by Archie L. Thomas & Merry Schrumpf, Corvallis
As a Montana taxpayer, how would your sense of competent representation be affected by paying $1.3 million in legal costs defending an undocumented local problem?
HB350 (ballot collection restrictions), HB176 (same day election registration) and SB164 (photo ID law) were all declared illegal or suspended by the Montana Supreme Court. These ill-conceived bills were passed by the 2021 Republican legislature. Montana taxpayers spent $1.3 million in legal costs defending these bills. The Republican legislature’s original legal defense estimate was $100,000. The Republican party with Jason Ellsworth’s support is responsible for this boondoggle at taxpayer’s expense.
What has happened to the Republican party of fewer, more effective laws, low cost government addressing local Montana problems? When did Montana taxpayers agree to pay $1.3 million fostered by disproven national election conspiracies, on a state election where Republicans won the majority of the races? Why is it acceptable for Jason Ellsworth to support using taxpayer funds to correct nonexistent local election problems?
As native Montanans with Republican roots, now independent voters we are supporting John Schneeberger for Senate district 43.
Bill LaCroix says
So did you report it? Did these two alleged “college students” willingly admit to you, an election judge, that they voted in 2 places or did you have a waterboard room in the janitors closet??!! Where’s your documentation that they were “paid $15 hour by the Obama campaign” to do these nefarious deeds that you, an election judge, say you witnessed but apparently didn’t press charges for? None of the above makes any sense other than that you are being dishonest in the name of sowing doubt about our democratic processes and you need to retract your statement.
hsabin says
Hmmmm what Schrumpf and Thomas committed to say is whose responsibility is it to get out and vote and to sign up ahead of time in order to do so? Many wait until Election Day to register and then want to vote? Have an ID? Heavens. Who has ID? and that system is abused mightily by those who do NOT value voting. I was an election judge and caught two of my college students who showed up at the polls using fraudulent ID to register and to vote. They were paid $15, an hour by the Obama campaign to do so. When asked if they also voted at “home,” They said yes. College students are often turned into activists who learn to vote often. They will use college ID one time and their own driver’s licenses another. They often are NOT caught doing so. And utility bills? YEP the same one used over and over by various individuals.
And on reservations? Why don’t these sovereign nations set up registration offices so the Indians can go register ahead of time? Hmmm? I love how they want to be sovereign on their land but still participate in our Republic yet won’t let us operate and write bills that affect them. The lack of valuing voting shows why we are in trouble in this country and why liberals such as these two are part of the problem with fraudulent voting.
John F Schneeberger says
So, what you describe with the two college students is a felony. What was the result when you reported this to the police? There have been other allegations, made by supporters of the stolen election lie, but they never seem to make it into the court system. There have been cases of people voting in two places, mostly Republicans thinking it was easy to get away with: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/florida-three-arrested-vote-twice-the-villages-1271574/.
Gomez says
“I was an election judge and caught two of my college students who showed up at the polls using fraudulent ID to register and to vote. They were paid $15, an hour by the Obama campaign to do so.”
Prove it or retract your statement.