Mullen rides through Havre in secretary of state campaign

Montana Secretary of State candidate Jesse Mullen made a brief stop in Havre Wednesday to meet with supporters after arriving by train to the Havre station during his Planes, Trains and Automobiles Tour.

Mullen, a Democrat and newspaper owner, is challenging incumbent Republican Christi Jacobsen, who he said has shown herself to be incompetent.

After riding in on Amtrak, he spoke with supporters on the platform, saying the race will be a difficult one, but one that is vital to the future of Montana, its people and its small business economy.

During the stop Mullen talked about the importance of transportation systems like Amtrak and what they do to help Montanans get where they need to go without breaking the bank on gas.

Mullen had to leave before local media could ask questions, but did send a statement to the Havre Daily News shortly after saying the campaign was going well.

"I'm amazed by the drive of my fellow Montanans pushing for a better state and am honored to have their support," he said.

He also commented on a letter his opponent recently sent to lawmakers regarding Montana courts compelling her office to administer a mail poll to potentially override Gov. Greg Gianforte's veto of the overwhelmingly popular Senate Bill 442, sponsored by Sen. Mike Lang, R-Malta, which gained remarkable bipartisan support when it was approved by the 2023 Montana Legislature.

The bill, which would allocate tax revenues from the sale of recreational marijuana to conservation, veterans' services and local infrastructure projects including county roads, was unexpectedly vetoed just before the Senate abruptly adjourned in 2023, leaving senators completely unaware of the veto, but unable to attempt an override after the fact, as it had been issued while the Legislature was still in session.

Plaintiffs challenged the veto in court, arguing that the lawmakers were not given a proper chance to override the veto, which the courts agreed with, ordering that Jacobsen's office issue a mail poll of legislators to potentially override the veto, or appeal the decision to the Montana Supreme Court.

Jacobsen and Gianforte, as well as some Republican lawmakers who voted for the bill at the time, contend the court is improperly compelling a veto override poll in contravention of legislative rules.

Jacobsen's letter sent to lawmakers Tuesday said the poll would be administered but called the court's decision "historic and unprecedented."

Mullen criticized Jacobsen's handling of the affair, saying she had cost the state hundreds of thousands of dollars because she refused to do her job.

"She may very well plunge our state into a constitutional crisis," he said.

During the stop in Havre, Mullen also spoke with Hill County Democratic Party Central Committee Chair Lindsey Ratliff about the importance of the Milk River Project to the region.