The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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In my family there is a wide swath of political views and when you are in the same room as we were for the Holidays, the juvenile name calling stops and thoughtful discussions can occur. What these discussions revealed was that while we have many differences, there is also agreement. Well, if I'm being honest, there was some juvenile name calling too, we are family after all. But back to my point, I wonder then, why don't we at least have the things we all agree on? For...
Dear Editor and Fellow Constituents, Montana's election process belongs to the people. We want to facilitate open and fair discussions during our primaries. The National Republican Senate Committee-Chairman Daines- does not need to choose the Arizona candidates or the candidates for Montana... Montanans can pick our own candidates, we do not need rich establishment politicians spoon feeding us our choices for Federal or State offices. We want fair and honest Elections not Selections. Now is a time for the Grassroots of...
Back in January, the Pew Research Center released the results of an intriguing set of focus groups they carried out last year. Ordinarily, of course, survey research organizations test the sentiments of registered or likely voters to check in on their mood. But these groups were voters who, in Pew's words, "look at the nation's politics as a topic better avoided than embraced." What those voters had to say is a sign of these highly polarized, highly politicized times. They're...
With the holidays behind us and Congress gearing up for a new session, I look forward to continuing my mission fighting for our Montana way of life in Washington, D.C. Under President Joe Biden and Democrat congressional leadership, Montanans are facing the highest inflation rate in three decades, driving up prices of everything from groceries to used cars. In addition, the wide-open southern border is allowing record amounts of fentanyl to devastate our communities, and the...
As a practicing lawyer, I am often reluctant to criticize decisions made by a court. However, last week, the Montana Supreme Court rendered a decision involving legislative rules which is absolutely stunning. One of the basic principles of our system of government is the separation of powers. Under our constitution, there are three separate and equal branches, each with their own duties and responsibilities. As a fundamental principle, each branch is charged with running and...
As you learn about all the candidates for various offices this year, the most important ones are the ones that most Montanans know the least about. The politicians you need to do the most research on are not the would-be congressmen, governors, or even legislators. It's the judges. Although they claim to be above the political fray, judges in Montana are in fact politicians. From the district courts to the state Supreme Court, they're elected. They have to run campaigns,...
In the fabric of Montana's history, woven through the life stories of our people, is a simple yet profound wisdom: "Don't be a sheep." This is the legacy of my Basque heritage, a creed passed down from my father, who turned the rugged terrains of eastern Montana into a home for our family. It's this same spirit that now compels me to seek a seat on the Montana Supreme Court. I want to ensure that our judiciary reflects the strength, independence, and integrity of the state we...
By: Senators Jason Ellsworth, Becky Beard, and Greg Hertz There's no way Republican legislators would rather ring in a new year than with lower taxes, and that's exactly what we've done to kick off 2024. As of January 1st, Montanans of all income levels are now paying lower income taxes, thanks to legislation that just went into effect. Those tax savings will be felt either on upcoming paychecks or when you file your 2024 taxes next year, depending on where and how you get pai...
A question I am often asked is "Why? Why are you running?" The answer is simple: These United States of America, all she represents, and all of the opportunities she offers have been good to me, and I need to give back. I need to serve. I need to feel that I deserve all that she has offered without asking anything in return. I need to know that someone like me, from meager beginnings, an unplanned pregnancy to an unwed teenage mother, someone without money or connections, can...
Skyrocketing property taxes. Astronomical energy rate increases. Homes that are unaffordable to most Montanans. And yet more big tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, while the rest of us are left to foot the bill. When we look back on the last year, all these changes and more were brought you by one party and its supermajority: Montana Republicans. As 2023 ends, let's look back over the last 12 months to see where Republicans really took us as a state. The Good. Montana Democrats...
Are you happy about your new property tax bill? I'm definitely not. Everywhere I go, people are grumbling about how much their property taxes increased. But if you think nobody is happy, you're wrong. Governor Gianforte and the Republican legislative supermajority raised our property taxes. Yep, it's true, and it was intentional. Sure, taxes are complicated, and we pay them because we have to. So, you might be asking an obvious question, like I did: Why in the heck would...
If someone were to borrow a cup of sugar to make a cake and doesn't return a similar amount, is the lender entitled to the cake? The lender would be viewed as excessively greedy to acquire so much in recompense. A fairer outcome would be for the borrower to offer a slice deemed equivalent to the value of the sugar. Yet, prior to the Supreme Court ruling in Tyler v. Hennepin County in May 2023, governments were allowed to "take the cake" from many citizens through home equity...
In this month's off-year general election, there's one thing Idaho and Washington had in common - voter turnout was dismal. But there's more to the story: Idaho holds its elections in person, while Washington is entirely vote by mail. And, once again, we've learned that vote by mail does little to increase voter turnout. When all is said and done, it appears voter turnout in Idaho will be roughly 30 percent. Clearwater county earned top marks with nearly 52 percent turnout....
The most important global issue of the day is that of the middle east conflict. The barbaric evil of Hamas was in full display October 7th. The reports are undeniable; "The IDF told CNN that women, children, toddlers and elderly were brutally butchered in an ISIS way of action." (CNN, Oct. 13) LA Times, Oct.12 wrote, "Reporting on the violence by Hamas and response by Israel.... is requiring onscreen warnings before showing pictures of how the Hamas onslaught killed families...
By Rep. Bob Keenan, DPHHS Director Charlie Brereton, Sen. John Esp No Montana community is untouched by the mental health crisis. Suicide. Addiction. Loneliness. The struggle to find mental health services or appropriate supports for individuals with developmental disabilities. Patients receiving care in places that aren't best for them. The list of challenges facing our communities is long and years in the making, and the time for setting that list aside is over. This...
Recently opinion pieces and information sent to legislators regarding the counties decision to levy 77.9 mills instead of the State directed 95 mills has been circulating in both statewide newspapers, and internal legislative correspondence. It appears that the message being distributed is counties are giving large tax breaks to corporations and out of state homeowners while doing little for the average Montanan. While the numbers can be interpreted to support that message,...
Wednesday, November 01, 2023 It would be a stretch to say that the US government came to a standstill after GOP members of the House unseated Kevin McCarthy as Speaker at the start of October. The Senate and the executive branch both kept working to move their priorities forward during the three weeks before the House finally found a replacement. Federal workers kept programs running and operations on an even keel. Yet the House's dysfunction had a clear cost: an inability to...
Hunting season has arrived! As hunters flock to the hills in pursuit of Montana's treasured big game species, we want to take a moment to acknowledge the good work that was done in this spring's legislative session for hunters, landowners, and conservationists alike. Wildlife issues have frequently been overcome with intense division in previous legislative sessions. 2023 was different. Various stakeholders that are often in sharp disagreement on wildlife and land management p...
The Montana Republicans claim that they support lower taxes and they do – selectively. They support lower taxes on millionaires and big corporations. Not you. The evidence from the 2023 legislative session is unambiguous. When property values shoot up, like they did this year, it will be homeowners and small businesses, not big corporations, that pay. "Property taxes" include several different kinds of property, from the homes where everyday Montanans live to the buildings t...
There are many things that children can't legally do in Montana. They can't smoke a cigar, drink alcohol, die fighting for their country in a foreign war, vote or engage in a variety of transactions. The reason for that is simple: they're children. They aren't developed enough yet to make serious life-altering decisions, with or without parental consent. They haven't had enough life experience yet to adequately weigh the risks or consequences of potentially dangerous...
Is the U.S. Supreme Court posed to slam the door shut on efforts by some to impose wealth taxes across the country? We may soon find out. Multiple states, Idaho and Montana included, along with over 25 organizations have filed amicus briefs in favor of a Washington state couple, Charles and Kathleen Moore against the United States, for what is anticipated to be the biggest tax case to reach the Supreme Court of the United States in several decades. This upcoming term, the...
The recent spate of headlines about grizzly bear attacks and human-bear conflicts highlights the need for the federal government to return management of grizzlies to the State of Montana. Grizzly bears are still listed under the federal Engendered Species Act despite their populations having been recovered, robust, and growing in both the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) for years now. When grizzlies were listed on the...
October 1st is the deadline to claim your $675 property tax rebate for this year. Tens of thousands of Montana property owners have already claimed theirs. If you're a Montana resident who pays property taxes on your primary residence, head to getmyrebate.mt.gov as soon as possible to claim yours. And whether you've already claimed this year's rebate or not, put a reminder on your calendar to claim next year's as well. A second $675 property tax rebate will be available from...
It's no secret that I don't look like most of my colleagues in Washington DC. They don't run a farm when they're back home, you won't find them swapping out duck foot shovels or greasing a combine, and to my knowledge no one else is missing a few fingers from an unlucky childhood run-in with a meat grinder while butchering meat on my family farm. But beyond our differences in appearance, I'm always focused on bringing a healthy dose of Montana common sense and a lifetime of...
We scored a big win for Montanans' privacy and against invasive surveillance technology during this year's legislative session. My Senate Bill 397 severely restricts government's use of facial recognition technology and is now law in the Last Best Place. Legislators conducted a study of facial recognition between the 2021 and 2023 legislative sessions. We learned how state government was beginning to deploy the technology and even discovered that at least one school district...
