To view a complete unedited version of this meeting click HERE
During both meetings, most of the priorities focused on the reality of Montana state government imposing unfunded mandates on county governments and on changes to state law that would produce better results at the county level. County mental health costs are one example of these mandates, while family land transfer laws are an example of areas where changes to state law may be needed.
After about an hour of worthwhile discussion, and based on my earlier research, it became apparent to me that as long as the radical faction of the GOP remains the legislative majority and pursues the following agenda, nothing of substance favorable to the county or its residents is likely to occur:
- Protecting Montana’s low taxes and cutting state spending.
- Defending strict voter ID laws and election integrity.
- Stopping out-of-state dark money from influencing local elections.
I will discuss my reasons in greater detail in a later article. In summary, however, it is not reasonable to reduce state revenue through an unfair tax structure that favors the politically connected, waste legislative time on issues such as who uses which bathroom, or focus on claims of widespread election fraud that have not been substantiated, all while protecting the very flow of dark money that the GOP claims to oppose. This agenda leaves little funding available for a functioning Ravalli County government.
I cannot say that I received agreement from the commissioners, but I also never received an answer to my question: “Where can the county’s priorities be found in the GOP’s majority agenda?” Nor did I hear how any of the county’s priorities could be met because of the state GOP agenda rather than in spite of it.
Furthermore, I was not given time to present the following request to the commissioners regarding I-194 and CI-132. I view this election in two parts. The first is the candidate election, which will primarily affect the 2027 legislative session, including the biennial budget and potential service cuts.
The second part involves the citizen initiatives. Equally important, and perhaps of even greater long-term significance, is Initiative I-194, which would eliminate corporate money from Montana politics, and Initiative CI-132, which would keep Montana Supreme Court justices nonpartisan by preventing formal Republican or Democratic endorsements.
I will expand on this topic in a future article.