HELENA — New members of the Montana legislature participated in the fourth-ever “How the Sausage Gets Made” event on Sunday, aimed at preparing them for life in the capital and fostering relationships before the upcoming legislative session.
Jon Bennion, the event’s founder and organizer, emphasized the gathering's objectives: to build rapport among new colleagues and to collaboratively make a hearty breakfast using locally sourced Montana-raised meat.
“The spirit of this whole event is getting people together in the spirit of civility, respect, and treating each other as equals,” Bennion said. “These people are going to be running our state, and we want them to be able to communicate with each other and get along.”
Participants engaged in the three essential steps of sausage-making—grinding, seasoning, and packing—an analogy Bennion drew to the legislative process of drafting, reading, and voting on bills.
About 20 new legislators, or roughly half of those elected to the Montana House and Senate, attended the event. Among them was Alanah Griffith (D), the new representative for House District 20, which encompasses Gallatin Gateway and Big Sky.
“It's been great having so many people here that we can all talk to each other and introduce ourselves before the session starts,” Griffith said. “It lets us start new relationships and get to know each other on different grounds.”
Gayle Lammers, the new Republican senator representing Senate District 21, took the opportunity to connect with colleagues while inquiring about their family breakfast sausage recipes, sharing his own in the process.
All participants took home a pound of the locally raised sausage, a nod to the event's theme of camaraderie and collaboration as they prepare for the challenges ahead in the legislature.
