by Terri Lackey, Stevensville
Last November you had the choice to vote according to your party affiliation. Elections can sometimes be frustrating, can’t they? So many signs, so little information. So many mailers from out of state supporting certain candidates, leaving you scratching your head wondering why Michigan would be interested in a Montana candidate or two. Meet ‘n Greets so you can ask the candidates questions and try and understand where they are coming from or perhaps what they actually stand for. You just want someone who will represent you and the values and morals you base your life on. You’re trusting them because they said they would do the things you asked. They shook your hand and looked you in the eye and said, “you can count on me.”
The day comes to cast your vote – election integrity aside – and boom, Republicans took the super-majority. Conservatives breathed a sigh of relief! Now the Republicans we are sending to Helena will be sure to keep Montana Red; Conservative! The People’s voice was heard! The Red Wave!
But wait! Do you know what happened in Helena right after our Legislators were sworn in to uphold the US Constitution and the Montana Constitution? The ones elected to “represent” you! Well, a group of “Republicans,” of which two are from Ravalli County, and members of the Solutions Caucus, introduced a resolution, HR1, that changed the amount of votes needed to blast a bill out of committee to bring to the House floor for a vote. What is the Solutions Caucus, you ask, and why is this important? There are Republicans that reach across the aisle to the opposition and compromise the Republican values in order to advance the Democrat/Socialist sponsored legislation. These 25 so-called Republicans, (turn-coats if you will), sold our Super-Majority right out from under us when they joined with the Democrats and passed HR1, 57 Aye to 42 Nay. Do the math. If the Republicans would have voted together, which was the people’s choice, the total would have been 67 Nay to 32 Aye! Shocker! 2/3rds, which is what a super-majority is! But now, when an important conservative bill comes to committee and the turn-coats don’t like it, they do what’s called a “blast” and send it to the floor where the public has no say and “they” now have the majority vote! The turn-coats are saying that the election results are “not fair”! Not fair to whom? Obviously the Democrats. So the candidate that shook your hand and looked you in the eye and said “you can count on me” lied? Or did they have their own independent agenda? They told you what you wanted to hear just so they could get elected? They didn’t really stand strong on anything but told you they would figure it out when they got there? And they were willing to “compromise” to get elected?
It’s like changing the rules to hamper a championship team to give the opposing team a chance.
The conservative bills you were hoping for to protect the unborn, fight for election integrity, your property rights, your water rights, put God back in our schools and our country, are now in the hands of the turn-coats and the Democrats! Let that sink in!
Why do you live here? Is it because Montana is RED; super-conservative? The Last Best Place?
Well, you better STAND UP and fight for it because the The Red Wave just became a BIG BLUE SPLASH!!
leg.mt.gov is where you can find all the Representatives’ emails and phone numbers!
Gomez says
Why would you want to put your god into our public schools? The separation of church and state MOST protects the religious, because you never know when a group of another faith might be the ones in charge, and I’m sure that you wouldn’t want them imposing their Iron Age mythology on you.
Jill Jones says
I see this situation completely different. The voice of the people has been heard. Representatives should be there to represent the people in their District, not party bosses or other residents of the state. The people who voted for the members of the Solution Caucus knew what they represented and what they would do once in the Legislature. I don’t know of any member of the Solutions Caucus who misrepresented their beliefs or intentions. The people in their District wanted them to work for them, and represent their beliefs of working together for the good of ALL Montana. I applaud them for being truthful and acting as they said they would.
helen sabin says
Jill – I totally agree with you. Your words are wise and I hope citizens listen to you and read your words carefully. Thanks for expressing what many of us feel about our hard-working legislators that consider topics carefully and think carefully before they do their job. Thanks for writing.