Columns

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 for weeks. The office of Bullock, a Democrat, called Stapleton, a Republican, “confused” and insisted a gubernatorial veto becomes effective at signing regardless of the subsequent administrative process. That leaves the status of the would-be law unclear. “Governor Steve Bullock vetoed HB132 (a bill clarifying the definition of ‘bison’) on April 29th...

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...

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...

I remember how exciting it was to go on a field trip as a kid at school: the getting out of the classroom, the bus ride to a new place and the endless chatter between seats, the excitement in the air that something magical might take place on this adventure. Those days are long gone for me, or so I thought. ...

The 66th legislative session has come to an end. As Speaker of the House, it was my goal to uphold the integrity of the House. As a leader in my caucus it was my goal to foster unity not conformity. We can be united behind the primary ideals of our party without losing individuality. It has been an honor to ...

The legend of Bigfoot lives on in American folklore, and although I don’t know for sure if the big and hairy creature actually exists in the wild, I do believe in big foot, or at least big feet. I live with a bunch of them. (Big and hairy big-footed creatures, that is.) My husband and sons tower ove...

Is it spring yet? After what seems like the longest winter ever, the library crew is ready for a great spring and summer. So let’s ditch the winter coats, find the sandals in the back of our closets and gear up for a ton of fun at the library. To kick off our May events, local author Maggie Plummer ...

At the start of the legislative session, I delivered my fourth and final State of the State address. I shared my optimism that in Montana we can still be a shining example of how our political system is supposed to work and that as elected leaders we should base our decisions not only on today’s needs,...

In the waning hours of Montana’s 66thLegislative Session, good public policy squeaked through, including Medicaid expansion and an infrastructure bill. But public works can’t fix the deferred maintenance of the outdated way these bills made it through. That takes political will. Montana’...