by Jim Parker, Hamilton
The roundabout proposed by Governor Gianforte’s Department of Transportation is at best an affront to the public’s right-to-know provisions in Montana’s Constitution:
Section 9. RIGHT TO KNOW. No person shall be deprived of the right to examine documents or to observe the deliberations of all public bodies or agencies of state government and its subdivisions, except in cases in which the demand of individual privacy clearly exceeds the merits of public disclosure
Suing Governor Gianforte for violating the Montana Constitution by flaunting the public’s right to know is perhaps the most expedient way for Bitterrooters to put the proposed roundabout on hold. It would not be the first time this has happened.
In his first term as governor, Greg Gianforte has been sued multiple times for trampling on Section 9 (at least five times). And he has lost every time. Add to that his failure to respond to questions from the press about what he’s up to scores of times, and you get the picture. This guy acts with the impunity of a third world dictator.
In the meantime, each of us will have the opportunity to reject the billionaire on November 5. So far his main accomplishment appears to be selling Montana to the highest bidder. And that’s driving up the cost of living for everyone already living here. Keep that in mind when you fill out your 2024 ballot. If you don’t vote, quit complaining.