Montana Republicans met in Billings over the weekend to update the party platform, a document that outlines what the party stands for and its policy priorities. Montana Public Radio's Shaylee Ragar was at the event and spoke with moderator Austin Amestoy about the Republicans' debate on voting rights, immigration, abortion and party loyalty.

Austin Amestoy: Shaylee, what is the significance of these party conferences?

Shaylee Ragar: The platform helps the party define itself. Every two years, party members meet to vote on their guidelines.

Some parts of the platform have not changed for years, while others are updated as new topics come to the fore.

Shaylee Ragar: The document also provides information on what party members bring to the state legislature. Republicans hold all state offices in Montana and had a two-thirds majority in the last legislative session, so they have a lot of power to push through their agenda.

“I think it's kind of a guide to what to expect from the legislation. It doesn't necessarily mean it will pass. Or that all members of the Republican Party will agree on it,” said Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick.

Shaylee Ragar: The press was only allowed to follow certain parts of the congress, so I cannot say what happened behind closed doors. We could not follow the initial debates on the individual issues, but we could follow the final votes.

And even in these final votes, differences of opinion sometimes arise.

Austin Amestoy: Like what?

Shaylee Ragar: Some members accuse others of not being republican enough.

Former state Rep. Brad Tschida of Missoula gave a speech at the end of the convention in which he called on those who do not always agree with the party or its platform to remove the “R” from their name.

“We must always be faithful. Our platform is our Bible, it is our game plan, it is our constitution,” Tschida said.

Shaylee Ragar: The platform calls on the state Republican Party to grade all Republican lawmakers on how well they toed the party line after the next legislative session.

Austin Amestoy: Could these upcoming reports change how lawmakers vote?

Shaylee Ragar: That could be. But in reality, calls for party unity have never stopped some from turning away from the party on certain votes.

For example, Rep. David Bedey of Hamilton spoke out against a proposal at the convention that supports a total ban on abortion with no exceptions. He said the position was out of step with the views of most Republicans and Montanans and was actually weakening the anti-abortion movement.

“It reinvigorates efforts to make abortion a constitutional right. It is unfortunate that the committee did not take up this issue,” Bedey said.

However, the party's support for a complete ban remained unchanged.

Austin Amestoy: Were there any other issues on which factions emerged?

Shaylee Ragar: There has been quite a long debate on one point opposing the relocation of bison in Montana. Some ranchers have opposed allowing herds to be kept outside of Yellowstone National Park, citing the danger they pose to livestock.

But Perri Jacobs, a candidate for Senate District 16, which includes some of the Fort Belknap and Fort Peck reservations, proposed allowing the transfer of bison to quarantine facilities on reservations. She said she did not want the proposal to alienate Native American voters who see bison management on their homeland as culturally and economically important.

“I do not support this plan with this statement,” Jacobs said

Shaylee Ragar: MP Ed Butcher of Winifred rejected that idea.

“Ranchers in Montana are already having a big problem with the whole idiotic bison situation because they want to please reservations that want to mess with their sacred animals,” Butcher said.

Austin Amestoy: Shaylee, you said the party updates its views as new issues come to the fore – what were those issues this year?

Shaylee Ragar: Absolutely. Immigration was a big issue.

The Republican platform now calls for the deportation of illegal immigrants, penalties for businesses that hire illegal immigrants, and penalties for businesses or nonprofits that transport or exploit immigrants, including criminal prosecutions for human trafficking.

Austin Amestoy: What about other current events?

Shaylee Ragar: The party has officially opposed Ranked Choice Voting and other similar electoral systems, pointing to a constitutional initiative that would create an open primary voting system in Montana.

The party platform also now includes several references to the judiciary and Republicans' frustration with what they see as a biased judiciary. They changed a line to remove the word “equal” from the description of the three branches of government. Lisa Bennett of Carbon County said the legislative branch is inherently more powerful than the judicial branch.

“The judiciary is not an equal branch, it is the weakest branch. The legislative branch is the strongest branch, it can impeach the other two,” Bennett said.

“I repeat: these are guiding principles. The platform is a document with ambitious goals and not all of these ideas will be realized.”

Austin Amestoy: Shaylee, are there similar meetings among the Democrats?

Shaylee Ragar: They do, and we usually cover it. But the press didn't get advance notice this year, so I didn't make it to their convention in early June. According to the Montana Democratic Party, they made a significant change by adding a separate item for housing to show their commitment to solving the housing shortage.

Austin Amestoy: Shaylee, thanks for your reporting.

Shaylee Ragar: No problem.