Opinion
The Montana Supreme Court held a meeting on Tuesday, May 28, to select the chairman of the districting commission. This decision will have a decade-long effect on the Montana legislature and U.S. Congress. For the first time in 30 years, Montana may gain a second congressional seat to represent us in D.C. After a history of partisan squabbling and political gamesmanship led to much squandering of legislative time, the 1972 Constitutional Convention adopted a Districting Commission made up of five public members. Partisan legislative leadership select two Democrats and two Republicans. These four members in turn are to select an “impartial” commission chairperson to serve as a...
The Lake County Commissioners were served summons in a lawsuit filed against them by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on May 24. The suit stems from sub-division approval given by the county this past spring to another defendant in the suit, Lori Lundeen, who owns 40 acres of fee land north of the...
MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock today filed suit against Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton over an unconstitutional decision to ignore the Governor’s veto of HB 132. “The Secretary of State overstepped his authority,” Bullock said. “It is my constitutional responsib...
HELENA — Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton said Wednesday, May 29, that Gov. Steve Bullock’s veto of a bill tightening the state’s legal definition of “wild bison” was invalid over a paperwork error that kept the veto paperwork from reaching the secretary’s office...
Editor, A couple of weeks ago, I composed a letter on my thoughts about how the majority of “We the People” are not swayed nor held hostage to so many of the political rants, raves and divisive decisions being made in America today. I believe that regardless of all the grand talk and a...
It’s June and it’s time for the annual Summer Reading Program to begin. Registration begins at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 17, in the library and on our website, and runs through August. The program is open to all ages, and you are not required to have a library card to participate. We have tons of a...
Editor, “We the People” are not to be swayed nor influenced by the loud and relentless voices from both the Executive and Legislative branches of government. These folks are being covered by the media 24/7. “We the People” have already demonstrated not being swayed nor influence...
Editor, Kindness creates connections. Connections build community. Kudos to Lake County Connect for sponsoring a gathering recently for people seeking both. It was held in the lovely Bickford Building in downtown Polson. The hosts were warm and welcoming, the atmosphere congenial and the unexpected meal a...
I signed an executive order forming the Montana Forest Action Advisory Council, a statewide collaborative group charged with updating the Montana Forest Action Plan. We can and we must work together for the well being of our forests and to reduce wildland fire risk. I’m confident that through this c...
After sending our newspaper to press last week, we anxiously awaited community response to the news of the shift in our business model. Though continuing to be a free newspaper was no longer an option for us, we understood that moving from free to paid isn’t an especially popular idea. We spoke with...
