Gov. Gianforte Continues 56 County Tour on the Hi-Line

Governor's Office

CHESTER, Mont. - Governor Greg Gianforte today continued his 56 County Tour, traveling across the Hi-Line to highlight ag producers, job creators, apprentices, and local leaders investing in their communities.

"Our producers, healthcare providers, job creators, and small business owners add vibrancy to our communities and help make Montana the best place to live, work, and raise a family," Gov. Gianforte said. "The 56 County Tour is the best opportunity to hear directly from Montanans on their priorities."

Gov. Gianforte visiting with apprentices and apprentice graduates at Northern Montana Health Care in Havre

Starting off in Blaine County, Gov. Gianforte toured Bear Paw Meats, a family-owned cattle ranch and processing facility in Chinook. With locations in Chinook and Havre, the business processes Montana beef for sale at their farm-to-table storefront and through online ordering available nationwide. The family also sells a variety of grains, nuts, and seeds at their Havre location and offers lamb and pig cuts.

Increasing in-state processing capacity and adding value to Montana's ag products is a top priority for the governor. Through the Montana Department of Agriculture, the state supports local meat processors and producers through grants of up to $50,000 and loans of up to $100,000 through the Growth Through Agriculture program. Bear Paw Meats received a grant in 2022 to increase capacity.

"We are proud to bring Montana raised beef to the dinner table for our neighbors," said Dexter Buck, owner of Bear Paw Meats. "We are thankful that the governor was able to stop by to see our operation."

In Hill County, the governor visited Northern Montana Health Care to highlight the importance of boosting the rural healthcare workforce and to meet with recent graduates of the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) Apprenticeship Program.

In partnership with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program, the health center in December 2023 launched the CMA program as the first of its kind in Montana. Recently, the program celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of eleven apprentices. Currently, the center has five active apprentices participating in the program completing thousands of hours of on-the-job training and educational coursework to receive national certification.

"This experience, for me, has been great because I have four children, and it was easy to go through the program, and with these younger kids, going through the program with little children, it's the best opportunity for them. Since they can't go off to college to be away from their children. That's the biggest thing," said Chesa Gasboda, graduate of the CMA Apprenticeship Program.

Expanding access to apprenticeship opportunities for Montanans has been a top priority for the governor. In his first year in office, the governor increased apprenticeship opportunities by changing the journeyman-to-apprentice ratio from 2:1 to 1:2. Now, one journeyman can supervise two apprentices. This rule change has led to a record number of apprentices working in Montana.

As part of the governor's 406 JOBS initiative to modernize Montana's workforce development system, bolstering the healthcare workforce is one of the six identified high-demand sectors.

Next, the governor traveled to the Rocky Boy Reservation to tour the new Miyo Pimatisiwinkamik Youth Wellness Center to highlight the investment and the opportunity it provides for youth through health and mental health care and after-school programming such as sports camps and cultural education.

The facility held its grand opening in March and is part of the Rocky Boy Health Center which serves 5,000 patients each year on the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation.

"This facility gives the kids in our community a place to socialize and build community," said Joel Rosette, CEO of the Health Center. "Providing opportunities for our youth to find purpose, stay engaged, and build healthy habits is vital to preserving our culture and strengthening our community for generations to come."

Increasing access to behavioral healthcare in Montana's Tribal communities has been a top priority for the Gianforte administration. Through the governor's $300 million investment to reform and improve Montana's behavioral health and developmental disabilities services systems, the Behavioral Health System for Future Generations Commission allocated $6.5 million to Tribal nations and Urban Indian Health Organizations to support and improve behavioral health services provided in Native American communities. Each tribe was awarded approximately $500,000 in one-time grants.

The governor's 56 County Tour continues today in Chouteau and Liberty counties, and tomorrow in Toole, Glacier, Pondera, and Teton counties.

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