Ed on the House Floor
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In The News
Report from the Session
Nobody expected the last election to sweep so many extremists into power. That made my first session very challenging, but all the while, I was doing my best to represent the values of my constituents.
I came focused on working across the aisle to strengthen public education and public health systems, to protect our public lands, wildlife populations and the environment, to promote policies that create good paying jobs and lowering property taxes, and to ensure that all Montanans are treated with dignity and respect. But, much of the session was spent on culture wars and tax breaks for the wealthy, As former governor Bullock put it, the legislature were focused less on Montana’s “comeback” and more on Montana’s “setback”.
I served on the two committees which heard the most extreme bills: Judiciary and Health & Human Services. We had some successes, by passing a few good bills, and killing some bad bills. My bill setting up a rotating PPE stockpile for future emergencies passed the House, and then got folded into the allocation of money we received from Washington Democrats, so the concept will be implemented. But, outnumbered 67-33, we could not stop the avalanche of bad legislation. Among the many great bills that Republicans killed were my bills to save Northwestern ratepayers $200 million and reduce carbon output by a third, to establish a racial justice act, to abolish the death penalty, and to prohibit paramilitary impersonation of law enforcement.
Day after day, we sat through hearings where bills were based on conspiracy theories, and although thoroughly refuted by experts and professionals, the bills would pass on party line votes. This is how several anti-vax bills passed, how our public health departments were stripped of much of their authority, and women’s health care and trans kids were attacked.
When they weren’t fighting the culture wars, the extremists openly acknowledged they want to change Montana so more wealthy out-of-staters move here. They funneled our tax money to private religious schools, giving an up to $200,000 tax credit to millionaires who fund these private schools. They pushed to privatize our public wildlife and public lands and significantly lowered our water pollution standards. While much of the country is moving away from coal because of its expense and climate impact, they doubled down on coal, incentivizing its use. They tabled bills that would bring more economic or social justice to the middle class, and attacked the working poor and children by making healthcare less accessible. These attacks on our neighbors and on our constitution won’t create jobs. Instead, they will prevent new business from coming to Montana and deny economic opportunities.
And while Republicans preach local control, local governments were stripped of their power to protect public health, provide affordable housing, regulate dangerous vaping products aimed at children, open carry of guns on campus, in bars and in banks, or dozens of other areas.
Republicans made it harder to vote, especially for Native Americans and students, throwing a wrench into Montana’s long track record of free, fair, and secure elections. And Republicans have made it easier to funnel more special interest money and large contributions into our elections, all but eliminating the progress we’ve made in ensuring our elections are by the people and for the people.
Perhaps the most dangerous direction in which Republicans are taking us is by enacting laws that will allow our courts to be packed with hand-picked, partisan judges loyal only to the Montana Governor and not to the Montana Constitution. And, when the Legislature’s own attorneys repeatedly warned that these laws are unconstitutional, rather than listening to their own staff’s advice and dropping these ideas, the extremists launched an attack against our independent courts to try and delegitimize them.
None of this is a comeback plan; indeed, it’s a setback plan. And Montana will pay the price – now and in the years to come. But I will not give up. I will continue to work as hard as I can to expose and dissent from the dangerous direction in which we are heading. I have hope that all of this will change, and that the only way to do it is together.