Governor Gianforte Highlights Investments to Build Safer, Stronger Communities

• January 12 2023

HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today highlighted investments in his Budget for Montana Families to build safer, stronger communities.

“Every day, I’m focused on opening the doors of greater opportunity so more Montanans can thrive, prosper, and achieve the American dream, and having safe, strong communities is a key part of that,” Governor Gianforte said at a press conference in the state capitol. “Taking input from Montanans over the last year, our Budget for Montana Families makes historic, overdue investments in our corrections and behavioral health systems to make our communities safer and stronger.”

Gov. Gianforte discussing the administration’s public safety priorities

With dangerous drugs entering Montana through the open southern border and with the pandemic triggering a rise in drug-related and violent crime nationwide and in Montana, the governor has been focused on increasing Montanans’ access to recovery and treatment programs and cracking down on criminals.

To bolster our behavioral health care system, the governor’s Budget for Montana Families makes a $300 million, generational investment to repair and improve services at the Montana State Hospital and expand intensive behavioral health care for communities.

The governor’s budget also increases by 50 percent funding for the HEART Fund, a program he created in his first year in office to improve access to community-based addiction treatment and recovery services for non-violent offenders.

To hold violent criminals accountable, the governor worked with Attorney General Austin Knudsen to fund 16 new highway patrol troopers and criminal investigators, as well as six new prosecutors at the Montana Department of Justice.

Making a historic investment in Montana’s corrections system, the governor also proposes $200 million to repair and ultimately expand capacity at the Montana State Prison.

A video recording of the governor’s press conference may be viewed here.