Good Jobs Montana
Good Jobs Montana was a non-federal Montana-based political action committee (PAC) aligned with the Democratic Party. Good Jobs Montana was primarily funded by the Democratic Governors Association and labor unions. 1 The PAC was operational in the 2016, 2017, and 2020 elections. 2
Contents
Background
Good Jobs Montana was founded in 2016. Tax filings indicate that the organization was created by Stephen Hill, the principal officer of the organization. 3
Finances
In 2016 Good Jobs Montana received $5,300,000 in contributions, 4 made $5,297,395 in expenditures, and held $2,605 in net assets. 4
Reports show that Good Jobs Montana received contributions from the National Education Association (NEA) Advocacy Fund ($1,200,000) 5 and the Jobs and Opportunity PAC ($150,000), 5 a super PAC 6 affiliated with the left-of-center Center for Innovative Policy. 7
Organizational Support
In addition to financial contributions, reports show that Good Jobs Montana received $8,860 of in-kind contributions from Montana Rural Voters Action Fund, the PAC arm of the center-left Montana Rural Voters voter mobilization organization. 8 Montana Rural Voters is part of a larger consortium of “rural organizations” supported by the Movement Voter Project 9 in Alaska, Nebraska, Utah, Oklahoma, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, and Wyoming that seeks to elect Democratic Party-aligned candidates to local, state, and federal political offices. 9
Criticism
In 2020, Good Jobs Montana was criticized for having the highest media profile for a Montana political ad-buying organization despite being an out-of-state organization with limited ties to Montana. 10 In 2020, Good Jobs Montana registered to operate within the state with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP). 10 The listed address was a UPS box located at 1633 Main Street, Suite A-370, Billings, Montana. 10
Leadership
Stephen Hill was the principal officer of Good Jobs Montana. 3 Hill has worked in leadership roles with other Democratic Party-affiliated PACs, including the Good Jobs West Virginia PAC 11 and the Jobs and Opportunity PAC, where he was treasurer. 6
In 2019, Hill was hired as the chief operating officer of the Democratic Governors Association. 12
Hill is also listed as officer of the Guarantee Our Votes Project, a voter registration and education project 13 of the left-of-center Center for Innovative Policy. 14