Congressional Delegation Works to Save State’s Job Corps Centers

Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte called in to the KGVO Montana Morning News on Wednesday to provide updates on several issues.

At the top of the list was the status of the state’s Job Corps Centers, after Senator Steve Daines went directly to President Trump to save the Anaconda Job Corps Center last week.

“I think the whole delegation pulled together there,” said Gianforte. “Senator Daines had a conversation with the White House and I spoke with Secretary of Labor Jim Acosta that has oversight on that issue on Saturday morning. I spent 45 minutes just making the case that these centers are critical to the local economy. Down in Darby with a population of 700, 60 jobs is a huge part of their economy, particularly in producing graduates for wildland firefighting.”

Gianforte made a point about how the population of grizzly bears has exploded in parts of Montana.

“Grizzly bears are out of control,” he said. “The stories from the Rocky Mountain Front are amazing. “One wool grower told me if I went out on his ranch we would find eight grizzly bears there and there’s no question we would find a kill site where a bear had killed livestock. The high school in Choteau was locked down due to a grizzly bear on the football field. In Shelby there are so many bears on the golf course that they’ve taken to shooting a cannon off about every 10 minutes to chase them off the golf course, so trust me, the grizzly bear has recovered.”

Gianforte said officials should celebrate the conservation success and turn over grizzly bear management back to the states.

When asked, Gianforte again demurred on whether he has made up his mind on whether or not to run for governor.

“I enjoy serving the state of Montana,” he said. “I am seriously considering a run for governor and I’m collecting input from across the state and I’m getting closer to a final decision.”

Gianforte assured KGVO that our listeners and readers of our website would be among the first to know of his decision.