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

• Montana Secretary of State
• Sex Education in Montana
• Secretary of Homeland Security
• Opening Night/Opening Day
• One More Thing

MONTANA SECRETARY OF STATE:

The secret is finally out! We finally found out who paid the $197,000 to mail this silly postcard from Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen’s office to 467,000 households across Montana. 

Now that we know, it raises even more questions. 

The Daily Montanan is reporting that Rep. Jerry Schillinger, head of the Legislative Audit Committee, said the Secretary of State’s Office used federal funds to pay for a controversial postcard, specifically a Help America Vote Act grant.

It was also reported:

Schillinger, R-Circle, said Friday that whether spending on the postcard was allowed was “obviously not a question in the Secretary of State’s mind. “They did it anyway,” Schillinger said.

But he said the question still needs to be answered to the satisfaction of the committee. Schillinger said another question is why it took so long for the Secretary of State’s Office to post the payment, nearly 60 days.

This would have probably been over if Jacobsen had come clean months ago. 

SEX EDUCATION IN MONTANA:

The Helena Independent Record (IR) is reporting (Paywall) that the legal challenge against two laws that dictate how sexual education and gender identity can be taught in Montana public schools will proceed after a Helena judge last week denied the state justice department’s request to throw out the case.

This is good news. The court will decide on the constitutionality of the laws. 

The IR also reported that the bills, Senate Bill 99 and House Bill 471, were passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte in 2021 and 2025, respectively. Together, they require schools to notify parents at least five days ahead of any lessons that might veer into sexuality or gender. Educators must also receive written permission from parents before discussing gender identity or sexual orientation.

Get ready for the MAGAs to scream, “activist judge,” or “legislating from the bench,” or “woke agenda.”

SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY:

Monday evening, the U.S. Senate voted 54-45-1 for U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin, of Oklahoma, to be Secretary of Homeland Security. 

Montana’s U.S. Senators voted for Mullin. It looks like Fetterman (D-PA) and Heinrich (D-NM) were the Democrats who voted for Mullin. Paul (R-KY) voted against the nomination. (Source)

OPENING NIGHT/OPENING DAY:

The 2026 championship season will begin on Wednesday, March 25, with a standalone Opening Night matchup between the Giants and Yankees at Oracle Park in San Francisco, followed by a 14-game Opening Day slate on Thursday, March 26 — the earliest scheduled traditional Opening Day in MLB history. (Source)

You can see the MLB schedule HERE. 

ONE MORE THING:

Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too. – Yogi Berra

## THE END ##