The Wednesday Read

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

  • Great Falls Public Library
  • Montana Republican Party
  • Measles Cases
  • One More Thing

GREAT FALLS PUBLIC LIBRARY:

Great Falls Public Library Director Susie McIntyre announced that she is resigning. According to reporting in The Electric, McIntyre will continue serving as director until the new director starts, whenever that may be, through December 27.

McIntyre has been with the library for 20 years and director since 2019. She was named librarian of the year by the Montana Library Association in 2024.

She was also the catalyst behind additional funding being approved by Great Falls voters for the library.

I think McIntyre has done a wonderful job, and the person who replaces her will have big shoes to fill. Best wishes to Director McIntyre!

MONTANA REPUBLICAN PARTY:

I’ve seen it happen often when a political party gets a lot of power. They seem to implode. It happened in the Montana State Senate this last session, and it came to a head during last month’s convention. 

It all started when nine GOP State Senators did not vote the way the party leadership wanted in the legislature. The Party “rebuked” those nine state senators. Later, the GOP Central Committee “censured” the State Senators, and they were “no longer considered by the MTGOP as Republicans,” among other sanctions. (Source/Source). 

During the state convention, the nine State Senators were not allowed to vote for party leadership. Now they want a do-over.

According to reporting in the Montana Free Press (MTFP), Montana Republican bylaws state that each GOP senator gets to vote for party leadership and that only the party’s rules committee can change convention rules. That’s not what took place at the Montana State Central Committee Officers’ Convention on June 28.  

So now we wait to see what happens. I applaud these nine State Senators for standing on their principles and voting for what is best for their constituents, and not the party. 

Check out the reporting from the MTFP HERE. The Daily Montanan has a report HERE. 

MEASLES CASES:

NBC News is reporting that measles cases in the United States are the highest they’ve been since the country eliminated the disease in 2000. The U.S. has reported 1,277 cases since the start of the year, according to NBC News’ tally of state health department data.

NBC News also reported:

The resurgence of measles can be attributed, in part, to declining vaccination rates both globally and nationally. During the 2023-24 school year, less than 93% of kindergartners in the U.S. received the recommended two doses of the MMR vaccine, down from 95% during the 2019-20 school year.  

People can be so dumb. Get vaccinated! 

ONE MORE THING:

I’d enjoy summer a lot more if someone came by hourly and misted me like produce. (Source)

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