Columns

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 long for a grand and important purpose - to change the world for the better. But the honest answer is I’m just a normal human living life in abject anonymity - and quite liking it that way, thank you very much. On one level, I believe I should aspire to have a grand and world-changing purpose. On another, maybe being average and obscure has a purpose in it as well.  Mayb...

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 ...

“Your bloodwork shows your Vitamin D levels are low,” my doctor admonished me. “Start taking supplements.” Not even sure what vitamin D was for, I followed her advice. Within a week, the pain in my knees had gone away. Amazing, I thought. How often can you solve a problem by simply...

As I helped my 83-year-old grandfather set up his new VR headset recently, I thought about how much technology has changed in the last 30 years alone.  As a ‘90s kid, I was a child of the “Tech Boom,” exposed to constantly and rapidly changing technology at a key time in my developm...

Ever heard the common superlative that something can be “The best thing since sliced bread?” While, I will admit to using this phrase on occasion, my opinion has begun to change since moving to Europe. Perhaps this commonly held wisdom isn’t so accurate. Let me explain. Bread is one of t...

As primaries roll out around the country, we’re tracking voter turnout. Raised on Schoolhouse Rock’s cartoon civics lessons, I know that being a good American means voting. Those 1970’s cartoons weren’t wrong. Voting is the most fundamental act of democratic citizenship. That&rsquo...

During the 2021 Legislature, we set a budget to adequately fund state government operations. It turns out that the State Treasury received a lot more tax revenue than we projected. In almost every area, tax receipts have exceeded our expectations. The cause of that can be debated, but it does not change the ...

One of the first lessons I learned on becoming a state legislator was to make it as easy as possible for other legislators to agree with me. I saw how those who demonstrated both competence and good will were taken seriously and achieved the greatest success in accomplishing their goals. Several decades a...

Commonplace items and their history have nearly an unmatched grip on my curiosity. What I find most striking are the accidental and unexpected origins that make me say “Wait, what?” Hopefully, this spark of curiosity will inspire you, too. I hope the wordplay is not more than you can “candl...

We’re into the final days of the annual Summer Reading Program. You must register and log all of your reading no later than Aug. 13. Be sure to come into the library to pick up your level coupons and enter your tickets for the prize drawing before Thursday, Aug. 18. On Aug. 18, join us in Sacajawea Par...