Greetings! Here are the topics for Tuesday’s common sense commentary:

• Montana Legislature & Ellsworth
• Group Chat & War Plans
• Legislative Pay Raise
• One More Thing

MONTANA LEGISLATURE & ELLSWORTH:

The circus surrounding Republican State Senator Jason Ellsworth was in full display on Monday as the State Senate attempted several times to punish Ellsworth. Of course, there were speeches and more speeches. There were even some tears, just like you would see on a soap opera! 

Lee Newspapers reported the following: 

The Montana Senate was at an impasse on Monday over how to punish Hamilton Republican Sen. Jason Ellsworth after he attempted to use state money he had control over to arrange a contract for his longtime friend and former business partner. The chamber considered two punishments: One to expel him from his post and another that some lawmakers and staff described as “censure-plus,” which would have censured Ellsworth and revoked a few legislative powers.

I watched most of the session online dealing with Ellsworth. It was, to say the least, embarrassing. I often laughed at the antics. Many of these senators knew they were being watched via video more than normal, so they kicked up their performances for the camera. Many of these senators are poor examples in everyday life, let alone as state senators.  

In the end, Lee Newspapers reported that both motions needed a two-thirds majority, a tally of 34 votes. The expulsion motion came seven votes short and the censure motion failed by 11 votes. All but four Democrats joined nine Republicans in voting against the expulsion.

Now the blame game has started. I think if there were better leaders in the legislature, the tomfoolery could be avoided. 

The Daily Montanan covered the circus HERE. 

GROUP CHAT & WAR PLANS:

The headline in The Atlantic was very disturbing:

The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans

The subheading was even more alarming:

U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.

Jeffrey Goldberg writes:

“I, however, knew two hours before the first bombs exploded that the attack might be coming. The reason I knew this is that Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, had texted me the war plan at 11:44 a.m. The plan included precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing.”

The Secretary of Defense was asked about it and said, “Nobody was texting war plans and that’s all I have to say about that.” 

The Associated Press (AP) reported that earlier Monday, Trump told reporters, “I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time.” He added that The Atlantic was “not much of a magazine.”

So Trump attacks the magazine. That’s how dumb Trump is about our military.

Several people in the Trump administration are not qualified for the jobs they are doing. This is probably just the first of many mistakes.

LEGISLATIVE PAY RAISE:

As I mentioned in Monday’s column, the Montana State Senate voted themselves a pay raise with a vote of 38-12. Earlier in the session, the Montana State House voted 71-27 to give themselves a pay raise. (Source) 

I am against the pay raise for legislators. I believe the voters should approve all pay raises for elected officials. It is our money! 

It is now up to Montana Governor Greg Gianforte. To contact the Governor with your opinion, click HERE. The Montana Governor can use a line-item veto to disapprove of the pay raise for legislators. 

I contacted the Governor through the https://governor.mt.gov/contact/ link above. I politely asked him to veto the part of HB 13 that gives a pay raise to the legislators. Here is the response:

Dear Jackie,

Thank you for reaching out to me. I appreciate hearing from you, and I value your input as Montana legislators meet for their 69th Legislative Session.

Focusing on Montanans’ priorities, we have a tremendous opportunity to continue making Montana an even better place to live, work, raise a family, and achieve the American dream. Our budget proposal for this session is our Path to Security and Prosperity. This proposal provides tax relief for Montana taxpayers at every income level through addressing rising property taxes for Montanans’ primary residences and investing in law enforcement and education to make our communities stronger.

I will carefully consider any bill the legislature sends to my desk.

Thank you again for reaching out to me. Hearing from you and other Montanans helps me better serve you and better understand your perspective. I will continue to rely on your views as I lead Montana, which is my great honor. My door is always open. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me for anything.

Sincerely,

Greg Gianforte

Governor

So it was a non-answer, but at least they have my opinion. The Governor did line-item veto a pay raise last session, but that was before Gianforte ran for reelection. Now, he can’t run again, so I expect him to approve it. As for the legislators in my House/Senate district who supported the bill, they won’t be getting my vote. 

ONE MORE THING:

Only caring about your own rights is exactly how you lose them. – Unknown 

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