Letters to the Editor
Editor, The 67th Montana Legislative Assembly has been over for six weeks and we continue to hear about the aftereffects of this session. Our legislators took an oath to uphold and defend both the federal and state constitutions yet numerous bills enacted this session are clearly unconstitutional. Knowing that many of these bills would be challenged in courts, the legislature set aside $100,000 of our tax money to fight lawsuits. For example: HB 102, the campus carry bill. Article X of our state constitution gives full authority over the University System to the Board of Regents. The board and other groups have filed lawsuits against this law as unconstitutional. Funny thing, when the...
Editor, I know there are challenges with finding employees in the local community at this time, but there are also many people who are retired or have free time and are not looking for a job. Maybe they would like something to do for a few hours each week, even taking a four-hour shift can be ...
Editor, Many thanks to all you good stewards who gave time and energy picking up the accumulation of trash along our roadsides this spring. Also, the bulb outs on Polson’s Main Street, the garden spots in Ducharme Park, and the downtown hanging flower baskets are the best they have looked i...
Editor, There has been enough written, much of it in the national press, about Montana’s new restrictions on voting. These laws have been taken to court and will be decided there. Meanwhile, we might reflect on how critical the right to vote is to our democracy and our lives. Our form of go...
Editor, “Majority rule” is such a simple understandable message. There must have been convoluted arguments in attempting to create a “supermajority” dividing line. First, there is the problem of defending why there should even be a “supermajority.” Next comes the gar...
Editor, The big three: greed, fear and anger. It appears these three personal human responses are what is driving our political system. Here is a breakdown: the first two responses, greed and fear, apply to our elected Republican congressional folks. The last two responses, fear and anger,...
Editor, I wish to thank the Board of Regents for voting unanimously to challenge HB102 in court following Wednesday’s listening session. Two constitutional issues are at stake. The Montana Constitution gives the Board of Regents sole authority to manage the Montana University system,...
Editor, The Treasure State. The Last Best Place. These monikers ring true partly because of the pristine waters in Montana’s lakes and rivers. Recently the legislature passed, and the governor signed, a bill that decreases regulations on nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants allowed to be disc...
Editor, I read, with interest, the report in the Valley Journal from May 5 about information from Senator Daines’ office, which indicated that he felt the Real ID law was no big deal. It was onerous to Montana families, and so on, and should be delayed. This when national security agencies hav...
Editor, Our nation is in great peril. We brought this peril upon ourselves when we elected Donald Trump to the presidency. We elected Trump, and now, we are living with the consequences. The peril resides with the millions who are still following narcissistic Trump. Trump has a serious voting power-block ...
