b'National Day of the CowboyGATES OPEN WIDERBy Bethany BraleyNational Day of the Cowboy Executive Director & Publisher our bill. Then, on April 1, 2019, the National Day of the Cowboy bill was deemed passed in North Dakota. This vote made North Dakota the 14th state to pass Ithe National Day of the Cowboy bill into law, because got off the plane in Bismarck, North Dakota, onjust a few days prior, on March 27th, it had become law January 23, at 11 pm. I wont say it was a coldin Arkansas (HB1553). That vote gave Arkansas the night because after all, it was winter in North13th slot in our growing list of states passing the bill. Dakota, but the next morning, on my way to theIt has since been sent on to the Governor of Arkansas Capitol to testify, the dashboard on Rick Thompsonsfor signing. Arkansas volunteers, Jennifer Michaels truck showed 8 degrees below zero. Rick is theand Marshall Mitchell, had been working for two years Executive Director of the North Dakota Cowboywith bill sponsors, Representative Clint Penzo and Hall of Fame and he too had traveled to Bismarck toSenator L. Eads, to achieve passage in Arkansas. testify on behalf of the National Day of the CowboyPhoto of volunteer, Ted Valentiner, bill, SCR4003. We headed straight for Senator RichAt the same time, Whitesh, Montana volunteer, TedSenator Kenneth Bogner, and Bethany Braley Wardners office to let him know we were thereValentiner and I, were working with Montana Senatorat the Capitol in Helena, MT.and then found our way to the Senate AgriculturalKenneth Bogner, in an effort to add Montana to our Committee hearing room to wait our turn to speak.list of National Day of the Cowboy states. Thanks tosigned up three new NDOC supporting members several generous donors, I was able to drive to Helenathe very next morning! We each took four or ve minutes to share the reasonsto testify at the committee hearing held on March why we supported passage of the bill. Connie Sundby,22rd.Christy Stensland, Executive Director of theAs many probably know by now, this baffling vote another staff member from the North Dakota CowboyMontana Cowboy Hall of Fame, had wanted to testifyalso caught the attention of the CEO of PBR, Shawn Hall of Fame signed the register in support of thewith us as well but was not able to travel to HelenaGleason, who reacted by posting a predication on his NDOC bill as well. We all agreed afterward that wedue to health challenges.Facebook page that he would cancel the PBR event felt the hearing went well. That committee did voteto be held in Billings, Montana, in 2020 and to take to pass the bill on to the North Dakota Senate whichThat morning, Ted and I testied before the Housethat event to a different state more welcoming to adopted it on January 29th. Rick traveled back tocommittee, as did Senator Bogner and two othercowboys. He reected that he had too much respect Bismarck again in March for the House hearing onMontanans. The NDOC bill had already been passedand admiration for the cowboys and cowgirls who by the Montana Senate, in February, with a 90 inparticipated and the folks who attended. Thats Bethany Braley and Rick Thompson, Executivefavor, 5 opposed vote. Although the House committeeone event that has been thrilling the fans there for Director of the North Dakota Cowboy Hall ofdid send our bill to the oor for a vote, things in24 years and generates millions of dollars for the Fame, at the Capitol in Bismarck, ND. Montana went off the rails at that point.Montana economy. His point hit home and within two days, his post had been read by nearly two On April 4th, I watched the Montana House ofmillion people. Writer, Phil Drake, at the Great Representatives oor vote live via the internet (asFalls Tribune, wrote a follow-up story, concerning did Ted Valentiner and Christy Stensland), growingGleasons remarks, which was immediately picked up dismayed by the number of negative commentsby at least 14 other newspapers and a TV station. ending with the words, Ill vote no. Dont believe the media which claims it was defeated simply becauseAs of this writing, thanks to Ted Valentiner for the word, cowgirl wasnt in the title. Thats a grosssticking with it and to Sean Gleason for joining the oversimplication of what took place. A variety offray. Montana legislator, Theresa Manzella, stated reasons were expressed, involving other heritage,that she could reintroduce the NDOC bill if she gender, and even religion (which I wont detail here),could round up 2/3 of the Montana representatives to but the stunning end result was a vote of 56 againstsupport it. That meant those nay voters would have and 44 in favor. The National Day of the Cowboy billto be convinced to change their vote. It was a long was given the boot by the members of the Montanashot because the Montana legislative session ends House of Representatives, in a state known thethere within the next few weeks, and unfortunately, world over for its cowboys and pioneer heritage.it is one of those legislatures that only convenes This marked the rst and only time the bill had beenevery other year. Manzellas number one request to defeated in a oor vote.supporters of the bill was that if you live in Montana, you call every legislator there and ask them to support Next day, blowback came swift and wide. Philpassage. EVERY Montana legislator. Drakes headline in the Great Falls Tribune read, House tells Day of the Cowboy proposal to hitI concur with Representative Manzella. I cannot stress the trail.Our Facebook page was lled withenough how important it is for citizens to call their astonishment, expressed not just by Montanans, butlegislators when they want to see a measure passed. by supporters from all over the world. However, asSimply call them up, give your name, name the bill many have said any publicity is good publicity andyou support (including the number if you have it), I could see the effects of this vote right away as weand politely express at least one reason why you are in 34 May 2019'