BILLINGS — Gov. Greg Gianforte joined public safety officials in Billings on Wednesday morning to push for his proposal to boost state prison capacity and other law enforcement funding.
Gianforte, a Republican, held a brief news conference at the Billings Police Department Training Facility with four local officials: Billings Police Chief Rich St. John, Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder, Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito and Montana Women's Prison Warden Katie Weston.
Gianforte has proposed allocating $150 million in one-time funding to boost capacity at the Montana State Prison and another $250 million to develop a long-term plan to improve public safety. It also includes pay increases for the Montana Highway Patrol and state corrections officers.
The group met in a closed-door session before the public news conference.
Watch the full news conference below:
