Montanans don’t need lectures on responsibility

by Helen Sabin, Corvallis

Montanans don’t need lectures from Washington—or even from our own state legislators—about “responsibility.” We’ve written the book on it. We fix our own fences, shovel our own snow, and help our neighbors before the government even knows there’s a problem. 

And we expect our legislators to allow us to exercise our Constitutional rights without obstruction from them, Helena bureaucrats, or other statewide politicians who forget and ignore the people they’re supposed to serve.

The Founding Fathers anticipated this blockage from state legislators and congress. They understood that corruption, negligence, and overreach could creep into our government. That’s why they gave the states and “we the people” a tool to rein in a runaway federal government: Article V of the U.S. Constitution.  Here’s why that short, simple article is so important for Montanans.   

According to the GAO – (Government Accountability Office), Congress has accumulated $34 trillion in debt—more than $100,000 for every American. 

If a Montana rancher, a café owner, or a small business ran their finances this way, they’d be bankrupt—or in court. 

Congress lectures us about fiscal responsibility while expanding spending unchecked and then goes on vacation! Our legislators write bills that are astronomically costly to us. So what do we do about both groups?  

Article V is the tool we need to restore balance and accountability and get the attention of congress and re-call procedures is what we use for our own state legislators. 

If two-thirds of state legislatures call for it, states can propose constitutional amendments. Then, nothing becomes law unless three-fourths of states ratify it. The bar is intentionally high, ensuring the process cannot be hijacked by political opportunists or rogue delegates.  

The “commissioners” (or delegates as they are called today) also must sign an oath of commission  (OC) and if they try any nonsense, they can be fined, and even jailed as the OC is a matter of “common law.”  

The reforms Montana needs – 1) Term limits for Congress – Career politicians should not treat Washington as a retirement home. New leadership brings accountability; 2) Spending restraints – Congress should live within its means, just like Montana families do; 3) Limits on federal power – Unelected bureaucrats should not dictate local education, land use, medical jabs that killed thousands or energy policy.

These aren’t radical ideas—they reflect Montana values: accountability, honesty, hard work, and common sense.

Some opponents claim Article V conventions are “dangerous” or that rights like the Second Amendment could be at risk. These claims ignore the Constitution’s checks and balances and the historical context of Article V. 

Every amendment must be approved by three-fourths of states, making frivolous or extreme changes virtually impossible. Fear-mongering is no substitute for knowledge and understanding. Don’t let yourself be mesmerized by fear or emotion. Use your common sense to ask yourself this question: why would the founders put something that is harmful to future generations into the Constitution? YEAH – they wouldn’t and didn’t. So tell those spreading disinformation about the Constitution to go for a walk in your cow pasture in their bare feet.  

Some politicians, and special interests profit from chaos and status quo. Career bureaucrats, lobbyists, and opportunistic national and state legislators resist reforms that would hold them accountable. Montana cannot and will not wait for permission to do the right thing.

Nineteen states have already passed the Convention of States Resolution. We need 34. Montana could be number 20. This is our chance to lead, to restore balance, and to remind the country what liberty looks like under the Big Sky.

Action steps for Montanans – 1) Learn more: https://articlevinfocenter.com; 2)    Sign the petition: https://conventionofstates.com/sign_the_petition/; 3) Call your legislators and tell them to defend the Constitution as they swear to do and pass the Article V resolution in 2027.

Montana doesn’t wait for someone else to lead. We are the someone else. Let’s saddle up and use the tools the Founders gave us. The time to act is now.