Lawmakers went to Helena to clean up the freewheeling medical marijuana industry, which most agreed had grown too big, too fast, with little oversight. Instead, the legislation they passed is so convoluted it’s unclear what, if anything, it fixes. Some of the new rules took effect over the weekend. And the assumption by the bill’s […]

Late last year, speculation surrounding Columbia Falls Aluminum Company’s reopening ramped up again. It never happened. Instead, five months later CFAC asked for a 95 percent reduction in property taxes, hoping to take advantage of a little-used law that at once requires the plant to be shuttered for six more months and shortchanges a school […]

An interesting thing happened when House Republicans voted overwhelmingly in favor of the so-called “Path to Prosperity” budget plan: Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg didn’t. He was one of just four GOP congressmen to vote against Rep. Paul Ryan’s, R-Wis., proposal. Why would the reliably conservative Rehberg oppose Ryan’s plan aimed at deficit reduction? The answer […]

The standoff between Kalispell and the firefighters’ union over wages ended in compromise – a surprising resolution to an often-tense negotiating session. Who reaches a “compromise” anymore? That’s so boring. In February, an arbitrator called in to settle a contract dispute between the two sides ruled in favor of the Local 547 chapter of the […]

Last week, the potential for the first federal government shutdown since 1995 gripped Washington, D.C. – and about nobody else. Yes, it would have mattered if a stalemate between Republicans and Democrats had dragged on, but the consequences of that happening were far too high for either party to stomach. The disagreement, of course, stemmed […]

First of all, so I don’t offend anyone who works there, I’m a fan of RadioShack. It’s where I bought the scanner that crackles next to my desk, and I still wander around the shop from time to time pretending I’m smarter than I am. But the company’s opposition to its Hamilton store’s free gun […]

It’s common for municipalities to complain about the U.S. Census, and most often it regards population figures that critics contend are underreported. But in Flathead County, the latest count exceeded my modest expectations. The Census says we grew by 16,457 people since 2000. And, in what I would consider a minor upset, this county still […]

The curious debate over whether the Montana Legislature should pass so-called “nullification” bills has largely focused on whether the federal government is encroaching too far on individual and state rights. But our elected officials continue to prove that their arguments for passing such legislation are at once selective and biased. Those pushing for nullification of […]

Some of our online readers were taken aback by preliminary discussions on the feasibility of building a civic center or arts venue in Kalispell. It didn’t help that our story on the subject was published at about the same time we reported city firefighters may be laid off because an arbitrator ruled that they were […]

It’s much easier for those of us with jobs to demand that budgets be cut, spending reduced and pork exorcized than it is for us to think about the people who will lose their jobs when that happens. It’s only partly about unions, which is synonymous with a swear word around many dinner tables. In […]

For someone who says he doesn’t like talking about vetoes, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer sure likes to talk a lot about vetoes. But making vague declarations are one thing and putting pen to paper is quite another. The truth is it’s hard to guess how many pieces of legislation the governor will eventually nix. There […]

Reached last week, Whitefish Republican Sen. Ryan Zinke called Senate Bill 13 – which was proposed and supported by a number of his colleagues – a “terrible bill.” It was a blunt assessment one day before the legislation was scheduled to hit the Senate floor. Instead, SB 13 was referred back to the Senate Finance […]

It was telling when in 2009 Kalispell voters rejected a $4.1 million-high school building reserve levy for School District No. 5. It had been approved every time it was on the ballot since 1982. When times are good, it’s easier to support schools. But they’re not. The building levy was just one of many that […]

Lawmakers in the Montana House of Representatives, many arguing that they are worried about the stress their county clerks and recorders are under on Election Day, have supported eliminating same-day voter registration. But if you’ve been paying attention at all this session, you quickly realize that the bill’s backers are not really worried about that […]

Our country’s leaders have promised (using super serious language) to take steps to reduce the federal deficit. “Our nation is approaching a tipping point.” “Another wake-up call.” “Now is the time to act.” These quotes, lifted from three separate political speeches last week, are at once interchangeable and meaningless unless they are attached to concrete […]