Columns

When you order a pizza and the total comes to $25 and you hand them a fifty dollar bill, have you ever had the restaurant tell you that they are going to keep your change in case their expenses are higher in the future? We know this sounds absurd, but not for the state government. Over the last two years, the state of Montana has over collected $1.6 billion in unanticipated, unexpected, and unappropriated money from you, the Montana taxpayer. It is money that we did not need to run the state government for the biennium. Recently, there was a call for a short special legislative session to return your overpayment. The call for the special session has fallen short of the needed votes to get y...

Every two years, Montanans who are elected from their communities travel from all over Montana to gather at the State Capitol to convene the Montana Legislature. During our time together, we work to deliver legislation that will help Montanans, including funding for our schools and hospitals, protecting our ...

Judicial independence is a matter of Constitutional law and American tradition. By the strict design of our founders, our separate court system has been independent of party politics, and therefore not guided by party platforms and party leaders as are the other two branches of our government.   In 1...

It has been an incredible two and a half years. Thanks to the dedication and flexibility of our volunteers, the Polson Loaves & Fish Pantry, Inc. was able to stay open throughout the pandemic. The support from our community and outside our community has been constant and generous. We all thank you. Th...

Would it surprise you to find out that language is interesting to me? The combination of sounds and written symbols we use to convey ideas and concepts to one another is a source of endless fascination. Language’s intricate web of meaning is constantly shifting and evolving with our culture. This proce...

I had been outside since 5:45 a.m., in 50-degree drizzle. My feet were soaked despite several changes of socks. My fellow outside poll observers, Republicans and Democrats alike, looked just as forlorn as we answered voters’ questions in Virginia during the 2018 election. At about 2 p.m., a woman wi...

I had been outside since 5:45 a.m., in 50-degree drizzle. My feet were soaked despite several changes of socks. My fellow outside poll observers, Republicans and Democrats alike, looked just as forlorn as we answered voters’ questions in Virginia during the 2018 election. At about 2 p.m., a woman wi...

Fall has finally arrived.  We love summer, but we are happy for cooler temperatures, pumpkin everything, and curling up with a good book and a cup of tea. Saturday, Sept. 17 we have Ranger Matt from Glacier National Park coming to talk about the different types of work National Park Rangers do and wh...

As we traverse through life, I think most of us ponder and wonder about our purpose - the reason for our experience on the planet at this particular time. What is the meaning of life? What is the meaning of me? (Gulp.) I’ve pondered this question quite a bit, feeling a little inept in my answers. I ...

The Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission is responsible for redrawing state legislative districts to reflect every community in Montana. Voters need to be able to elect legislators who represent different viewpoints and can come together to solve the problems our state faces. This responsibility ...