I remember when Montanans were leery, even hostile, about bad-tempered pushy city slickers like Greg Gianforte. Instead, he was elected governor. Now, due to his own ignorance of Montana rules, his lust for making wild animals suffer and die has been exposed for all to see. The governor “harvested” a wolf who never did a […]

House Bill 259 is billed as a free-market, good for business bill. As a conservative, free market capitalist and business owner, I can say HB 259 is not good for business and it is not good for job growth in Montana. It may be good for builders and developers, who have plenty of work to […]

By BETSY BUFFINGTON Guest columnist Montana, the Last Best Place. While it may sound to like a cliched motto or bumper sticker, it still resonates with anyone who has ever heard of Montana or been in our state for more than a heartbeat. We respect that this place is so much bigger than each of […]

A concerning bill is about to become law in Montana. I urge our representatives not to support SB 100. Serving not-for-profit organizations showed me situations that work against the common good. This bill, named as anti-fraud, hurts our needy neighbors as they must struggle against requirements of eligibility every six months. If they cannot access […]

The No. 1 disaster bill, Senate Bill 379, for every NorthWestern Energy utility customer has arrived in our frenzied Legislature! This bill will transfer over one billion dollars in costs to the customers of NWE as part of a money making machine for their stockholders. The Public Service Commission will be required to allow NWE […]

“A properly functioning democracy depends on an informed electorate.” Thomas Jefferson wrote about the importance of a well-informed electorate many times. It appears we have dismissed Jefferson’s ideal. On a daily basis we are witness to the clown show in Helena. The Republican controlled state Legislature and governor are determined to destroy our state’s wildlife […]

March 23 was the 11th anniversary of the day that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama. In the eleven years since, more than 20 million people have gained health coverage because of the ACA and over 130 million people now have protections from discrimination against preexisting conditions. The […]

Some folks may not be familiar with the extreme state budget cutting measures that took place in “The Kansas Experiment,” I encourage everyone to look it up. That experiment was a disaster. Montana’s legislature is now trying to take us down that path. Trickle Down Economics are proven to rig an economy against the average […]

To Bozeman Hospital Board of Directors: I am a retired emergency physician living in Bozeman. For 35 years I took psychiatric patients from Bozeman, by ambulance and sheriff transfer, to Helena, Missoula and Billings Emergency Departments. After all that work for Bozeman, I expect you to pay attention to what I am telling you. First […]

The Violence Against Women Act was allowed to lapse in 2019 by the Trump administration. Now, with an amended act having been brought forth in the House on March 17, 2021, 172 Republicans voted against it. And this was less than 24 hours after a mass shooter killed seven women in Atlanta Georgia. More women […]