Montana Legislature

Don’t Think the Tea Party Runs the Montana GOP? Think Again

September 12, 2010

Dave Lewis, Republican Senator from Helena, has long been known as a pragmatic member of the Montana GOP caucus, so his decision to introduce a resolution urging withdrawal from the United Nations was a surprise. Two sources have told me that Lewis told them that he introduced the resolution to avoid a primary from a [...]

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Primary Predictions

June 7, 2010

Just a couple of thoughts about tomorrow’s primary in a few statewide and local races, from my narrow vantage point. If you haven’t yet, be sure to vote. You can check your registration status and polling place on this handy tool at the Secretary of State’s page. Democratic Nomination for Congress I think Tyler Gernant [...]

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A Fond Farwell to Ed Butcher

March 16, 2010

It’s with some sorrow that I read the news this evening that Ed Butcher has decided to hang up his tinfoil hat and retire from the Montana Legislature. Now, I’m not sorry that he won’t be voting in the House any more, and I’m not sorry that the people of House District 29 are likely [...]

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Senator Barkus and the Privileges of Rank

September 14, 2009

I have to wonder whether Judge Katherine Curtis routinely issues gag orders for every criminal investigation in Flathead County, especially without the attorney for the investigative target asking for one: Monday, Corrigan told KCFW-TV that he could no longer discuss the investigation. The District Court administrator says all information in the case is sealed by [...]

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Way to Go, Gun Nuts!

August 12, 2009

Well, it certainly didn’t take long for Krayton Kerns’s crazy bill to start having an impact on law enforcement. Already, police have had to release a man who shot another man in the head because of this misguided legislation, designed to appeal to the fringe of the NRA and the one-man band of the Montana [...]

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Republicans On Meth

April 8, 2009

Oh, those fiscal conservatives in the Republican Party. At the same time, some Democrats objected to a piece of the Republican plan that sends another $500,000 to the private Montana Meth Project for a total of $1 million. Health care for kids? Socialist waste. Millions for an unproven scare campaign? Sensible policy. Sigh. Update: And [...]

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Why is Dave Lewis Obsessed With Underfunding CHIP?

April 5, 2009

Senator Dave Lewis of Helena seems to only have one priority in this legislative session: voting against health care for kids. At every opportunity, he has either voted against the voter-supported initiative or to scale it back. This week, he and his Republican cohorts in the Senate Finance and Claims Committee took another whack at [...]

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Why Do Montana Republicans Always Talk About Civil Wars?

March 31, 2009

Typical responsible Republican rhetoric on abortion rights today. Wendy Warburton (R-Nutsylvania): “Last night, Democrats essentially voted to muzzle the people of Montana on one of the most important issues of our time: abortion,” said Rep. Wendy Warburton, R-Havre (pictured). I probably missed Wendy’s press conference after House Republicans blocked discussion about the death penalty in [...]

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