Page 24 - Flathead Beacon // 3.23.16

ROUNDUP
FROM BEACON STAFF AND WIRE SERVICES
93
KALISPELL
90
2
2
115 2
2
93
4
GREAT FALLS
MISSOULA
35
90 15
HELENA
7
BILLINGS
90
HELENA
3. Court Rejects Lawmaker’s Appeal
in Dark Money Case
The Montana Supreme Court on March 18 rejected a Bozeman legislator’s appeal seeking to throw out accusations that he took illegal corporate campaign contributions, clearing the way for a civil trial later this month.
Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl accuses Republican Rep. Art Wittich of taking in-kind contribu- tions from corporate groups a liated with the National Right to Work Com- mittee during his 2010 campaign and not reporting them. He has led a law- suit that asks a state judge to uphold his ndings and enforce penalties against Wittich that could include the legislator’s removal from o ce.
Wittich denies the accusations. He appealed to the high court after a dis- trict judge disagreed with his argument that Motl did not have the authority to investigate him or bring the case to court because nobody had led a complaint with the commissioner’s o ce alleging speci c wrongdoing by him.
The Supreme Court ruled 4-2 that Wit- tich’s appeal was premature, and that he will be able to raise his complaints during trial or on appeal afterward, if he loses.
Justices Laurie McKinnon and Jim Rice dissented, saying Wittich had raised a legitimate issue over whether Motl could bring a civil action when no com- plaint was led against Wittich. McKin- non, who wrote the dissenting opinion, said she would put the March 28 trial on hold so the Supreme Court could address the issue.
The allegations against Wittich stem from a complaint led by Debra Bonogof- sky against her 2010 Republican primary opponent, Dan Kennedy. The complaint accused Kennedy and others of taking corporate contributions.
HELENA
4. Bullock to Repay State for
Campaign-related Travel
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock has
BUTTE 6
BOZEMAN
15
94
RONAN
1. Fire Destroys Boat, ATV Business
A re destroyed a Ronan business that sold and repaired watercraft, all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles and snowmobiles.
Lake County Sheri Don Bell says the re at S&S Sports was reported at about 1:15 p.m. March 14. The shop is closed on Sundays and Mondays and no injuries were reported.
The Missoulian reports the re was fanned by gusting winds and fueled by gas and oil in some of the boats and ATVs inside.
General manager Jake Starkel says there were 30 to 35 major pieces of inven- tory in the building, but only six privately owned units. He says the business is insured.
New boats and ATVs parked outside the building were not damaged.
The cause of the re is under investigation.
MISSOULA
2. Refugee Group Plans to Re-open
O ce
An agency that helps resettle refu- gees plans to re-open an o ce in west- ern Montana.
The International Rescue Committee said March 18 that it had permission from the U.S. State Department to open an o ce in Missoula. It helped settle Hmong refugees in Missoula from 1979-1991.
The IRC anticipates it could settle about 100 people eeing violence and persecution in its rst year of operation.
Demonstrations in protest of bringing refugees from the Middle East into Mon- tana have been held in several towns in western Montana. Those opposed ques- tioned the vetting process and fear the refugees could be a national security threat. Some of the protests were met with counter-protests.
The IRC says the refugees will have undergone two to three years of inten- sive vetting.
Missoula County commissioners sup- ported the re-settlement while commis- sioners in Flathead and Ravalli counties were opposed.
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MARCH 23, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM