Rep. Greg Gianforte, who is considering running for Montana governor in 2020, pleaded guilty in June 2017 to a misdemeanor assault of Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs. | Matt Volz/AP Photo Politics Montana Dems troll Gianforte with journalist assault bill

HELENA, Mont. — Democrats in the Montana state legislature put forward a bill Monday that would increase the penalty for assaulting a journalist from $500 to a maximum of $5,000 and up to a year in jail — a none-too-subtle slap at Republican Rep. Greg Gianforte and his infamous body slam of a reporter two years ago.

“I feel pretty strongly that we are seeing an increase in physical and verbal attacks on the press and they need protection,” said state Rep. Tom Woods, who introduced the "Protect the Free Press Act." “Journalists deliberately create conflict and they do it for us.”


Woods pointed out that the state already has stiffer penalties for assaults against particular groups of people including sports referees ($1,000 maximum fine and up to 6 months in jail) and that the penalty for assaulting journalists should at least exceed that.

Not coincidentally, the bill comes the day that Gianforte is set to speak at the state Capitol, following the state’s two senators who spoke the last few weeks. The congressman, who is considering running for Montana governor in 2020, pleaded guilty in June 2017 to a misdemeanor assault of Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs during the congressional special election campaign earlier that year.

Gianforte was punished with a $385 fine, 40 hours of community service, and a requirement he take anger management courses.

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Afterward, Democrats in the state began discussing legislation to up the penalty for assaulting journalists. This is the first regular legislative session since the assault; the Montana legislature only meets for a few months every other year.

The assault also earned Gianforte fans on the right, including President Donald Trump. “Any guy that can do a body slam — he’s my kind of guy,” Trump said of Gianforte at a rally in Missoula, Montana last October. “He’s a great guy, tough cookie.”

Republicans control the state legislature and it’s unclear whether they'll embrace extra protections for journalists at a time when the president is calling them the “enemy of the people” and blasting "fake news." Gianforte is one of the state's most prominent Republicans.

Woods, however, pointed out that Republicans have frequently spoken about the importance of free speech. “Our democracy simply can’t function without a free and open press,” he said.



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