Montana's I-161 initiative draws allegations

June 4, 2010

HELENA, Montana: According to reports, there have been at least 34 violations of Montana election law that have been filed with Montana Secretary of State Linda McCulloch's office concerning the I-161 initiative. The measure, if sent to the ballot, would allow voters to decide whether or not to increase nonresident big game license fees and abolishes outfitter-sponsored licenses. The main campaign for the measure is Montana Public Wildlife.

However, Supporters for Preserving Montana's Outfitting Tradition/Against I-161 stated that the alleged violations include the following:

• 8 counts of misleading petition signers
• 9 counts of not having full initiative text when asking for signatures
• 17 counts of falsely swearing

According to Kurt Kephart, leader of the campaign for the measure, "I can’t answer anything I haven’t seen yet. It’s kind of out of the blue."

See also

• Montana Hunter Access Funding Initiative, 2010
• Montana 2010 ballot measures
• Montana hunting measures