Governor Gianforte, Local Leaders Address Public Safety in Yellowstone County

BILLINGS, Mont. – Returning to Billings one year after beginning a series of public safety roundtable discussions across the state, Governor Greg Gianforte today met with law enforcement officials, local leaders, treatment providers, and nonprofit organization leaders to discuss investments to improve public safety in Montana.

At the roundtable, the governor also proclaimed today, January 11, 2023, Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Montana as well as the month of January 2023 Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the state.

“Addressing the drug and mental health epidemic we face in Montana will take investments, and we’ve made that a priority in our budget,” Governor Gianforte said. “Taking input from Montanans at our public safety roundtables across Montana over the last year and coordinating with Attorney General Austin Knudsen, I’m proud our Budget for Montana Families makes critical investments to build safer, stronger communities.”

With dangerous drugs entering Montana through the open southern border and with the pandemic triggering a rise in drug-related and violent crime nationwide and in Montana, the governor has been focused on increasing Montanans’ access to recovery and treatment programs and cracking down on criminals.

“For non-violent offenders, our focus is treatment,” Governor Gianforte said. “It leads to better outcomes for folks, and it costs a fraction of what a jail cell does.”

In his first week in office, the governor proposed the HEART Fund (Healing and Ending Addiction through Recovery and Treatment) to increase access to community-based treatment services for non-violent offenders.

In addition to making a $300 million, generational investment in behavioral health, the governor’s Budget for Montana Families boosts funding for the HEART Fund by 50 percent, investing in a full continuum of behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment programs for communities.

The governor’s budget also permanently funds eight treatment courts across the state that are losing federal funding.

“Treatment courts work, and the high success rates are demonstrative of the work that goes into these courts by the clients and the partners.” said Coralee Schmitz, chief operating officer of Rimrock, a regional treatment facility.

Roundtable participants also emphasized the importance of improving outcomes for children in the foster care system.

“Family is the foundation of our society, and we want to make it easier for Montanans to open their healthy, loving homes to young Montanans,” Governor Gianforte said.

The governor’s budget provides a $5,000 adoption tax credit for families who adopt a child. The credit increases to $7,500 if the child lives in and is adopted within Montana.

The roundtable discussion also focused on efforts to combat crime, including human trafficking, and keep drugs out of Montana communities.

“Violent criminals must be held accountable,” the governor said. “Our budget increases resources for law enforcement to get criminals, including human traffickers, off the streets and behind bars.”

Working with the attorney general, the governor’s budget funds 16 new highway patrol troopers and criminal investigators, as well as six new prosecutors at the Montana Department of Justice.

The criminal investigation agents will focus on drug trafficking, human trafficking, narcotics, major crimes, and crimes against children. The new highway patrol troopers will strengthen the state’s drug interdiction programs.

“As we heard today, human trafficking is tragically on the rise in Montana and across the country,” the governor said. “I appreciate the leadership of Attorney General Austin Knudsen on this issue, and am proud our budget makes investments to address this crisis with the urgency it requires.”

The governor’s proclamation for Human Trafficking Awareness Month and Day may be found here.