Opinion
As we close out National Native American Heritage Month, I would like to introduce myself and my new role as the Montana Department of Labor & Industry’s (DLI) first Tribal Liaison. My name is Donnie Wetzel, Jr. I come from the Blackfeet Nation on my father’s side and Missoula/Bitterroot as a 7th Generation Montanan on my mother’s side, and it is an honor to serve Montana in this role. Over the last month, I’ve received an abundance of information about this work and the limitless possibilities it can bring to our youth and workforce. I’ve found respectful curiosities among my new coworkers with an eagerness to learn more from our Tribal Nations a...
Have you ever thanked God that you never lived Nazi Germany? Well don’t get off your knees just yet; you might still find out what that was like. Donald J. Trump is straight out of fascism’s, central casting: think Hitler (who Trump seeks to emulate and whose speeches he quotes), Bolsonaro (wh...
This holiday season, more Montanans will be navigating the annual open enrollment period for health insurance, seeking quality and affordable health insurance plans for their families. Cover Montana has a team of health insurance navigators who can help Montanans make sense of their options during this cruci...
Editor, I appreciated my time spent on this 95-mill property tax issue with you, the Department of Revenue and the lobbyist for the school organizations. I am disappointed with the Supreme Court ruling but will abide with it. The educational value of researching and understanding how the school, local gov...
Editor, Here’s a novel idea on the subject of abortion. Don’t get pregnant. I’m 80 years old and grew up in an era void of legal abortion or birth control. If we got pregnant, we had the little darlings. Then a miracle. The birth control pill was developed. It was control fin...
In the quiet corners of rural Montana, credit unions and community banks offer a unique ability to focus on bringing value to Main Street rather than Wall Street. These institutions have a vested interest in the success of their communities and often serve as economic anchors, supporting local businesses, fa...
Montana is a northern border state with a southern border crisis. After visiting the southern border this fall, my third trip in five years, I can say with certainty that the catastrophe at our southern border is now a serious threat to our national security and the result of the failed policies of President...
Editor, Imagine this: feeling deep, soul-filling joy amongst mostly strangers, two evenings in a row. That’s what happened to me. Curious? Friday night, Mission Valley Live presented a concert highlighting Robin Layne and the Rhythm Makers. It was a knee-bouncing, energy-filled evening of incredi...
Editor, I am not vermin. I am not a thug. I am not radical. Yet in his Veteran’s Day speech that is literally what Donald Trump called me and other voters who oppose him. I am your constituent and I expect you to stand up for me and other Montanans who don’t support treating anyone like ver...
For much of my life, I’ve been the inviter. I enjoyed planning and inviting people to those plans. But in the last few years I haven’t invited much of anyone anywhere. I didn’t have the heart for it. I lacked momentum and (to be honest) felt broken so I took on a rather new role. I fo...
