Commentary
You know who wouldn’t think much of Montana’s anti-vaxx laws? Antonin Scalia.
It’s always dangerous getting the dead to speak to current issues. But, with Halloween and all, ‘tis the season. I mean: It’s dangerous to hazard a guess at what, say, Abraham Lincoln may think of critical race theory. And it’s just as dangerous to wonder what Jesus would do in every contemporary life situation because […]
Remembering, reconciliation and the effort to tell the truth about Native boarding schools
The National Day of Remembrance for Native American children honors children who died years ago while attending the United States’ Indian boarding schools each Sept. 30. On that day this year, a bill was reintroduced in both the Senate and the House to establish an American Indian Truth and Healing Commission on Indian boarding schools. The bill’s purposes include […]
Get ready: Here’s a 2022 election quiz
Keep in mind: We have one political party that is threatening to cause a national economic crisis and another that is having difficulty getting its act together to govern. In Montana, we are implementing laws and policies that are adding to COVID-19 illness and death, and overloading our medical facilities. Given this situation, it is […]
For Montanans, health literacy is more important than ever
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has impacted millions across the country, and Montana has not been spared. After the pandemic ravaged the state, President Joe Biden’s executive order to re-open the federal health care exchange allowed approximately 80% of Montanans to receive help paying their premiums and access testing and treatment for COVID-19. Even before the […]
Montana’s children deserve an equitable economic recovery
As Congress continues to work towards a deal on a budget reconciliation package, Montana’s delegation, including Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester, have an opportunity to show they truly understand the economic difficulties families face by passing a budget that ensures an equitable economic recovery. As pediatricians, we know that the stakes for children are […]
The great newspaper erosion (and the future hope)
By one accounting, more than 2,100 U.S. newspapers closed between 2005 and 2020. We’ve all heard the stories, many pretty bleak. Smaller newspapers are purchased by large chains, which cannibalize newsrooms in order to squeeze the last cents – and sense – out of “the product.” Hedge funds with track records of slashing costs – meaning jobs […]
Sometimes, a great nation
You’d have to be of a certain age to remember what it was like to have passenger rail service on the southern route through Montana. But if you ever got a chance to ride those rails 50 years ago, the memory of enjoying an absolutely beautiful, effortless, and relaxed trip across Montana’s vast expanses of […]
The real election fraud in Montana
Montana, we’ve been duped. There has been election fraud, just not the sort that has made headlines in Georgia or Arizona. And, the kind of fraud we’ve experienced has nothing to do with the ballot box or ballots needing microscopic attention or even the Cyber Ninjas. Montanans were promised a governor and attorney general capable […]
Our wildlife heritage faces a double-barreled assault
The Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen Task Force sued the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over Soldier-Butler, a massive roadbuilding and logging project in the heart of the Ninemile Demographic Connectivity Area for female grizzly bears west of Missoula. We sued only after our efforts to protect grizzly bear habitat were rebuffed by […]
WWAMI is more than just a well-run decentralized medical school
The path to becoming a physician looks different for everyone who embarks on the challenging but rewarding journey. Though the pressures of medical school and having someone’s health in your hands are often difficult, it is a career path that attracts bright, mission-driven people who take public trust seriously. It is a field full of […]
Republicans’ big win?
Congratulations to Montana Republicans! In the November 2020 elections you had the largest Republican victories in the history of Montana. Republicans won control of all five statewide offices for the first time, elected only the 3rd Republican U.S. Senator in our history, and the largest Republican majority in the Montana legislature ever. Montana Republicans rightly […]
Want better government? Change how elections are run in Montana
We’re political scientists, not partisans. We study elections and voter behavior. But it doesn’t take a Ph.D., to know that something is wrong with our politics. Instead of rewarding compromise, our system increases the division between us and leaves voters with unappealing choices. Democracy requires choice. In a functioning electoral system, candidates compete for your […]