U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke’s staff is set to hold a slew of in-person “mobile office hours” in rural areas of Montana’s western congressional district starting Sept. 30.
A press release detailing the events said the office hours are open to constituents who need assistance with federal issues such as grant applications, obtaining or expediting passports and visas, veterans’ affairs, Medicare and Medicaid benefits, Social Security, the IRS and other federal agencies.
The district Zinke, a Republican represents spans the western side of the state from just east of the Blackfeet Reservation down to Gallatin County, but excludes Helena.
Zinke will not be present. Mobile office hours are common events that staff from both political parties hold in congressional districts.
The state Democratic Party has continually criticized Montana’s entirely Republican federal delegation — the two senators and two congressmen — for not holding publicly available in-person town halls.
“Montana’s congressional delegation has been on recess for nearly a month, yet none of our Republican leaders have held a single public town hall to hear directly from their constituents,” an Aug. 26 press release from the Montana Democratic party said.
Republican representatives in other states who have held in-person events open to the public since President Donald Trump took office have at times been met with backlash and anger from certain constituents. In Wyoming, for instance, Rep. Harriet Hageman was jeered by a crowd of hundreds earlier this year, and she ultimately suspended her town halls citing safety concerns, though she eventually reinstated the events with some restrictions.
When asked about Zinke’s lack of in-person town hall events in Montana, spokesperson Garrett Brown pointed to the congressman’s frequent radio town halls that he holds where Montanans can call in with questions. There is a radio town hall scheduled for Wednesday.
On the other side of the state, eastern district Rep. Troy Downing has been holding town halls by phone where constituents can call in with questions.
Zinke’s office is encouraging constituents to schedule an appointment by email for the mobile office hours, and those without appointments will be seen on a first-come-first-served basis, the press release said.
The full list, by date, of Zinke’s staff’s scheduled office hours is as follows:
Glacier County
When: Tuesday, September 30th, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Where: Cut Bank Chamber of Commerce, 725 E Main St, Cut Bank, MT 59427
Who: Steve Howke | steve.howke@mail.house.gov
Pondera County
When: Tuesday, September 30th, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: One Stop, 518 Teton Ave., Valier, MT 59486
Who: Steve Howke | steve.howke@mail.house.gov
Butte-Silver Bow County
When: Wednesday, October 1st, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: Butte-Silver Bow Archives, 17 W Quartz St, Butte, MT 59701
Who: Jack Curren | jack.curren@mail.house.gov
Granite County
When: Thursday, October 2nd, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Where: Granite County Courthouse, 220 N Sansome Street, Philipsburg, MT 59858
Who: Jack Curren | jack.curren@mail.house.gov
Lincoln County (note that there are two time slots in different locations in Lincoln).
When: Thursday, October 2nd, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: North Lincoln County Annex, 66121 MT-37, Eureka, MT 59917
When: Thursday, October 2nd, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Where: Lincoln County Courthouse, 512 California Ave, Libby, MT 59923
Who: Steve Howke | steve.howke@mail.house.gov
Powell County
When: Thursday, October 2nd, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: Powell County Courthouse, 409 Missouri Ave, Deer Lodge, MT 59722
Who: Jack Curren | jack.curren@mail.house.gov
Missoula County
When: Friday, October 3rd, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Where: Seeley Lake Library, 456 Airport Rd, Seeley Lake, MT 59868
Who: Jack Curren | jack.curren@mail.house.gov
Anaconda-Deer Lodge County
When: Tuesday, October 7th, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Where: Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Courthouse, 800 Main St, Anaconda, MT 59711
Who: Jack Curren | jack.curren@mail.house.gov
Sanders County
When: Tuesday, October 7th, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Where: Sanders County Courthouse, 1111 W Main St, Thompson Falls, MT 59873
Who: Steve Howke | steve.howke@mail.house.gov
Beaverhead County
When: Wednesday, October 8th, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: Beaverhead County Courthouse, 2 South Pacific Street, Dillon, MT 59725
Who: Jack Curren | jack.curren@mail.house.gov
Madison County
When: Wednesday, October 8th, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Where: Madison County Library, 210 E Main, Ennis, MT 59729
Who: Jack Curren | jack.curren@mail.house.gov
Lake County
When: Thursday, October 9th, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: Lake County Courthouse, 106 4th Ave E., Polson, MT 59860
Who: Steve Howke | steve.howke@mail.house.gov
Ravalli County
When: Thursday, October 9th, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Where: Ravalli County Administrative Center (3rd Floor), 215 S. 4th Street, Hamilton, MT 59840
Who: Matt Zacharias | matt.zacharias@mail.house.gov
Mineral County
When: Friday, October 10th, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: County Commissioner’s Room, 300 River Street, Superior, MT 59872
Who: Matt Zacharias | matt.zacharias@mail.house.gov
Victoria Eavis is a reporter for the Montana State News Bureau. She previously worked for the Casper Star-Tribune in Wyoming, covering state politics and Liz Cheney’s fall from power. She can be reached at victoria.eavis@helenair.com.
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