of local decision-makers to take protective action remains intact.鈥�