Montana – A bill to aid the families of law enforcement personnel who died in the line of duty has been discussed in the Montana Legislature.
Since 1878, 134 law enforcement personnel in Montana have perished while performing their duties; the most recent was deputy Jake Allmendinger of Gallatin County, who passed away in 2019.
The “End Of Watch Trust” measure, Senate measure 294, would provide aid to those who have suffered severe injuries and their families.
State Senator Barry Usher, a Republican from Billings, is collaborating with families in an effort to draft legislation that will assist those families in overcoming their financial difficulties.
“I just have a picture of Jake and our three kids holding hands walking into that restaurant and I don’t know what prompted me to take that photo but I am so very thankful that I did,” Monica Allmendinger said.
The day in question was Monica Allmendinger’s birthday in October of 2019.
When Jake Allmenginger, her husband, attempted to exit a sliding car on an icy road while going to a welfare check, he was killed.
“I received a letter in the mail about a week after Jake had passed stating that I no longer was going to be covered on the health insurance,” Allmendinger said.
“I kind of thought that was kind of callous,” Usher said.
Usher, who has experience in law enforcement, claims that in some places, the spouse is entitled to a lifetime salary.
Usher therefore sponsored the legislation, which will aid families with monthly expenses such as mortgage payments, health insurance, and other costs for five years.
“That’s what I think we should do because these people put their lives on the line every day when they go to work,” Usher said. “Nobody ever knows if they’re going to actually come home.”
Allmendinger and Jodi Moore, who lost her husband, Deputy Mason Moore, in 2017 after he was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Broadwater County, have been working with Usher.
“I received the letter the same week Mason was killed and it was dated the day after he was killed,” said Jodi Moore.
“They will put themselves between you and a bullet and we need to compensate their families for that because if it wasn’t for them, we would have chaos in this country,” Usher said.
“Jake was my best friend, my soulmate,” Allmedinger said. “Like I said, the sole provider for our family. It’s been very difficult without him again, not only for me, but my children also lost their dad.”
