A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.

30 December 2016

GOP pay to play, and other political briefs

 New; 1802 MST.  Rep. Kelly McCarthy (D-Billings) wants to be Montana’s Congressman. McCarthy, just elected to his third term, announced today that he’ll seek his party’s nomination for the special election to replace Rep. Ryan Zinke, who is expected to be confirmed as Donald Trump’s Secretary of the Interior. McCarthy joins Rep-Elect Amanda Curtis (D-Butte) and Rep. Casey Schreiner (D-Great Falls) as candidates for the nomination, which will be awarded at a special nominating convention. In the 2015 legislative session, McCarthy worked to scale back the scandalous practice of legal stealing by law enforcement known as civil asset forfeiture.

Montana GOP’s pay to be considered as a candidate for a nomination scheme is sleazy and dangerous. The party, reports Mike Dennison and others, is charging $1,740 a head to be considered as the party’s nominee in the special election to replace Rep. Ryan Zinke, who is expected to become Donald Trump’s Secretary of the Interior.

All of the Republicans who have announced they’re seeking the nomination probably can afford to write a $1,740 check. But few, if any, could afford a million-dollar, or higher, pay to play fee. A party that can sell the right to seek the nomination for $1,740, the current price, could raise the price to a million or more, thus making a de facto award of the nomination to a millionaire who’s willing to self-fund.

If this fee is legal — and it might not be — it shouldn’t be.

We all have the right to make our grievances public. That includes Sherry Spencer, mother of white nationalist Richard Spencer, who made a public issue of her interactions with Whitefish realtor Tanya Gersh. Her doing so has stirred up a hornet’s nest, and perhaps could have been handled differently, but her son’s detractors have been very public in their opposition to him, and she has the same rights as everyone else.

At this point, the full story of what transpired between Gersh and Spencer should be made public, and all of the documents relevant to it should be published by and on the website of a neutral third party. The Daily InterLake, Flathead Beacon, and Missoulian, are best equipped to do this.

There will be a rally against hate next Saturday in Whitefish. Details.

Rep. Kelly Flynn (R-Townsend) wants to drive faster — legally. He’s requested a bill, LC2274, with the short title “Allow exceeding speed limit when passing on certain 2-lane roads.” I suspect this means he wants to avoid earning a speeding ticket for hitting 85 mph as he zooms around a slowpoke doing 68 mph in a 70 mph zone. If Flynn’s in that big of a hurry, he ought to travel by airplane.

Will Congressional Republicans rein themselves in before they damage government beyond repair? That’s the question raised at Think Progress by law professor Ian Millhiser:

The incoming House majority plans to schedule a vote on the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (REINS Act) soon after new members are sworn in next Tuesday. A top priority of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the leading lobby group for big business, REINS would fundamentally alter the federal government in ways that could hobble federal agencies during periods when the same party controls Congress and the White House — and absolutely cripple those agencies during periods of divided government.

State Sen. Duane Ankney (R-Colstrip) mentions the REINS Act in the whereases for LC0498, his drafted but still not introduced joint resolution urging Congress to approve the crackpot Regulation Freedom Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I took Ankney to task for this on 3 December 2016, and he should consider himself taken to task again for supporting what amounts to a act of civic suicide. Rep. Forrest Mandeville also requested a bill, a request now on hold, to support the RFA.

The 2017 legislature convenes at noon on Monday, 2 January 2017. Calendar (PDF). Agenda for first week (PDF). The 90th day occurs on 29 April, although that could change. Almost 2,300 bill have been requested. Perhaps 1,200 will be introduced, meaning a baker’s dozen must be dispatched each legislative day. Flathead Memo will cover this session, but perhaps not as intensely as two years ago.

Thanks for reading Flathead Memo. Happy New Year. I’m taking the weekend off. See you Monday.