Cooney proposes ballot measure to ban statewide sales tax
MISSOULA, Mont. — Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney, who is running for Montana governor on the Democratic ticket, proposed a ballot measure that would give voters the option of banning a statewide sales tax. The move caused political accusations from both sides.
“Not today. Not two years from now. Not ever.” That’s what Cooney said about a sales tax in Montana when he and his running mate, Casey Schreiner, launched “Montanans Against a Sales Tax,” a constitutional initiative, Monday. The measure would permanently ban the legislature from issuing a sales tax and would appear on the 2022 ballot.
“Let me repeat that, in case there are any multimillionaires from New Jersey listening,” Cooney said. “No statewide sales tax. Not today. Not two years from now. Not. Ever.”
Cooney’s camp says Rep. Greg Gianforte, his Republican opponent, called a sales tax an ideal solution for Montana and accuses him of now lying about it and reversing course.
"Greg Gianforte has been clear: he opposes a sales tax. Period,” Gianforte campaign spokesperson Travis Hall said. “The fact is 44-year career politician Mike Cooney worked on imposing a 4% sales tax on hardworking Montanans when he was a state senator, and Cooney should come clean with Montanans about it.”
Hall says the comments from Gianforte were taken out of context from 2002, when he was speaking hypothetically. Hall also included several news reports that he says debunk the claims against Gianforte and says Cooney worked on a bill to impose a 4% sales tax in 2004 and 2005. The Montana GOP released a digital ad with the same claims Monday.
Cooney’s camp says those allegations are not true, adding Cooney requested a bill draft to calculate the impact of a statewide sales tax. They say Cooney has supported local option taxes but never a statewide sales tax. They maintain Cooney has consistently voted against sales tax bills.
No matter where you fall, this is a fight you likely haven’t heard the last of.
