Happy Friday! Here are the topics for today’s common-sense commentary:

• Elsie Chastised
• Montana Governor 2024
• Things I Noticed
• Basketball & Basketball
• One More Thing

ELSIE CHASTISED:

The Montana Free Press (MTFP) is reporting that Montana lawmakers formally expressed their disappointment Wednesday with state Superintendent Elsie Arntzen’s unwillingness to appear before a legislative committee to resolve conflicts over the implementation of new education laws passed last session.

The MTFP continued its reporting with:

In a letter approved by the Education Interim Budget Committee, members called upon Arntzen to “turn your attention to faithfully fulfilling the duties of the office to which you were elected,” arguing that the people most harmed by ongoing friction between the Legislature and the Office of Public Instruction are “Montana’s school children.” The committee’s message came in response to allegations of institutional inefficiencies and delays at OPI — allegations that prompted the committee’s chair and primary author of the letter, Rep. David Bedey, R-Hamilton, to express his view that Arntzen had “failed to meet her constitutional obligation” as head of Montana’s K-12 public school system.

In response, MTFP reported:

Arntzen fired back within minutes of the committee’s vote to send the letter, both in an emailed press release and in a statement read to committee members by her deputy and chief legal counsel Rob Stutz. In her statement, Arntzen vowed to stand firm on several positions she and Stutz have taken in relation to several pieces of legislation passed in 2023.
“This is a political persecution,” Arntzen wrote. “I am being attacked because I am a conservative. I stood up for limited bureaucracy, fought the radical transgender agenda, opposed woke-ism, promoted good government, and delivered results for our children, parents, and schools.”

I have always found it fascinating how quickly Republicans can turn on one another. I suspect that Arntzen is not the favorite of some of the members of the “Education Interim Budget Committee” as she is running for Congress and this is a good way for them to cripple her campaign.

You can check out the outstanding reporting from the MTFP HERE.

MONTANA GOVERNOR 2024:

On Wednesday, Montana gubernatorial candidate Ryan Busse released the following statement in response to news that billionaire Governor Greg Gianforte allowed nearly 36,000 Montana children to lose health care coverage over the past year:

“Governor Gianforte is responsible for these suffering kids and families. The fact he chose to jet-set around the country while tens of thousands of kids got kicked to the curb is an unforgivable moral failure. Billionaire Greg Gianforte is the biggest threat to the health, wealth and safety of ordinary Montana families.”

According to Gianforte’s Department of Health and Human Services (DPHHS), more than 127,000 Montanans lost Medicaid coverage in the past year. Most of them had their coverage terminated due to administrative reasons.

This information is shameful. It should not be too hard for the powerful people in Helena to ensure that Montana children have decent food, adequate healthcare, and a safe place to sleep.

THINGS I NOTICED:

Here are a few things I noticed this week that might interest you…

• There are glasses to help you hunt for morel mushrooms and shed antlers. They are called “fungeyes.” Check them out HERE.

• Great Falls City Commissioner Rick Tryon is asking Facebook friends to help him find the best “RUEBEN” in Great Falls and not one person in the comments had guts enough to tell him he was spelling “Reuben” incorrectly. (Source)

• I was in in Walmart this week (in my sweats, of course) and I heard a click, click, click, click, sound. Soon, I saw a cowboy come strolling down the aisle with his spurs on. I checked when I left and did not see a horse…

BASKETBALL & BASKETBALL:

There have already been several conference tournaments in the women’s division (D-1) and the men’s division (D-1) will see the conference tournaments through Sunday.

Selection Sunday for men and women is 4:00 pm. Montana time and the women is at 6:00 p.m. (Source)

In the NAIA, their tournament starts Friday. Several teams from Montana made the big show. The University of Providence (women) plays today (Friday) at 5:00 in Great Falls. The Carroll College women play Friday night, also.

Check out the NAIA men’s bracket HERE. Check out the NAIA women’s bracket HERE.

The Montana State University Bobcats (men) made the big show with a convincing 85-70 win over the Montana Grizzlies.

ONE MORE THING:

May your troubles be less, and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door. -Irish Proverb

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

## HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ##