Republican Legislator Effectively Kills Republican Bill About Wolf Management
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This article is a result of in depth conversations with highly placed sources who witnessed all of the proceedings and back room discussions.
House bill 176 was one of the most important bills the Montana legislature ever considered concerning the management of Montana’s exceedingly high wolf population. That is until Republican Representative Eric Albus of House District 28 gutted it with a bad amendment. Albus is an outfitter in the Glasgow area of Montana and was President-Elect of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association (MOGA) until he was elected to the House.
For over ten years Montana’s wolf population consistently hovered between 1,100 and 1,200, nearly four times the number of wolves needed to keep the species from being re-listed on the endangered species act.
In 2021, the legislature passed a law with language telling the commission when they set seasons for trapping and hunting they are to do so with the intent to reduce wolf populations. The problem is that the commission is keeping the quotas too low in areas where a lot of wolves can be harvested. The quotas often fill during the hunting season before the trappers can help reduce the wolf population. Over the last ten years wolf numbers from season to season have only reduced by around one hundred.
House Bill 176 directed the Fish and Wildlife Commission to set an unlimited statewide quota until the numbers of wolves have reduced to sustainable levels closer to the required number for delisting.
The bill passed out of the House Fish and Wildlife Committee with all Republicans in support. When the bill reached the House floor on Friday, Albus stood up and moved an amendment that took the teeth out of the bill and turned the bill into a commission “suggestion” rather than a “directive.” Albus told the body it was a “friendly” amendment when it was in fact “unfriendly.” Ahead of the vote, the sponsor of the bill was told it would be best to remain quiet because if the amendment did not pass then the solutions caucus (aka surrender caucus) would join with the Democrats and Albus and kill the bill. After the blackmail was complete, the amendment went into the bill and gutted its strength and purpose. Then Albus stood up and gave a hypocritical, but beautiful speech on how this is a wonderful bill and that we need to reduce the wolf population in Montana.
As an outfitter, Albus knew he was destroying the purpose of the bill, aligning with the solutions caucus, democrats, and special interests against Montana’s hunters when he proposed the amendment. His constituents in Glasgow deserve to know.
Feel free to contact him at [email protected] or 406.648.7494.
