Category Archives: Montana
Montana Bill to Give Corporations Right to Vote
Montana Rep. Steve Lavin is taking Mitt Romney’s assertion that “Corporations are people” a bit too far. Lavin has proposed legislation that would allow a designated individual of a corporation owning land in a municipality to vote. This is part … Continue reading
Montana Legislator O’Neil Proposes Letting Students Keep Guns in Their Cars
When we last left Montana State Rep. Jerry O’Neil, he was proposing corporal punishment instead of jail time for some convicted criminals. That idea hasn’t gone over well so O’Neil has a new idea this week – let students leave … Continue reading
Montana Legislator Proposes Corporal Punishment in Place of Jail
Montana Rep. Jerry O’Neil has proposed legislation that would allow a convicted criminal and judge to negotiate corporal punishment in lieu of jail time. O’Neil said that he believes some prisoners would prefer “20 lashes” to jail. “Ten years in … Continue reading
Montana Lawmaker Wants to be Paid in Gold
Jerry O’Neil has been in the Montana legislature since 2000, first as a state senator and now as a representative. Up until now, a regular paycheck from the state has sufficed for his compensation. Perhaps it’s Barack Obama’s reelection that … Continue reading
Disputed $500,000 Contribution Clouds Montana Governor’s Race
In a span of four months, three rulings by courts in Montana have upended political laws designed to reduce the influence of money in politics. A 1912 law prohibiting corporations from contributing to candidates was overturned. That was followed by … Continue reading
Montana Republican Convention Displays Obama Library as a Bullet-Riddled Outhouse
November must be coming up fast because politics is getting nastier. In Missoula, Montana, the state Republican Party held their convention. It had the usual Obama and Democratic Party bashing, but that is what political parties are supposed to do. … Continue reading
Montana Guts Medical Marijuana Laws
While medical marijuana will still be legal in Montana after July 1, the opportunity to purchase and use it has just narrowed. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, who was critical of the bill that worked its way through the legislature, pushed … Continue reading
Montana Lawmaker “Fool of the Week” for Seeking to Criminalize Gays Seducing Straights
When an elected official takes office anywhere, the federal, state or local level, there is either an overt oath or presumption to follow the Constitution. In 2003, when the Supreme Court ruled that laws against homosexuality where unconstitutional, that rendered … Continue reading
Montana Lawmaker Wants 10 Year Prison Sentences for Gays who Recruit Straight Partners or Kiss in Public
Despite a 1997 ruling by the Montana Supreme Court and a 2003 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that criminalizing homosexual behavior is unconstitutional, Montana has maintained its anti-sodomy law on the books. One of the leading proponents to … Continue reading
Montana Lawmaker Claims that Drunk Driving Laws Destroying “A Way of Life”
Usually when a lawmaker rises to give an impassioned plea about drunk driving laws it is on behalf of the victims of drunk driving. Montana State Rep. Alan Hale gave one of those speeches but it was a plea against … Continue reading




