Montana’s manufactured homeowners had just two minutes to defend their homes in hearings on House Bill 889 sponsored by Rep. Jonathan Karlen of Missoula, yet they persuaded the House and the Senate to adopt a modest package of protections for park residents confronting large out-of-state private equity firms buying up the parks on which their homes rest.

The well-heeled lobbyists for out-of-state private equity corporations and the Montana Landlords Association ran to Gov. Gianforte who this week, chose them over the thousands of Montana’s elderly citizens, veterans, persons with disabilities, and low wage workers who reside in Montana’s mobile home parks when he vetoed HB 889.