Never let your loyalty make a fool of you. – Unknown
In today’s column I take a quick look at these people/issues:
- Montana Legislature
- Judiciary Committee
- Absentee Ballots
- No Glory for Hate Act
- One More Thing
MONTANA LEGISLATURE:
MTN News is reporting that in a marathon session that began at 7 a.m. and ended after 6 p.m., the House Judiciary Committee held hearings on 20 bills and voted to advance 16 of them.
Pro-Tip – You can’t adequately address the pros and cons of these bills in that amount of time. Committees aren’t supposed to work that way. I guess the Republicans running the show don’t care.
MTN News also reported that a bill making it more difficult to request and receive absentee ballots in Montana ran into a wall of opposition Monday, as opponents called it unnecessary and an “another attempt at voter suppression.”
According to MTN, House Bill 455 would abolish the list of voters who get a ballot each election, and instead require voters to sign up, in person at the election office, to get an absentee ballot for each election.
The sponsor is none other than Rep. Lola Sheldon-Galloway, R-Great Falls. With some of the bills she is sponsoring and things she has said this session, I’m not sure her antenna picks up all the channels.
The Montana Republicans are determined to make it harder to vote.
NO GLORY FOR HATE ACT:
Trump supporters are up in arms about a bill introduced by Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) called the “No Glory for Hate Act” (HR 484) which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.
HR 484 basically says that no Federal funds may be used to—
(1) create or display any symbol, monument, or statue commemorating any former President that has been twice impeached by the House of Representatives on or before the date of enactment of this Act or has been convicted of a State or Federal crime relating to actions taken in an official capacity as President of the United States on Federal public land, including any highway, park, subway, Federal building, military installation, street, or other Federal property; or
(2) name, designate, or redesignate a Federal building or Federal land after, or in commemoration of, any former President that has been twice impeached by the House of Representatives on or before the date of enactment of this Act or has been convicted of a State or Federal crime relating to actions taken in an official capacity as President of the United States.
Plus, that twice impeached President can’t be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
I have racked my brain. I wonder who they are talking about…
As of the writing of this column, HR 484 has 13 co-sponsors. You can read the PDF of the Bill HERE.
Is it petty? Heck yes. I think Donald Trump was a petty son of a bitch as President and deserves to be marginalized as much as possible in his remaining days on earth.
ONE MORE THING:
This is probably the most important thing you will read today:
Wearing socks to bed is good for you.
Snopes reports that On Feb. 10, 2021, a doctor posted a new TikTok video about the science of wearing socks while sleeping. Dr. Jessica Andrade is a resident doctor in Boston, Massachusetts. In the video, she said that wearing socks to bed can make your body cool down for a better night’s rest.
Snopes rated it “Mostly True.”
As for me, I wear socks to bed.
Pro-Tip: I wear socks to bed and usually take them off in the night because they get too hot with my electric blanket (this is Montana). In the morning, if I’m lucky, I can find my missing socks and if they stayed under the covers, they are toasty!
You can thank me later…
The Western Word 
I am patiently waiting for the GOP to introduce a bill banning mandatory face masks like the North Dakota House passed yesterday. The North Dakota sponsor has characterized the mask requirements “diabolical silliness”. He went on to say ” unelected
wealthy bureaucrats who are robbing our freedoms and perpetuating lies” The family members of the 1468 residents of North Dakota that have died from Covid may disagree it was all lies and silliness. I thought we had all the GOP wackos in Montana running legisative bodies. Guess they are spread around the nation living the Trump lies. The Montana GOP better hurry as transmittal date is soon on us. I wonder what other bills the will push through in next few days that no one has read or can testify on that are anti everything the Republicans seem to live now days. I agree with you it will be years to get rid of these people as the Trump syndrome runs very deep in Montana.
Dennis – good points. You can bet the Montana Legislature will copy bills from other states. Crazy. Thanks, JmB
In the MTN story about the bills rushed through Judiciary there are several that continue these legislators’ jackbooted assault on the concept of home rule for Montana cities and towns and force the will of far-off Helena on them. This from the same legislature that recently considered a bill to ban State employees from enforcin certain vaporware Federal firearms laws on alleged 2nd Amendment grounds (the Montana legislature being the ultimate authority on the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution).
Radical right Republicans: They are totally in favor of local control, cooperation with Federal law enforcement, and against “one size fits all” laws, right up until they aren’t.
Terry – you’re correct. Will Montanans grow tired of it? I doubt enough of them will. Thanks, JmB
I’m just not sure what type of businesses they are trying to lure to Montana by enacting reactionary laws like they’ve been doing. Certainly very few that would employ a younger, educated, 21st century workforce.
Terry – I can see why young people want to leave or not move here in the first place. -JmB