23 December 2016

A few notes before Christmas

Another review of blogging in Montana. At the Last Best News, David Crisp has an excellent review of blogs, including Flathead Memo, in Montana, identifying a few blogs of which I was unaware. I thank Crisp both for mentioning Flathead Memo, and for his generous assessment of it. Crisp’s is the second review — Mike Dennison’s at KXLH was the first — of Montana blogs by the professional news media this year. At least for me, the reviews are tangible proof that independent blogs are becoming recognized as bona fide members of Montana’s extended news and commentary establishment. And for me at least, that brightens my Christmas.

Santa starts his rounds in less than 48 hours, but Scrooge starts his national rounds on 3 January 2017. That’s when Congress reconvenes and the reactionary radicals who have a death grip on the Republican Party start introducing bills to gut Social Security, privatize Medicare, mutilate Medicaid, repeal the Affordable Care Act (the planned eventual replacement is the status quo ante), cut food stamps, rescue the rich from what they think are confiscatory taxes, and either restore our nation to a state of Libertarian nirvana that never existed and never will exist, or convert it to the economic condition of Kansas.

Members of Montana’s 2017 legislature have requested 2,223 bills, and the number will keep rising. The legislature convenes on 2 January 2017 (calendar). Next week, I’ll begin examining some of these bills, both introduced bills and those still in the drafting stage, probably concentrating on Scrooge and crackpot bills, and of course focusing on legislation being proposed or carried by Flathead legislators..

Rep. Tom Burnett (R-Bozeman), who never saw a square meal he didn’t consider fattening and character sapping, requested two bills on food stamps. Derek Skees (R-Kalispell) requested a bill on nullification. Kalispell Reps. Frank Garner and Steve Lavin requested bills to eliminate daylight saving time. Rep. Zach Brown (D-Billings) requested a bill to restrict opioid prescriptions. If he’s successful with that, he might not feel your pain, but chances are you will. Rep. David Howard requested a bill for a “Referendum to exempt religious communications from campaign finance reports.” I think it should be called the “Official Holy Exemption from Political Accountability Act of 2017.” Howard also wants to “Prohibit local governments from enacting sanctuary policies.”