Hello May – you beautiful thing!
Here are the topics that caught my attention for today:
- Ain’t Afraid to Bark
- Tester & Zephyr
- Let Her Speak
- Bozeman Daily Chronicle
- One More Thing
AIN’T AFRAID TO BARK:
Great Falls City Commissioner Rick Tryon is running for reelection this year. He posted campaign information on his Facebook page saying, “I take my role as a watchdog on the Great Falls city commission seriously” and that “I sit on the commission to represent YOUR interests.”
Personally, I don’t think this is true and I won’t be voting for him. I think he’s part of the MAGA crowd in the Great Falls area.
Tryon then placed a photo of a dog at the end of the post that contained the following message:
How about a watchdog on the inside who ain’t afraid to bark?
Rick Tryon for Great Falls City Commission
I consider myself a kind of watchdog of politics. If I am not mistaken, there should be a disclaimer on Tryon’s campaign advertisement telling viewers who paid for the ad and other applicable information. Like this from the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices:
All election and electioneering communications are legally required to include attribution that identifies the entity that paid for the communication.
Who must comply with attribution requirements?
- Candidates
- Committees
- Individuals who are not candidates
- Individuals who are not required to register as a political committee (Source)
Maybe I’m wrong, but I am sure some of my readers will know the rules.
TESTER & ZEPHYR:
Readers may remember that on Friday I called out U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) for not commenting about transgender Legislator, Zooey Zephyr.
I said, “Tester’s silence is telling, and I am disappointed.”
Later that day, (probably because of my clout) Tester posted comments on Twitter about Zephyr:
“I served in the Montana legislature for years, working with everyone to get things done for Montana. Let’s be clear: banning a duly-elected representative is an extreme, undemocratic step that harms the thousands of Montanans who no longer have a voice in their government.”
The MAGA Republicans in the state were attacking Tester when he did not say anything and then after he said something they attacked him again. That means it was pure politics and nothing else driving the MAGA goofballs.
LET HER SPEAK:
On Friday, I received an op-ed from Carol Williams and Whitney Williams about State Representative Zooey Zephyr. Here are a few paragraphs from the piece:
When Americans think of Montana, they picture snow-capped peaks, rolling prairies, and rainbow trout darting through the crystal-clear rivers that run through it. Or they simply think of America’s first national park, Yellowstone – or its popular TV namesake.
There are also some truths about Montanans: We’re independent-minded, and community-centric. In snowy weather, you’ll never see one car off the road; you’ll always see two, because we stop to help to dig one another out of a ditch.
And, in Montana, freedom runs generations deep.
But these days, we’re losing our luster for all the wrong reasons. With the 2023 Montana Legislature ending, America is seeing a different version of the “Last Best Place.” Extremist Republican legislators banned TikTok, attempted to limit electoral choices by keeping third-parties off the ballot, tried to further restrict access to abortion despite the state’s strong constitutional right to privacy, and, in the ultimate affront to free speech, barred State Representative Zooey Zephyr, a bright, brave and talented trans legislator, from representing her 11,000 constituents back in our hometown of Missoula.
Read the entire Op-Ed HERE and HERE.
BOZEMAN DAILY CHRONICLE:
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle is running a poll asking readers:
Are you happy with the performance of the 2023 Montana Legislature?
The last time I looked, 80% were saying “NO” and 20% were saying “YES.”
Also, the Chronicle has a very good editorial posted with the title:
The defining moment of the 2023 Montana Legislature
Guess what that was? Read the editorial HERE to find out.
ONE MORE THING:
I want to give a special shout-out to my beautiful wife of 41 years. Happy Anniversary!
The Western Word 
Excellent summation of the Zzooey situation. Keep digging, Regier.
https://coloradonewsline.com/2023/05/01/war-on-the-floor-gop-montana-gets-the-black-eye/
BREAKING: https://apnews.com/article/0515fc9dec749bc7df78928b32edd3e6
Regier did what?! He deactivated her bathroom key?! Omg, where’s JC Moore when we need him? The Regier name will forever be known in Montana history as the guy who was SO afraid of a ninety pound transgender woman that he took away her bathroom key! Maybe next to the statue of Meagher, some day they’ll erect a statue of the famous Matt Regier with his manly hand firmly holding shut an outhouse door! And instead of a sword like Meagher, he’ll be proudly holding in the air a plunger! I can almost see it now!
Regier’s probably not afraid. He’s got a whole capitol police force with guns to protect him. Though it would make a good cartoon.
It’s just more of his standard petty ugliness, wielding his power to try to teach Zooey and her supporters a lesson for daring to get uppity with him, Montana’s standard bearer for the “christian” right.
The homophobic and anti-transgender rant by Sen. Jeremy Trebas from last week made crystal clear that the transgender debate(s) in both houses had absolutely nothing to do with “protecting” Montanans, and all do do with plain ordinary hate and bigotry.
“Protection” was no more than a lie all along. Montana’s Repub legislators could care less about the welfare of any LGBTQ kids. They just want the kids and Zooey to go away.
Awww, best wishes to you and your bride – congrats!
Two thoughts on Tryon’s campaign posting on his personal Facebook page:
1) If a person really was doing the job of a watchdog on the city commission, you would think that person might vote “no” on spending and taxes from time to time. But Tryon seems to see his “watchdog” job as lecturing the public as to why they too should support the latest tax or spending measure he just voted “yea” for.
2) Using his personal Facebook page to campaign and communicate city commissioner information might lead to trouble down the line if SCOTUS rules that public officials can’t block people. Especially given this champion of free speech’s long history of blocking people and deleting posts.
The only thing that surprises me about Rep. Zephyr filing this lawsuit is I thought would have happened last week. She certainly has some good attorneys. Beck,Amsden and Staples is a high powered firm out of Bozeman. Mike Black firm is in Helena and of course the ACLU. Maybe the delay in filing was due to Zephyr being tied up in interviews as she was on 3 major cable network Sunday shows and on TV again this morning. Did the GOP leadership think this would not end up in court. How petty to shut off a duly elected Montana representatives card key. Speaker Regier just keeps digging, or is it stupidity or hate or just plain disgusting high school behavior. This woman will serve 8 years in house and the GOP better try to show her some respect because she certainly is one hell alot smarter then this GOP leadership and actually knows the Montana Constitution. Zooey Zephyr will long be remembered when Regier will be a speck long forgotten. The trouble unfortunately is these Montana House Republicans are in safe districts and will pay nothing by their voters which is regrettable because many are also close minded and hate any changes. All this no doubt will just be repeated in 2025, probably just a different bigoted speaker. As Bozeman Chronicle poll stated 80% think the 2023 Montana Legislature has done poor job. The Montana Democrat should be able to turn that into some votes but I doubt their executives will actually be up to it.