Happy Monday and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! 

Here are the topics for today’s independent commentary: 

• Secretary of State Postcard
• U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy
• January 19, 2026
• Reminder – Football
• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

SECRETARY OF STATE POSTCARD:

On January 7, 2026, I wrote about Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobson sending a postcard stating that non-citizen voting would not be tolerated in Montana. I showed photos of the postcard HERE and HERE.

Since then, members of the Montana media have caught up and reported on the postcard. 

I saw over the weekend in the Helena IR that the postcard cost nearly $200,000 to print and mail. 

According to the IR:

There were 466,638 of these postcards created at the cost of $196,829 for printing and postage, according to a USPS postage statement and emails obtained by the Montana State News Bureau through a records request. 

The Helena IR asked the Secretary of State spokesperson, Richie Melby, if the postcards were funded with public dollars. The IR also pointed out that Montana law concerning state agencies’ printing and legal notices requires “a public disclosure of costs on all public documents,” including the cost of printing and distributing those materials. 

Then the IR reported this:

When asked specifically about this law, Melby did not address the question directly and called the inquiry “ridiculous.”

“I have to admit, I’m a little baffled by the fixation on and fascination with routine constituent outreach” he wrote in an email. 

What is “ridiculous” is the Secretary of State’s office not providing the information about where the money came from for the postcards. Melby should adjust his attitude and provide the requested information, or he may find himself standing on the sidelines reporting high school sports scores. 

I am pretty sure I know who funded it, but if the Secretary of State wants to send me the information, my email is Western_Word@Yahoo.com. 

U.S. SENATOR TIM SHEEHY:

I happened to catch the Montana State Bobcats’ victory celebration for winning the FCS Football National Championship. 

There were several elected officials there, including U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT), who gave a very short speech with his young son standing beside him in front of the crowd. 

Sheehy said after being introduced, “My real name is actually Shady Sheehy. You didn’t come here to listen to me talk, so I just have one thing to say: Eat shit, Griz, Go Cats Go.” 

Sheehy’s remarks occur around 15:20 of this video. 

Stay classy, Senator. Stay classy. 

JANUARY 19 2026:

Today has been one month since the U.S. Department of Justice was supposed to release all of the Jeffrey Epstein files. 

Does anyone remember the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which is Public Law 119-38? (PL 119-38) This law is being broken. 

A poll from CNN found:

A two-thirds majority of Americans say the federal government is intentionally holding back some information about the Epstein case that should be released, while just 16% say the government is making an effort to release all information possible. 

If the U.S. Attorney General, Pam Bondi, can’t follow this simple law, she should be fired. 

REMINDER – FOOTBALL:

This evening (Monday), we have the College Football Playoff National Championship!

The Miami Hurricanes (13-2) take on the Indiana Hoosiers (15-0). The game will be televised on ESPN and starts at 5:30 Montana time. 

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.:

Today, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  MLK Day is a legal holiday in Montana. It became a legal holiday in Montana in 1991, making it one of the last states to recognize it. (Source)

Here are some of my favorite quotes from Dr. King:

• We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.
• The time is always right to do what is right.
• In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
• Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

*SOURCE: Brainy Quote

## HAVE A GREAT WEEK ##