News & Opinions
Please note that opinions posted here are not necessarily opinions of The Friends of the Montana Constitution, a 501c3 nonprofit. The views and opinions expressed below are those of the authors listed and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.
News
December 21, 2022 / News
Rule would ‘muzzle’ Montana Consumer Counsel, but Fitzpatrick said he’s changed his mind
A Montana lawmaker who planned to restrict the ability of the state’s utility consumer advocate to testify to the legislature said Wednesday he plans to reverse course.
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December 15, 2022 / News
Montana judge to governor: Turn over records for review
A Montana district court ordered Gov. Greg Gianforte to turn over internal office records for its review and possible release, dismissing much of his argument the documents could be withheld from the public due to “executive privilege.”
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December 10, 2022 / News
Federal judge strikes down part of Montana’s anti-vaxx law as unconstitutional
A federal judge has struck down a significant part of Montana’s controversial anti-vaccine bill because it is both unconstitutional and conflicts with federal law, dealing another legal defeat to a raft of bills passed by the 2021 Legislature and ultimately struck down by state and federal courts.
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November 28, 2022 / News
‘Friends of the Montana Constitution’ announced
Mae Nan Ellingson, the youngest Delegate to the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention, announced in a news release Monday the formation of Friends of the Montana Constitution, a Montana nonprofit and nonpartisan educational corporation.
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November 26, 2022 / News
Racicot: Stand up for the Constitution and place principles over politics
The former leader of the National Republican Party who was also the longtime governor of Montana spoke to a crowd of businesses leaders downtown in Billings on Monday, warning them without a return to common-sense solutions, respect for government institutions, and fidelity to the state and federal constitutions, regardless of political party, the country risks losing its democracy.
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Opinion
February 13, 2023 / Opinion
Amending Montana’s Constitution Thoughtfully
2022 was the year of celebrating the fiftieth birthday of Montana’s Constitution — its visionary provisions and the unique bipartisan approach adopted by the citizen delegates who wrote it. Our perspective is from a combined total of over 30 years of legislative experience under both our current Constitution, as well as the one that preceded it.
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February 13, 2023 / Opinion
Racicot: Legislature violating trust with constitution amendments
Alexander Hamilton asked the question: “whether men {and women] are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force.” What will our answer be?
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February 11, 2023 / Opinion
Redistricting & Apportionment Commission Needs No Fixing
The redistricting wrangling is now over. The Commission has made its decision, will formally file the legislative district structure, and the 2024 elections will move forward. For the sixth time that the difficult and politically-charged redistricting process has been handled by the Commission created by the 1972 Constitutional Convention (ConCon).
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February 8, 2023 / Opinion
MT Constitution is all that protects us from industrial greed
Montana’s Constitution, written in 1972, extols unique environmental protective measures. For over 50 years those aspirational constraints have received praise from outdoor enthusiasts and the working class.
On the other hand, powerful ruling-class families, their indentured servants and extractive industries complain incessantly about “burdensome regulation” and obstructions to unfettered mercantilism.
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January 31, 2023 / Opinion
Don’t let politicians and lobbyists destroy our Constitutional rights and freedoms
Montanans are blessed with some of the most expansive rights and freedoms of any U.S. state. We have these freedoms because our Constitution was written by Montanans to serve Montanans. In 1972, 100 delegates from every corner of the state – folks elected by their communities – authored this revolutionary document. These were everyday people — ranchers, teachers, homemakers, and even a beekeeper from Lewistown.
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