Opinion
Editor, The Republican Party has campaigned on freedom for individuals, more local control and decreased involvement of government in our daily lives. Why, then, are we seeing so many bills in our state legislature that bring the state into our lives, in some very intimate ways? As a retired nurse practitioner (four years of school for a bachelor’s of science in nursing degree and three more for a master’s degree), I am astonished that Republican legislators feel qualified and at ease intervening in complicated medical judgements and treatment, which have long been private between individuals and well-trained medical providers. Considerable knowledge...
Editor, People of Montana, thank you for taking your science seriously. Because of you, we have some of the lowest rates of COVID-19 infection in the nation. Because of you, we have lost fewer Montanans, per capita, to coronavirus than almost any other state. And what do we even mean by science a...
Editor, Reading the Valley Journal yesterday highlighted the differences in how we think; for example, there are those claiming a mask requirement goes against our fundamental American rights of free choice at the same time our legislature is working on restricting women’s rights to exercise f...
Editor, There are now multiple bills threatening to become law in Montana against people who are transgender. Although there are different explanations for each of these bills, what seems to be at the heart of all of these bills is a prejudice against people who are transgender. In other words, legi...
Editor, A year ago, I was wheeling my car into a space in the Costco parking lot when I became aware of an argument nearby. I turned and saw the reason. Two men had been backing their rigs out at the same time and had collided with one-another. Each blamed the other for the collision. With their language ...
Editor, In a way, the governor’s House Bill 102 is a good thing, and in a way, it’s not. The one thing that he should have not done is allowing Montana citizens to now be able to carry a concealed weapon into a bars, casinos, banks and into Montana state government buildings. As far as the col...
Editor, Winston Churchill said, “Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.” When my car needs repair, I go to a mechanic. For tax advice, I go to a financial professional. When I need healthcare, I go to a doctor. I don’t go to a legislator for these needs. Coun...
In 2012, Governor Sam Brownback convinced the Kansas Legislature to enact sweeping tax cut legislation. The plan was billed as a “shot of adrenaline to the heart of the Kansas economy.” As a Republican member of the Kansas House of Representatives at the time, I was intrigued by the proposal but ...
Editor, During the past 14 years of bipartisan government in Montana, the Republicans and Democrats have had to cooperate to enact legislation that both parties could support. Politicians were willing to work across the aisle for the good of Montana. This no longer appears to be the case. The un...
Editor, I read the article in last week’s Valley Journal “ Can Montana Get a Grip on Addiction.” That article seemed to only address cures and treatment of an issue that is not the primary problem but rather a symptom of other problems/issues. Many of these issues are ones th...
