Here are some topics that caught my attention for this column:

• Election Protection Committee
• Montana State Rep. Scot Kerns
• Rat Czar
• One More Thing

ELECTION PROTECTION COMMITTEE:

Yesterday at the exhibition hall in Great Falls, several citizens formed an Election Protection Committee in Cascade County. This is due to the ongoing issues with the recently elected Clerk and Recorder, Sandra Merchant, who also oversees elections in the county.

The Western Word has been following this issue closely.

The Committee contends that Merchant is “a danger to free and fair elections in Cascade County” and the Election Protection Committee will “investigate, monitor, and demand transparency from Sandra Merchant.” The group also demands that Merchant resign from her position.

The Western Word has obtained documents from the Committee. You can read that information from the Election Protection Committee HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

ABC/Fox Montana covered the press conference HERE. The Electric covers the press conference plus the ongoing concerns about the school election HERE.

MONTANA STATE REP. SCOT KERNS:

Montana State Representative Scot Kerns, a Republican who represents House District 23, has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons:

According to the Montana Free Press (MTFP), Kerns is a Lutheran pastor and former Air Force officer, and he was convicted of first-offense DUI, obstructing a peace officer, and unlawful possession of an open alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle in 2022, according to Great Falls Municipal Court documents obtained by Montana Free Press. (Source)

I happened to see that Polson Police Chief Wade Nash was recently arrested for DUI. The interesting thing is that Nash did the right thing – he retired. (Source)

I think State Rep. Kerns should resign from his position, but I doubt that he has the guts to do the right thing as the police chief did.

If you feel the same way, you can contact Kerns HERE.

RAT CZAR:

This would be a great job, but you would have to live in New York City.

According to Reuters, New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday announced that Kathleen Corradi, an education department employee, has been appointed New York’s first-ever “rat czar,” part of Adams’ effort to combat a growing rodent population in the county’s most populous city.

The pay is not too bad – Reuters reported the annual salary is between $120,000 and $170,000.

Read the story from Reuters HERE.

ONE MORE THING:

Another good post from the folks at Middle Age Riot:

Republicans are defunding public libraries because spending money on things billionaires don’t use is socialism. – @middleageriot

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