Daniel Emrich: Great Falls’ Extreme Senator You’ve Never Heard Of
Republican Daniel Emrich was elected to the Montana Senate in 2022. He ran a low key campaign, defeating incumbent, centrist Democrat Tom Jacobson by 403 votes. Looking at his campaign contributions, he received significant support from “traditional” Republicans and not the local loopy Freedom Caucus crowd. Contributors to his campaign included Greg Gianforte, Senator Jason Ellsworth (and two of his children for a total of $1,200), Chuck Denowh (lobbyist), and Representative Llew Jones.
“A Good Christian Fellow”
Emrich moved to Montana in 2020. He worked as a car salesman in Tennessee and Colorado before working at Bison Ford in Great Falls. He’s no longer there, and we find no information about where he currently works. The Wonkette blog says Emrich is “a good Christian fellow whose Twitter feed includes posts pushing election denial, accusing Hillary Clinton of supporting “executing human babies,” and asking what crime babies ever committed to deserve a death sentence.
Emrich also said this on Twitter feed in 2021 about the Capitol Insurrection: “Republicans stormed the Capitol building however it is public building and they did have a right to enter and peacefully protest they were denied that right and as a result the protestors got violent police got hurt one died still not sure why and a protestor was shot to death.” (Grammatical errors in the original text)
Emrich Doesn’t Get Science
In his first legislative session, Emrich attracted statewide attention with a bill he introduced to require schools to include only “verifiable facts” in science curriculum. This bill drew only one proponent, a professor, named Patrick Gould asserted that the “theory” of evolution is not supported by facts and is contrary to God and the Holy Bible. Numerous opponents of the bill pointed out the problems in the bill. The bill died in a unanimous vote of the committee. The link below is to a video of the committee hearing.
Old Income Tax Conspiracies
Emrich also introduced a Senate resolution calling for an investigation of the adoption of the income tax in 1913. The introductory “where as” statements of the resolution parrot old debunked conspiracy theories which have been far-right staples for years. The resolution referenced The Law That Never Was, a book by notorious Montana tax protester, racist and vicious anti-semite Red Beckman. Former Republican legislator and current lobbyist for the conservative Montana Taxpayers Association, Bob Story, testified against the bill saying, “I just think it’d be kind of a waste of the legislature’s time to rehash this thing. It’s been studied, it’s been written about, it’s been litigated.” The bill died in committee by a vote of 11 to 1.
13 Bills in 2023. None Pass
Emrich introduced similar bills in the 2023 session. These included eliminating jail sentences for driving without a license (a common practice among the freemen crowd), private school choice, requiring partisan election of judges, expanding the time required for collection of delinquent taxes, providing exemptions for vaccination requirements in schools, general revisions of election laws as promoted by election deniers, and a call for a constitutional amendment defining fertilized human eggs as a “person.” Most of his 13 bills died in their first committee hearing. None made it through the entire process.
2025 Session. More of The Same
In the 2025 legislature, Emrich is carrying bills for others. It is common for administrative agencies and interim legislative committees to request more “experienced” legislators to carry their bills. This session Emrich has requested 36 bills, five of those coming through the Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform. For those unfamiliar with this legislature, this committee is intent on Republicans taking over the judicial branch.
This session Emrich introduced SB 381, which requires selling off and subdividing certain public lands. It died in committee. See our previous blog post https://wtf406.com/2025/03/who-says-republicans-dont-want-to-sell-off-public-lands/
Hey Senator Emrich, Measels Much?
He is also carrying SB 382 and SB 474 which allow children whose guardians choose not to have them vaccinated to attend school. This during a measles outbreak in the southwest which has already claimed at least two lives and is causing numerous measles infections. In addition, he is carrying SB 475 which bans aluminum based vaccines.
Emrich has six bills changing statutes relating to child protective services. No one ever knows the exact motivation for these kinds of bills except the sponsor. But here it is worth noting that there is a controversy regarding a decision to remove a child with suicidal ideation relating to gender identity issues from a family in Valley County. Great Falls’ other Republican Senator, Jeremy Trebas, has been engaged in this case, requesting confidential records from DPHHS.
Emrich Still Going After The Library
Emrich is also carrying two bills which clearly flow from the library mill levy controversy here in Great Falls. SB 396 which dictates where “materials of a sexual nature” can be placed in a library and directs numerous actions relating to library administration. SB 451 limits public libraries to only provide “core functions” listed in the bill and prohibits activity that is not listed in the bill. Both bills were tabled in committee
Next Election, Democrats Best Shot
Emrich is up for election in 2026. Most people in Great Falls are not aware of Emrich, but Republican activists here certainly are. If the last election is any indication, his support from the traditional Republican crowd will dry up, and he will be challenged in the Republican primary. Democrats are well positioned to win the seat regardless who the Republicans run. It’s going to be an interesting election.
