Thursday Thoughts

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Welcome! Here are the topics for today’s column: 

  • SB 128 – Clerk & Recorder
  • State Senate Ethics Committee
  • Trump’s Initial Job Approval Rating
  • One More Thing 

SB 128 – REVISE COUNTY CLERK & RECORDER ELECTION LAWS:

I happened to see over at the “What The Funk” (WTF) blog a post about State Senator Jeremy Trebas introducing: 

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT PROHIBITING COUNTY GOVERNING BODIES FROM REMOVING ELECTION ADMINISTRATION DUTIES FROM THE COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER DURING THE COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER’S TERM IN OFFICE; AMENDING SECTION 13-1-301, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE.” (SB 128)

WTF contends (probably correctly) that the bill was introduced because of the Clerk and Recorder issue in Cascade County. The Republican County Commissioner removed the elections duties from the current Clerk and Recorder and hired a new person to handle elections.  

The bill appears to be a waste of time, but that is something we see every two years when the state legislature meets in Helena. 

STATE SENATE ETHICS COMMITTEE:

The lawyers are getting involved – so get your popcorn ready!

As you may know, the Montana State Senate voted Monday to refer questions over Sen. Jason Ellsworth’s handling of a state contract to the Senate Ethics Committee for a full investigation. The vote was unanimous – including from Ellsworth himself. (Source) 

The Daily Montanan reports that State Senate President Matt Regier announced he had hired Matthew Monforton, a Bozeman attorney and former legislator, as outside counsel for himself and the GOP majority leadership to help with the ethics committee investigation in a “prosecutorial” role. 

It was also reported that Ellsworth has hired attorney Joan Mell to represent him. 

The articles written about this issue are stuff that soap operas are made of. Is it politically motivated? I don’t know. What it does show is that our legislature is a circus with clowns running around acting important. 

I suggest refilling your coffee mugs before reading the following articles. The Montana Free Press has a report posted HERE.  The Daily Montanan has a report posted HERE. 

TRUMP’S INITIAL JOB APPROVAL RATING:

Gallup reports that at 47%, President Donald Trump’s initial job approval rating for his second term is similar to the inaugural 45% reading during his first term, again placing him below all other elected presidents dating back to 1953. Trump remains the only elected president with sub-50% initial approval ratings, and his latest disapproval rating (48%) is three percentage points higher than in 2017, marking a new high for inaugural ratings.

Check out the list HERE.

ONE MORE THING:

Found this over at Meme of the Day:

We are going to have to paint potatoes this Easter, y’all. 

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2 thoughts on “Thursday Thoughts”

  1. Hard to see the Ellsworth affair as much more than primarily political, a power move by Regier to try and get a thorn in his side bounced out of the Senate to be replaced with a more compliant tool.

    If Regier is willing to spend taxpayer money on Monforton for himself and a separate attorney/prosecutor for the committee to pursue this you know it isn’t out of any concern for taxpayer money.

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