9 March 2016

Legislative filings, shooting LaVoy Finicum in the back

Latest local legislative filings. Lisa Morrow filed for the Democratic primary in House District 8 (map), which currently is represented by Republican Steve Lavin. He’s filed for a fourth term. Morrow is an active supporter of Bernie Sanders. HD-8 is a suburban district that leans heavily Republican.

I usually wait a few days after filings close to allow the secretary of state to correct any errors in the online filings report. Candidates must also file forms with the commissioner of political practices. All of this information should be online in one place, of course, but Montana’s elected decision makers and entrenched bureaucrats prefer semi-chaos and horse and buggyish system.

Another modified limited hangout on the killing of LaVoy Finicum. The Deschutes County, Oregon, sheriff who conducted the investigation released a new video of the event, said the shooting was justified, Finicum was shot in the back, and reported that members of the FBI’s hostage rescue squad are under criminal investigation for lying to the people investigating the Finicum shooting. Whether the sheriff released the full written report of the investigation is not clear.

In any event, I want to study the report before forming hard conclusions. Finicum didn’t help himself by trying to flee from the police and FBI, but the law enforcers were not in hot pursuit of someone who had just committed a violent crime. When the state police shot Finicum — and shot him in the back — they created a martyr; not a smart move. The incident reminds one why Black Lives Matter exists. And the FBI’s alleged lying — if that’s confirmed by the investigation, the liars and their supervisors should be fired, and so should FBI Director James Comey. There needs to be accountability.

Credit John Erlichman with the phrase “modified limited hangout.”