Debanking is a growing concern for conservatives nationwide, and Montana is no exception. Financial institutions have been weaponized to silence conservatives by cutting off essential banking services. Rather than addressing this injustice, the Biden administration allowed it to continue unchecked.
While President Trump recognized the importance of preventing banks from targeting conservatives, Montana’s Senate Bill 240 (SB 240) takes the wrong approach. Instead of protecting conservative values, it could force banks to fund and do business with leftist organizations that promote abortion and other radical agendas. Montana cannot afford to enact legislation that inadvertently strengthens institutions working against its deeply held beliefs.
Attorney General Austin Knudsen has been a national leader in fighting debanking, standing up to financial institutions that discriminate against conservatives, gun manufacturers, and pro-life organizations. His efforts have been crucial in ensuring that conservatives are not shut out of the financial system. However, if SB 240 becomes law, it could undermine these efforts by mandating that banks serve all entities equally—ultimately forcing conservative financial institutions to support organizations that fund abortion clinics and anti-life activism.
Our legislators should reject this misguided legislation. Other states have made similar mistakes, enacting sweeping mandates that unintentionally force conservative institutions to support radical causes. Attorney General Knudsen has set a strong precedent in resisting debanking. Montana lawmakers must follow his lead and ensure the financial system is not hijacked to support radical leftist causes. Now is the time to stand firm and reject SB 240 to safeguard Montana’s conservative future.
Erin Walton – Billings, MT