The Monday Memo

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Welcome! Here are the topics for today’s independent commentary:

  • Mid-Session Transmittal Break
  • Federal Government Funding
  • Basketball & More Basketball
  • One More Thing

MID-SESSION TRANSMITTAL BREAK:

Montanans can come out of our bunkers for a few days as we should be relatively safe from the clowns in the Montana Legislature. The legislature is officially on the mid-session break. 

The legislators will be roaming the streets, so don’t let your guard down too much! 

During the mid-session break, legislators come home and tell us how much great work they have done for us while telling us the other party is hindering their work. 

The biggest story in the first half has been the fighting among Republicans in the state Senate due to the nine (Source). Then we have some pretty serious issues with State Senators Jason Ellsworth and Matt Regier. Read about it HERE and HERE. They are both Republicans.

The Republicans are fighting on social media and there’s talk about finding primary opponents for Republicans who don’t toe the MAGA line (like the nine). 

This infighting is pretty typical. The Republicans control the state House and State Senate and the Governor is a Republican. On paper, it looks like they should be able to ram the MAGA legislation through with ease, but they always seem to implode when they are in charge.  

Maybe the wrong people are in leadership for the Republicans? 

I predict as we get closer to the end of the session, punches will be thrown. The MAGAs are getting frustrated, so get your popcorn ready.  

Independent and moderate Montanans should say thank you to the nine Republican state senators who have a conscience. Keep up the good work! 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING:

I don’t get too worried about the Federal Government shutting down until the day it is supposed to run out of money, which is this Friday at midnight. If this source is correct, the federal government has shut down 10 times. 

I was working for the Federal Government during a few of those. I was not harmed in the process! 

NBC News and other sources are reporting that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Saturday unveiled a short-term funding bill that would avert a shutdown at the end of next week and keep the government running through the end of September.

I have heard they will start considering it on Tuesday. Of course, the U.S. Senate and the President have a say in this matter. This will be a week full of jockeying by both sides. 

BASKETBALL & MORE BASKETBALL:

The 2025 State High School basketball tournaments begin this week. The championship games are on Saturday. Bozeman, Billings, Butte, and Missoula will host the tournaments. Check out the schedule and brackets HERE. 

The college basketball conference tournaments are happening with most of the women’s tournaments concluded with the men starting this week. 

If you are a Big Sky basketball fan, click HERE for information and brackets. 

The NCAA basketball tournament information can be found WOMEN and MEN. 

The March Madness selection show is on Sunday. 

ONE MORE THING:

I have always believed they should set the clocks forward for Daylight Saving Time on a Friday at 4:00 p.m.

## HAVE A GREAT WEEK ## 

4 thoughts on “The Monday Memo”

  1. Good Morning Jackie,

    One move by the Montana Senate that is not getting enough attention is the plan embodied in SB 385 which would create a new special Court with three Justices selected by the Governor to hear Constitutional challenges along with some other litigation involving asbestos.

    The current problem with the Montana Court system is with the lack of enough judges and staff at the didtrict court level to handle the crush of day to day legal work. Things like criminal prosecutions, child abuse and neglect, custody proceedings and all civil litigation.

    It is widely known that our recent Legislatures have been consistently passing legislation that they know and have been specifically told by their Legislative Counsel is unconstitutional.

    So, instead of listening to their paid legal advisors and the Supreme Court itself, they now want to change the rules, pick their own sympathetic judges and change the Montana Consitution by the same “friendly” litigation that our current Attorney General has been engaging in, in the federal courts with nuisance legislation brought before friendly judges primarily in two districts in Texas.

    This is a blatant attempt to amend our solid constitution by deception and in bad faith. I hope you can use your platform to expose this dangerous legislation.

    Thanks.

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