Welcome to Friday! Here are the topics for today’s independent commentary:
- CCSO Detention Officers
- I-194 The Montana Plan
- Biggest Congressional Upsets
- One More Thing
CCSO DETENTION OFFICERS:
There seems to be a problem with some of the employees of the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office.
The Electric reported this week that a third Cascade County detention officer has been arrested for a domestic violence incident in the past year.
According to The Electric, the latest detention officer arrested was Joshua Lively, 33. He was charged with a felony count of intimidation and misdemeanor counts of partner/family member assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and surreptitious visual observation or recording.
Additionally, The Electric reported that last summer, Lloyde Ogden Jr. and Joshua Yellow Owl were arrested. Ogden Jr. was sentenced in September on three charges after a seven-day jury trial. Charges against Yellow Owl in Great Falls Municipal Court were dismissed by the prosecution. Neither remains employed at CCSO.
The stress of working in a detention center is undeniable, but the rising number of staff members charged with domestic violence is an alarming trend that cannot be ignored. The burden of responsibility rests solely upon Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter.
The Electric received a response from Slaughter, who said:
“I take the charges against Joshua Liverly very seriously. Wearing a badge comes with higher expectations and greater accountability, and detention officers are no exception. Domestic violence, threats and intimidation are unwarranted in any situation. There is no place for that conduct in this organization,” Slaughter said. “I understand that these allegations affect the public’s trust in the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, and I don’t take that lightly. I trust the Great Falls Police Department to investigate these allegations thoroughly. Wearing a badge means answering to a higher standard, and no one gets a pass.”
Slaughter was recently reelected. He was running unopposed in the General Election. He received 22,695 votes. There were 29,763 votes cast in Cascade County. I was one of the 7,068 who did not vote for him. (Source)
I-194 THE MONTANA PLAN:
Over 302,000 Montanans (65%) voted for I-194. I was one of them.
This initiative ensures the voices of Montana voters don’t get drowned out by corporate money and brings transparency to political spending in the state.
The Montana Free Press (MTFP) is reporting that on the same day that voters approved a ballot initiative that disallows corporate spending in Montana elections, several groups filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the measure.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges the initiative violates First Amendment rights to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press. The plaintiffs — including the Montana-based Frontier Institute, Montana-based Frontier Action Fund, Montana Family Institute, Montana Family Foundation and Montana Republican State Central Committee — ask the court to enjoin the law.
The lineup of plaintiffs makes it obvious who is looking out for corporate special interests—and who is actively defying the will of Montana voters.
BIGGEST CONGRESSIONAL UPSETS:
The Associated Press called the MT-01 Congressional race for Democrat Sam Forstag around 10:02 a.m. on November 5.
Last I checked, Forstag was up on Republican Aaron Flint by around 9,300 votes, sitting at 50% to Flint’s 47%.
The Progress Report named the Forstag victory one of the nation’s biggest Congressional upsets, placing the race at #20. (Source)
I do not live in the District. The rhetoric I heard flying from the Flint campaign seemed kind of absurd, especially about Forstag being from Portland. That’s funny to me because the slate of Republicans representing the state comes from Minnesota (Sheehy), California (Daines), California (Gianforte), and California (Downing).
The Flint campaign brought in the big MAGA leaders – President Trump, Speaker Johnson, and VP Vance. I figured he was in trouble when they started showing up. At that time, I knew Flint had sold his soul to the MAGAs.
I wish Forstag the best as he begins his congressional career. I hope he stays in the seat and gains seniority for Montana. As for my friend, Aaron Flint, I hope he continues to stay in the political mix and gets away from the MAGAs that are destroying our state and country.
ONE MORE THING:
At dinner the other night, my dad looked at my sister and said, “You know, you should really think about becoming a cop.”
She shook her head and said, “No way, I don’t want to do that.”
Without missing a beat, my dad replied, “Why not? You’re already chasing the same exact men—you might as well get paid for it.”
## HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ##
