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

• Kalarchik v. State of Montana
• Melissa Romano – MFPE President
• Best Small Cities to Start a Business
• Shajarah Tayyebeh Elementary School
• One More Thing

KALARCHIK V. STATE OF MONTANA:

The ACLU announced via press release that the Montana Supreme Court upheld a District Court order temporarily preventing the State of Montana from enforcing policies that bar transgender people from obtaining accurate sex designations on their birth certificates and driver’s licenses. This means that transgender Montanans will continue to have access to accurate and usable identity documents while the case proceeds.

Following this ruling, the case will now return to the District Court where Plaintiffs will fight to obtain a final decision on the merits. Until that final decision, transgender Montanans can continue to obtain a birth certificate and drivers’ license that accurately reflects their identity.

Today’s (Tuesday’s) order from the Montana Supreme Court can be found here.

Click here for more about Kalarchik v. State of Montana.

Now, we’ll get to hear the MAGAs complain about “Activist Judges,” “Radical Left Lunatics,” or Marxist and/or Communist judges, etc., and push for partisan judicial elections so they can place judges on the bench who agree with their far-right beliefs. 

MELISSA ROMANO – MFPE PRESIDENT:

Congratulations to Melissa Romano of Helena on her election as the new President of the Montana Federation of Public Employees!

Romano is set to succeed Amanda Curtis as President on June 15, 2026. Curtis has served as the head of Montana’s largest union since 2020, and the two are now beginning a formal leadership transition.

I hope to see Curtis run for elective office in the future. 

BEST SMALL CITIES TO START A BUSINESS:

From my friends at WalletHub…

With National Small Business Week approaching and 20% of new businesses failing within the first year, the personal-finance company WalletHub recently released its report on 2026’s Best Small Cities to Start a Business, as well as expert commentary, to help entrepreneurs find a place where their startup can not only survive but thrive.

To determine the most business-friendly small markets in the U.S., WalletHub compared more than 1,300 cities with fewer than 100,000 residents across 18 key metrics. The data set ranges from small business growth rates and the accessibility of financing to investor access and labor costs.

In the latest rankings, Bozeman secured the #4 spot, while Helena and Missoula landed at #53 and #84, respectively. Great Falls trailed further behind at #352.

More information can be found HERE. 

SHAJARAH TAYYEBEH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: 

In case you are not familiar with this school, you should be. This is the elementary school in Iran that was bombed on February 28, 2026, at the start of the United States/Iran war.

Reports indicate that preliminary results show the U.S. Central Command used outdated Defense Intelligence Agency data to set target coordinates. The school was formerly part of an adjacent Iranian military base, and the strike was intended for that base rather than the school itself.

Supposedly, the investigation is ongoing. According to sources, the United States has not officially “taken credit” or formally accepted responsibility for the bombing.

Iranian officials and humanitarian groups report the death toll between 168 and 180. The victims were primarily schoolgirls aged 7 to 12. The Mizan News Agency reported that at least 110 children, 26 teachers, and four parents were among the dead.

It feels like the elementary school bombing just dropped off the radar. Nobody seems to be pressing the administration for answers anymore.

I will continue writing about this school until we get answers. The investigation should be complete, and the results made public. 

ONE MORE THING:

Being hated by idiots is the price you pay for refusing to be one of them.

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