Gianforte plans Havre visit

Greg Gianforte of BetterMontanaJobs will visit with local and interested people for an informal roundtable Wednesday at 5:45 p.m. in the Hensler Auditorium of the Applied Technology Center at Montana State University-Northern.

He will discuss his recent telecommuting project, with which he is spreading awareness of and encouragement for telecommuting throughout the state as a means of bringing Montanans back to the state to work and to provide high-wage jobs in the state.

Gianforte, founder of RightNow Technologies of Bozeman, made millions in his software company before selling it. In recent days, he hasacknowledged that he is considering a challenge on Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock in the November 2016 election.

Gianforte has been involved in various conservative programs and philanthropic organizations since selling his company.

Wednesday's meeting is billed as a nonpartisan session, but a similar meeting in Butte was greeted with a broadside attack from Montana Democratic Party attacking Gianforte's conservative social views.

For instance, party members said,t Gianforte believes that cities that are unfavorable to gay people are more likely to attract jobs.