Commentary
If chaos is the plan, then Trump is your man
Hard to imagine why anyone would want to watch Donald Trump spew his endless litany of lies, insults and vitriol after we’ve seen these re-runs for seven long years now. But sure enough, in an apparent attempt to capture some of the MAGA zombies, CNN stuck Trump on air for yet one more rerun […]
Gianforte’s legal analysis may be flawed, but his family bona fides are even worse
I don’t know if Gov. Greg Gianforte has read the Montana Constitution. I will assume he has. I don’t know if Gov. Gianforte has read the U.S. Constitution. I will assume he has. At various points in his political career, he’s sworn an oath to uphold, defend and protect both of them. Implicit in the […]
Congress must stand up for common-sense gun laws
I’m a gun owner. I believe Americans have the right to bear arms. I grew up hunting and sport shooting with my family. I’ve been around guns and gun owners my whole life. I know how to take care of my guns, ensure they are securely stored, and I know how to use my guns […]
Free stuff and the public trust
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ documented gift-receiving behavior made me recall a personal 1974 Montana event. In November that year, I was working in the governor’s office when I was approached by a lobbyist for the Anaconda Company, a nice guy I liked. He asked me what my favorite liquor was, as the “company” would […]
Montana parents deserve better information
Dr. Lauren Wilson, president of the Montana chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), has written to express her opposition to SB 99, the bill signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte that restricts sex change drugs and surgeries to adults only. Wilson disagrees with Gianforte’s claim that the science of “gender-affirming care” is […]
An open letter to those participating in the tribal bison hunt near Yellowstone National Park
The wild buffalo of Yellowstone country are being considered for Endangered Species Act protection. Their population is not doing well. But, it seems that the native hunters who come to kill them don’t care; it’s all about us tribes and our treaties, not the buffalo. In reality, a bull’s story will tell you how he, […]
The fascist playbook comes to Montana
There is a playbook that fascists use to take and maintain power—think Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orbán (and more than two dozen plus authoritarian countries around the globe). The playbook is always the same: Draw up an enemies list—either you are with us or you are against us. Govern for the party […]
White Christian Nationalism and the 2023 Montana Legislature
Earlier this month, the Montana super-majority party voted to scapegoat Rep. Zooey Zephyr because she would not submit to their tyrannical suppression of free speech and the right to peaceful assembly. I admit Speaker Matt Regier has a different perspective on his decisions to silence an oppressed minority. Regier was triggered when Zooey spoke against […]
Montana Constitution survives GOP legislative assaults
They say even the blackest clouds can have a silver lining. In the case of the recent legislative session that appears to be true — at least for Montana’s internationally-lauded Constitution. Despite having a historic supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature, not one of the 50 original bill draft requests for constitutional amendments passed. […]
Montana Republican lawmakers don’t think much of the state’s constitution (or clean air)
As much as former Rep. Derek Skees deserved being pilloried for his comments about Montana’s hallowed Constitution being a “socialist rag,” no one seems to believe it more than Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, and his buddies like Sen. Mark Noland, R-Bigfork. For all the targeting and unconstitutional policies passed aimed at the LGBTQ+ community this […]
IRA makes renewables cheaper than 99% of proposed gas plants
Gas-fired electric plants are less competitive now than before the August 2022, federal Inflation Reduction Act. The IRA’s tax incentives will accelerate deployment of cleaner, cheaper electricity. So, the decision by retiring Yellowstone County Judge Michael Moses requiring reevaluation of NorthWestern Energy’s attempt to build 175 megawatts of gas-fueled electric generation in Laurel should save […]
It’s time for the EPA to stop dragging its feet on the Smurfit-Stone site
The Smurfit-Stone Superfund Site is an abandoned paper mill 12 miles northwest of Missoula near Frenchtown, Montana. It sits along the Clark Fork River. Members of the community are concerned about contaminated groundwater that leaches chemicals into the river. There are also untreated unlined pools of wastewater on site that sit within the 100-year floodplain […]