Shaylee Lewis is passionate about wrestling, and she’s passionate about the Havre Wrestling Club.
Lewis is president of the wrestling club, which provides lessons and tournaments for young people throughout the Havre area.
But the club and some other nonprofit organizations in Montana soon may face financial problems because of a new state law that will impact their fundraising efforts.
Montana issues sponsored license plates that advertise nonprofit groups in the state. People pay a higher fee for the specialty plates than standard plates; the extra amount is a contribution to the nonprofit. The wrestling club raises about $7,000 annually through the sale of the plates, according to Lewis.
St. Jude Thaddeus School in Havre raises funds the same way.
But the most recent session of the Montana Legislature passed a bill that requires nonprofits to have at least 400 of the special plates or they will be discontinued.
Senate Bill 353 revised a variety of license plate and other vehicle-related laws.
Lewis said had she known of the bill, she would have contacted legislators to oppose it.
The way things stand now, 85 organizations will see their license plates discontinued. That includes the wrestling club, St. Jude and the Little Shell Tribe of the Chippewa Indians, as well as statewide organizations ranging from Planned Parenthood to the Algeria Shrine Temple.
Kathy Tilleman, development director for St. Jude, said the money is important to the nonprofit because every penny counts. But the plates also are a point of pride for many of the school’s alums.
“Our alumni are very loyal,” she said.
Father Dan Wathen, St. Jude Thaddeus pastor, said many people get the plates to show their loyalty to the school. Principal Mike Haugen said upon returning to Havre about three years ago, he was surprised to see how many alumni and friends of St. Jude proudly displayed the plates.
The law was to take effect Jan. 1, but the lawmaker who sponsored the bill, Sen. Jill Cohenour, D-East Helena, asked that the implementation be delayed to give the nonprofits more time to reach the 400-participant goal.
Sarah Garcia, administrator for the Motor Vehicle Division, told The Havre Herald that the state thought it was fair to give the nonprofits more time to reach the goal so they would not lose money. Some of the groups are close to the 400 minimum.
Lewis said even that figure is confusing. By her count, 360 people have wrestling club license plates, putting the club within reach of the 400-plate goal. But according to state figures, only 285 club plates have been issued, she said she learned.
Lewis said she is having a difficult time getting through to state officials to clarify things.
Losing $7,000 would be a substantial problem for the club, Lewis said. “How many tournaments can we send the kids to for that $7,000?”
Over the years, the wrestling club has been a tremendous asset to Havreites, she said. Some of the youngsters go on to high school and college wrestling careers, but many just enjoy the sport.
“It gives our kids something to do during the cold winters.”
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Write to John Kelleher at [email protected]
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