The wife of a Broadwater County deputy slain in the line of duty in 2017 will be Sen. Steve Daines’ guest at President Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union address.
Jodi Moore, wife of Broadwater County Deputy Sheriff Mason Moore, will join Daines Feb. 5.
Deputy Mason Moore was shot and killed while on duty in May 2017. He left behind three children and his wife.
“No spouse should ever have to go through the pain she and her family did when Mason was tragically killed. And because of that, she has been a tireless advocate for Montana’s first responders and their families,” Daines, R-Mont., said Sunday in an email.
Moore said Daines has listened to her frustrations about funding for first responders in Montana.
“Being able to attend the State of the Union is all because of being blessed to be Mason’s wife, and I am incredibly proud of him,” Moore said in a news release.
Every member of Congress is allowed one guest to the president’s speech.
A bill is moving through the state Legislature to name a portion of highway and create a memorial marker to honor Mason Moore. The bill moved through the House last week with a 100-0 vote. It now goes to the Senate, and if it passes, to the governor’s desk.
Moore, 42, was trying to pull over Lloyd Barrus and his son, Marshall, on U.S. Highway 287 early on May 16 when shots were fired at his car, officials said. A trooper found Moore dead.
Marshall Barrus, 38, — who is believed to have fired the fatal shots — died in a shootout with officers near Missoula hours later. The pursuit started near Three Forks and stretched more than 100 miles.
Lloyd Barrus was charged with accessory to deliberate homicide. It has since been reported the state was no longer seeking the death penalty for him after a judge ruled he was mentally unable to help with his defense and ordered further treatment.
A hearing on the case was held Monday.