The Missoula Health Care Town Hall was held in solidarity with multiple events held around the state and hundreds of events nationwide.  The event was sponsored by progressive organizations Missoula Rises; March On, Montana; Montana Women Vote; Planned Parenthood; the Democratic Socialists of America, and Blue Mountain Clinic, and included speakers from various local organizations.

Data Points:

• 20 percent of Montanans were uninsured in 2012
• 6 percent of Montanans are uninsured in 2017
• 100,000 Montanans are covered because of the ACA
• 50 percent of Montana's population is covered by the ACA, Medicaid, Medicare or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Cost of Repealing the Affordable Care Act

• 142,000 Montanans would lose their health insurance
• 10,000 Montanans would lose their jobs

Montana Sen. Steve Daines declined to comment for the forum.
Montana Sen. John Tester provided a letter that was read aloud. Tester wrote that a vote to repeal the ACA is a vote to return to the same broken system of the past, when "families couldn't afford to get sick." 

Missoulian article:  http://bit.ly/2lHN18d

Event sponsored by the Gallatin Progressive Action Network (GPAN)

Many Montanans struggle to afford healthcare while the shareholders and CEOs of for-profit health care corporations make millions of dollars every year. Join other Montanans in sending a message to Senator Daines that if he wants to change the ACA, he should propose legislation that requires all health care corporations to be nonprofit. Montana already has nonprofit health insurance companies and passing legislation that requires them all to be nonprofit will level the playing field and reduce health care costs by eliminating the financial incentive to deny claims. Tell Senator Daines to put people over profit: protect health care and Montanans!

The rural health care crisis is not an alternative fact. One of the things that would be eliminated from a total repeal of the ACA is considerable federal funding of rural health care system.

Event details here:   http://billingshumanists.org/index.php/events/

This is a good site with good resources.
https://www.ruralhealthweb.org/
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This is the article that started our conversation.
http://wapo.st/2kfoi7z

##FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE##
 
Concerned Montana Citizens to Hold Town Hall Meeting to Save Our Healthcare 
 
In solidarity with nationwide rallies in support of the Affordable Care Act, several organizations are coming together in Missoula this weekend to sponsor a Town Hall Meeting to save our healthcare.   The event will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 25, 2017 at the Senior Center, 705 South Higgins.  
 
In the face of GOP efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), roll back expanded Medicaid, and diminish access to the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), citizens are gathering to get up-to-the minute information on policy proposals and challenges, and get involved in efforts to defend their health insurance.  
 
Sponsored by Missoula Rises, March On, Montana (formerly, the Women’s March on Montana), Montana Women Vote, Planned Parenthood, the Democratic Socialists of America and Blue Mountain Clinic, the event will include both an educational and an organizational component.  
 
To provide information about how alternative Administration proposals will affect Montanans, the event will include the following speakers: Denver Henderson, organizer for SEIU Local 755, Sarah Howell of Montana Women Vote, Anna Whiting Sorrell, Director of Operations, Policy and Planning at the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Health Department and Vicky Byrd, Executive Director of the Montana Nurses Association.  The event will also include two speakers who will share their personal stories on the role that new access to health insurance has played in their lives. 

Senator Tester is unable to join us, but will provide a written statement.  Senator Daines has been invited.  
 
The event will also provide ways for people to get involved in efforts to defend their access to health care.  It will include tables for people to share their personal storieswith healthcare advocates, training and practice in mobilizing personal stories for policy change, space to call Montana’s Congressional Delegation and advocate for continued healthcare access.  It will also provide written information about organizations and unions involved in health care and health care worker advocacy.  

https://www.facebook.com/events/1092830774176965/

Rachel Maddow spent the first 30 minutes tonight talking about Montana.

• Montana voters want a town hall with Senator Daines, and he is hiding from us.
• Montana state GOP wants to suppress the vote.
• Interview with Governor Bullock, who said "Every Montanan is exactly equal" and "We sure shouldn't spend more money to get fewer people voting."

Watch the episode and see your friends on tv!

​THANK YOU to so many people!  Phone calls. Rallies.  More rallies. Airport visits. Posters.  This is a shared achievement by thousands of regular Montanans who care enough to show up and do what they can.  Montana.  Together.

We've been pretty busy -- tens of thousands of phone calls, piles of postcards, stood outside in the cold, stood outside in the cold again, met Sen. Daines at the airport, tried to meet him at the Capitol... Busy. 

So busy that the state GOP is starting to sweat.    So busy that the state GOP chairman sent out a letter opposing a GOP bill to have mail in ballots in the special election, even though that would save the taxpayers of Montana $750,000.  Why?  Because "All mail ballots give the Democrats an inherent advantage in close elections due to their ability to organize large numbers of unpaid college students and members of public employee unions to gather ballots by going door to door."

Here's the letter:  Emergency Chairman's Report


​ 

4 Practical Questions To Ask Yourself Before Every Protest
Good advice from, of all places, CRACKED  http://www.cracked.com/blog/a-beginners-guide-to-overthrowing-government/
​

• Reject Violence Immediately
  
• Establish A Brand And Communication
  
• Focus On An Upcoming Election 
  
• Having Fun Is Extremely Important
  

​

The impromptu Daines welcoming committee got picked up by DailyKOS.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/2/11/1632565/-Senator-who-told-Elizabeth-Warren-to-take-a-seat-got-a-not-so-warm-welcome-back-to-Montana

Those following along on Facebook and Twitter know that Montanans have been having a very hard time talking to Sen. Steve Daines.  His staff won't meet with us, they won't accept written questions to pass along, and they won't tell us when the Senator will be in Montana and available to talk to us. You know, his constituents.  The people who pay his salary.

A little bird told us that Sen. Daines was on is way to Bozeman today.  Multiple groups chipped in, and Big Sky Rising ran with it.  A press release went out, people hopped in their cars, and Sen. Daines had himself a Welcoming Committee.  Or perhaps more of a Questioning Committee.  Sadly, the Senator had no comment when asked when he would have a Town Hall or  when he would talk to his constituents.

Link to the KBZK (CBS) station story here:  http://www.kbzk.com/story/34480186/protesters-greet-daines-at-airport

Raw footage here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdWZO7pdK6s&feature=youtu.be

Well done, team!
​

We used to be able to call the White House and leave a comment. The White House  public comment line was most recently staffed by volunteers of the Obama administration. In addition, it also offered a number to reach the White House switchboard, where paid staffers would pick up the phone and take messages for the administration.

When trump moved into the White House, the public comment phone lines were shut down. But don't despair!  You can STILL call the White House.  Sort of.

Trump has not divested himself from his businesses, which has effectively created satellite White Houses all over the world. That means we have dozens of phone numbers we can use to reach the President.  If we only knew what those phone numbers were....
Enter our friends at the Creative Majority PAC  -- Enter your phone number and email addres, press the button, and SHAZAM!  You will be connected to a random Trump business somewhere around the globe.  

We the people will be heard!