Former Constitution Party presidential candidate Chuck Baldwin moved to Montana a few months ago and has vowed to mold the state into what he thinks it should look like. The potential 2012 gubernatorial candidate also has an opinion about those who lived here before him. “There are a lot of people that were born in […]

Montana Republicans swept into the state capitol for a variety of reasons, but perhaps none as big as the rising national debt and dissatisfaction with President Barack Obama’s health care plan. Both issues have dominated the debate in the first weeks of the Legislature, except now it’s the GOP on the defense. One of the […]

The latest issue of Delta Air Lines’ Sky magazine features Montana prominently and calls our state “a leader the rest of the nation should listen and learn from” that “continues to attract businesses from all over the world.” That’s quite the compliment, but forgive me if I don’t share the writer’s enthusiasm. Because while the […]

The Legislature convened this week and while it’s easy to pan our citizen lawmakers as amateurs, I think that’s one of their best attributes. Just look at how the pros fared in Washington, D.C. over the last year. Still, I would like to offer some unsolicited advice to those arriving at the Helena capitol for […]

It’s mostly the reaction we get in exchange for presents. It lasts only a few moments, but somehow it’s worth spending hours looking online, in catalogues and on store racks for that perfect gift. Some of those on our lists are easier to shop for than others. My nephews, for example, will lose their minds […]

Montana Republicans, who will enjoy large majorities in both chambers at the state Capitol this upcoming session, plan on bypassing Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s veto pen by referring some divisive measures directly to voters in 2012. Let’s hope by then the state requires the Voter Information Pamphlet, which is used to explain each referendum, to […]

In a relatively sleepy vote, the Flathead County Commission approved updates to the Lakeside neighborhood plan last week. Yes, that plan; the three-year effort that provoked lawsuits, a third-party investigation and perhaps cost former Planning Director Jeff Harris his job. But when the decision came on Dec. 1, it was almost as if accusations of […]

On Nov. 18, Montana Republican Congressman Denny Rehberg sent a letter to the state’s Democratic U.S. senators urging them to “heed the will of Montanans” and join the GOP in swearing off earmarks for three years. Less than a week later, Sen. Max Baucus responded in writing, describing the move as a “political stunt.” It’s […]

Gov. Brian Schweitzer released his state budget last week, and during its public unveiling he preempted many Republican ideas and chided them for others he didn’t agree with. The performance left one GOP lawmaker complaining that the governor had already “started waging war between the legislative and executive branches.” If a political “war” is coming […]

Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg held a conference call with reporters last week in what was billed as an opportunity to discuss priorities in the upcoming lame-duck session. The Republican, who trounced his Democratic opponent Dennis McDonald with more than 60 percent of the vote, mostly stuck to three main issues: budgets, taxes and wolves. Meanwhile, […]

From town halls to debates, from PACs to advertisements, voters were schooled by another brutal election season. Here’s some of what we learned: That midterms are, apparently, immune to economic downturns when the electorate is this polarized. A week before the election, outside spending had already topped $264 million, more than that spent during the […]

Our state recently unveiled a new economic development website aimed at attracting businesses. It’s called “Innovate Montana,” and the accompanying commercials are impressive. There’s just one problem, according to the state GOP, almost every one features Gov. Brian Schweitzer. “You’ve got to admire a shameless self-promoter like that,” Sen. Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, told Lee Newspapers. […]

If there is ever a time when you should really fear the tax man in Montana, it’s now. Especially if you do business here but live elsewhere, are a pharmaceutical company, online booking agency, oil lease trader or your last name is Blixseth. The rate at which the Montana Department of Revenue is raking in […]

America is a place of convenience. It’s where, if we so choose, we can have our groceries delivered to our doorstep and purchase clothes and home furnishings from the convenience of a laptop. It’s where people sell electric abdomen stimulators, those belts that allegedly turn your belly into a six-pack while you watch television (although […]

Entering Lake County quickly reveals, based on the signage, which election is most important. While small campaign signs dot the landscape supporting potential state lawmakers, those are overshadowed by the 4-by-8 foot behemoths supporting one of the three candidates for sheriff. When I covered the cops and courts beat about seven years ago in Gallatin […]