Columns

Montana courts are the target of criticism from the political fringes. Recently it has ramped up. Don’t buy it, and I want to explain why.  For what it’s worth, here are my thoughts as a lawyer who practices in courtrooms across Montana. Our Montana courts are in great hands. Montana does not have a notable problem with activist judges, radical judges, or politically based decisions. Are judges perfect? No, they are human like the rest of us. Sometimes they get things wrong, sometimes they disagree. Court decisions are carefully based on past (sometimes dozens) similar cases that guide and require a certain result. These past cases are “precedent.” Judges ...

We Montanans are passionate about wildlife. Doesn’t matter whether you hunt them, photograph them, hike to where you need binoculars just to see them as teeny dots, or just want to know they’re there - our home is special in large part because we share it with cool critters. We’ve heard ...

Walking home one evening, I came to an intersection. A family and a couple were waiting for the light, the family bantering about crossing against the light. “My knees won’t let me go that fast!” the grandma warned. “Ma’am, I’m with you!” the man from the couple c...

Yesterday the TV was playing in the background and I thought I heard Homer Simpson say one of what I thought was the most prolific quotes of all time. “Why can’t all hills go down?” This gave me cause to pause. Homer certainly has a point. Why do hills have to go up? Doesn’t tha...

Uncovering one of Montana’s most underutilized—and misunderstood—citizen rights Did you know that you have a constitutional Right to Know? The Right to Know appears alongside your right to Freedom of Speech, Right to Bear Arms and Right of Suffrage in the Montana Constitution, and i...

After last year’s deep winter, this season has come as a shock, and many of us are wondering “Where is the snow?” Skiing injuries have been prevalent, and with the lack of powderhound tourism, small mountains have been struggling.  While wetter snows have come to save the spring sea...

Liberty – Equality – Democracy: America and Americans are defined by their dedication to these founding principles--ideas that were fostered by the Enlightenment philosophers of the late 17th - 18th centuries, the Age of Reason, and enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.&n...

During my second tour to Iraq as a U.S. Marine, my unit was tasked to help secure the Syrian border. We had received intel that Iran was sending weapons into Syria to smuggle across the border for use against American troops. At the same time, refugees from all over the country were flooding the border to es...

As of the writing of this guest editorial, there has been a 30 percent decrease in FAFSA submissions by students and their parents across the United States compared to last year. In Montana, the decline is also substantial at 25 percent. What is FAFSA and why is it important? FAFSA stands for Free Applica...

In 2022, the people of Montana elected Republican supermajorities to both chambers of the Montana Legislature. Even though the people of Montana elected large majorities of Republicans, the Republicans elected to the Legislature did not always act like conservatives. Instead, many Republicans participated in...