MEA-MFT COPE & BIF

MEA-MFT COPE (Committee on Political Education) is an elected committee of MEA-MFT members from around the state dedicated to improving education and public services through political action.

Each MEA-MFT district chair serves on the MEA-MFT COPE Board to assure your opinions and ideas are heard.

COPE does not tell MEA-MFT members how to vote. Intead, COPE members:

• interview candidates,

• carefully study candidates' position statements and voting records, and

• vote to make recommendations based on which candidates will do the best job for MEA-MFT members and the people they serve.

COPE does not use MEA-MFT member dues to support candidates. Instead, contributions are voluntary.

MEA-MFT also has a Ballot Initiative Fund (BIF). This fund is used to support good ballot initiatives and defeat bad ones. No one in Montana has done more to defeat bad ballot issues for public education and public services than MEA-MFT.

In 2006, BIF funds were used to support an increase in the minimum wage and to defeat CI-97, the initiative designed to starve public education and public services.