Quote for the Day…

You were never told to surrender your civil liberties. You were asked to help each other stay healthy and survive. – Unknown

Today’s independent commentary deals with these people/issues:

• COVID-19 Surge
• U.S. Senate Infrastructure
• Montana Legislature
• The Western Word Poll

COVID-19 SURGE:

It’s the time of year when we start hearing about children going back to school. This year some states (the governors) are prohibiting mask mandates for schools. This is as we are seeing a surge in the coronavirus.

Governors, legislatures, Office of Public Instruction Superintendents, school boards, mayors, county/city commissioners should listen to the experts and stay in their own lane.

I suggest the elected officials listen to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and take a back seat.

Here is what the CDC says:

Given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, CDC has updated the guidance for fully vaccinated people. CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Children should return to full-time in-person learning in the fall with layered prevention strategies in place.

Why would any school board or superintendent of schools want to take a chance of killing some students just because a few people want their kids to go maskless?

Once you allow students to go without masks and the pandemic takes hold, it is too late. Safety should be the priority. Remember – students under twelve are not eligible for vaccines yet.

Check out the CDC website HERE.

U.S. SENATE INFRASTRUCTURE:

Reuters reported it this way:

The bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill, which the 100-member chamber passed in a 69-30 vote, could provide the nation’s biggest investment in decades in roads, bridges, airports and waterways.

The Associated Press reported it this way:

With a robust vote after weeks of fits and starts, the Senate approved a $1 trillion infrastructure plan for states coast to coast on Tuesday, as a rare coalition of Democrats and Republicans joined together to overcome skeptics and deliver a cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s agenda.

U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) was one of the negotiators on the bill. Tester says the legislation would provide approximately $2.82 billion for Montana roads and highways over the next five years. It would also provide roughly $225 million to repair and upgrade Montana’s bridges and $144 million for Montana airports.

U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) voted NO on the package which showed his allegiance to Donald Trump over Montana.

Check out the press release from Tester’s office which shows what Montana stands to gain from this bill.

The bill now goes to the U.S. House. The House should quickly pass this bill as is so we can get to work in repairing our infrastructure.

MONTANA LEGISLATURE:

The Montana Free Press (MTFP) has identified 14 separate lawsuits filed against a dozen different laws passed by the 2021 Montana Legislature.

Check their progress by clicking HERE.

THE WESTERN WORD POLL:

Last week U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Lee (R-UT), James Lankford (R-OK), Steve Daines (R-MT), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced a resolution expressing that the Senate should not pass legislation mandating the registration of women for the Selective Service System. (Source)

This week’s poll asks, “Should women be required to register for the draft?”

Click HERE to vote in our poll.

Results will be released Thursday.

## MASK-UP/GET VACCINATED ##