The Montana Medical Marijuana law has, by all accounts, spun out of control.  Nearly everyone agrees the current system is unacceptable, with storefront pot shops, large grow operations, and advertising by unscrupulous doctors eager to diagnose maladies that result in the coveted “green card.”  As result, a controversial bill to repeal the act was passed by the Legislature and sent to the governor’s desk.

Before heading to Helena, people said to sift through the myths and propaganda and listen to the people.  Some were concerned that legislators may try to impose their own values on the rest of the legislative body.

When I [Sen. Hutton] moved into my office in the “bullpen,” I determined that I would be a statesman, not a politician.

Many are concerned with the legality of repealing a citizens’ initiative, and the governor has vetoed the repeal bill on the grounds that it both “violated the will of voters,” and is “unconstitutional.”  The Constitution does not prohibit such repeal, and the same constitution gives both voters and the Legislature the power to enact statutory law regulating the same topic.  One can conclude that the Legislature may repeal a statute passed by the voters, but should only do so when an emergency rises.  We believe that the current marijuana situation is such an emergency.

Montana’s cardholder rate is growing at a pace of 1,000 per month with nearly 30,000 total.  Students have said that in schools, marijuana has become so commonplace, that people don’t ask, “Hi, how are you?” but “How high are you?”

Many people and organizations, including numerous employers and the Sheriff’s Association, testified in favor of repeal.  The Army National Guard disclosed that they were terminating employment at a rate three times the normal rate to do positive drug testing for marijuana.  A local grain elevator told one committee that at a recently held job fair, not one person passed the drug test.  If our message is to grow jobs and the economy, we cannot stand behind a drug so counterproductive to safety and employment.

Since our priority is to grow jobs, the real issue is respect for the rule of law.  The Federal Controlled Substances Act absolutely prohibits possessing , growing, distributing, or selling marijuana under any circumstance, whether a state has authorized “medical” marijuana or not.  No peer reviewed scientific literature supports the proposition that medical marijuana cures anything.

Repeal would have taken us back to a system which lets the FDA do its job and adopt drugs that have proven their benefits with trials and good science.  While some people undoubtedly receive a palliative effect from the use of marijuana, that effect is far outweighed by the effect on society as a whole.  Since the repeal effort was vetoed by the governor, we’re awaiting a vote on a bill that would strictly regulate marijuana to reduce the abuse and corruption in schools and communities.  The status quo will not do; the issue must be addressed this session.

“The Republican proposal includes prudent and responsible decisions to match spending with revenue while protecting the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Senate Majority Leader Jeff Essmann (R-Billings). “Republicans have prepared a responsible budget for today, to create more opportunity tomorrow.”

The Republican budget reduces state General Fund spending by 7.4 percent or $287 million.

“During the budget debate, Democrats proposed nearly $400 million more in government spending. These types of liberal, big government, tax and spend policies are simply not sustainable and discourage job creation,” said Senate Finance and Claims Committee Chairman Dave Lewis (R-Helena).

Lewis continued, “The budget was developed using professional estimates of future economic growth and with an analytical review of expenditures. This was a long overdue exercise to tighten the belts of government agencies just like ordinary Montanans have had to do at home.”

“Republicans put a stop to irresponsible, continuous growth in government and matched spending to revenue, just like every Montana family and business,” closed Senate President Jim Peterson (R-Buffalo). “This budget is built on sound fundamentals, does not spend money we don’t have, and is an honest deal with the people of Montana.”

Senator Ed Buttrey

Senator Ed Buttrey (R-Great Falls)  is working to keep jobs in Montana. He introduced Senate Resolution 28, which urges the federal government to keep F-15 fighter jets at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls.

The Department of Defense has been considering relocating the F-15 mission from Great Falls, MT to California.

Senator Buttrey’s resolution points out that the Montana Air National Guard has more than a thousand drill-status airmen and 340 full time employees. Relocating the F-15 mission to California would jeopardize that.

Senator Buttrey said that he is working in conjunction with the Speaker of the House, Mike Milburn, “to retain the F-15 mission in Montana.”

Speaker Milburn is carrying a similar resolution in the House, called HR 2.

But one size does not fit all.  As well as our schools have served most people, they don’t work for everyone. Representative Mark Blasdel said, “We try to fit a square peg in a round hole and it doesn’t fit for every student out there.”

An article in the Flathead Beacon points out that Montana’s dropout rate is among the highest in the nation.

Charter Schools are one way to address that situation.  Charter schools are public schools set free from many of the regulations that limit traditional public schools. What makes them different is that they must have a founding document, called a charter, that’s like a contract setting out the school’s goals and ways to measure its success at those goals.

Today, the Montana Senate Education Committee heard House Bill 603, which would allow the creation of charter schools in Montana. The bill has already passed the House of Representatives.

Charter Schools have broad, bipartisan support. President Barack Obama has encouraged states to support charter schools. Governor Brian Schweitzer’s administration has said he supported the Obama education plan “all along.”

In the public hearing, Representative James Knox said his daughter switched from a traditional school to a charter school and her grades went from C’s and D’s to A’s and B’s.

Dan Nicklay was one of the proponents testifying about the benefits of charter schools. He said he teaches at a charter school in couer d’elene Idaho, and he moved there for the purpose of teaching at a charter school.

He said, “Had MT had charter school legislation ten years ago, I would still be in Montana.”

He testified that the charter school where he teaches is ranked by Newsweek and US News as one of the top college prep schools in the nation.

Cary Hegreberg of the Montana Contractors Association said, “Contractors association chapters around the country have been involved in establishing and funding charter schools that have been construction focused.”

The rally called for more money for state employees.

Our study revealed some surprising statistics about who, exactly, was demanding a pay raise.

The state employs more than 14,000 people.

The average Montanan makes $34,000 per year.

More than 70 percent of state employees make more than that.

Of those 14,000 state employees, about 700 are in Flathead County, and about 400 of them make more than the average Montanan.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate in the Flathead area is over 14 percent.

The unemployment rate in the rest of Montana is over 7 percent.

And while more than 7 percent of Montanans are out of work, and the average Montanan who does work makes less than $35,000 per year, Brian Schweitzer pays Keith Kelly $96,000 per year… to keep track of how many Montanans are out of work.

Keith Kelly organizes rallies for state employees to demand a raise on time that’s been paid for with that $96,000 of taxpayer money.

Percentage of the state’s annual payroll that goes to Lewis and Clark County: 41 percent.

Percentage of state income taxes that come from Lewis and Clark County: 7 percent

So far in the whole fiscal year, the state general fund has expended $94.7 million more than deposited as revenue. In other words, since last July, we have been spending more than we make.

Since all that spending is paid for by the taxpayers, can we the taxpayers really afford to give a raise to people who by already make more than their employers — that is, the taxpayers?

Senator Verdell Jackson

As of March 30, Republican Senator Verdell Jackson can claim important successes for this legislative session. For months, Republicans have moved more than three dozen jobs bills through the legislature, with varying degrees of success.

Now, there’s a new jobs law.

Senate Bill 103 eliminated the environmental permit process for non-consumptive water wells.  These wells, used in the heating and cooling system of a building, do not actually consume water, they simply transfer heat from or to the water and then return it to the ground.

It passed the Senate, passed the House, and was signed by the Governor.

By getting government regulations out of the way of this system, Senator Jackson’s bill allowed developers and the construction industry to more efficiently create structures with this kind of environmentally-friendly heating system. Less costs for construction companies leaves them more money free to hire construction workers.

Those are jobs Montana desperately needs, and which will be directly attributed to the work of this Legislative session.

I suspect that the very folks who were upset were equally teed off over a lack of Montana State spending on an incredible array of social projects that they expected was their due. Well, frankly, I wasn’t upset, I was sad. I look at the seniors of my district that benefited from Meals on Wheels and a host of other good programs I was prepared to help fund. I look at my high school demoating itself to a Class C school due to a drop of enrollment. That happens when families with school-aged kids move to North Dakota seeking employment! I look at the help our society was able to offer those less able in the past when we had the ability as now, we do not.

How could we back then and not now? Maybe the residents of Missoula County have forgotten that Montana was and should still be the Treasure State. We can grow it, cut it, dig it, pump it or mine it which creates wealth! That is the basis to pay for all the stuff we’d like to have. I don’t care how many latte stands there are in Missoula County, or the other 55 counties. It won’t pay the tab for either the social programs  our people want through the state  or  of the University that spurs the Missoulian economy!

“I was disappointed to hear that Democrats are willing to use legislation to responsibly regulate therapeutic marijuana as a political bargaining chip for completely unrelated policies,” he said.  “Republicans have worked with our Democrat colleagues in an open and honest manner to find a mutual solution to a problem common to all of our communities and constituents.”

Logrolling was only the beginning, though. Reports came out of the capitol yesterday that in the course of their internal discussion of how to take advantage of the bill, Democrats held a caucus — legally, a public meeting — to which they refused the press admission.

If these reports are born out, it would be a violation of the law.

Peterson said, “I sincerely hope that in regards to this serious issue affecting our schools, children, and communities we can set aside our differences, take the high road, and do the right things for the right reasons, not political gain.”

Charter schools are public schools set free from many of the regulations that limit traditional public schools. What makes them different is that they must have a founding document, called a charter, that’s like a contract setting out the school’s goals and ways to measure its success at those goals.

Interviewed before the vote, Representative Wendy Warburton said, “This is about giving parents and children options. Let them choose what works for them.”

Currently, Montana is one of only ten states in the country who have not taken this step. Charter schools have supporters from both major political parties and from a wide variety of parents. President Barack Obama has called on states to encourage charter schoolsm and featured them in his “Race to the top” education program. Govern Brian Schweitzer’s administration has supported that plan “all along,” a spokesman said. In addition, majorities of Montanans from each political party and independents supported charter schools when polled.

“Wolves were introduced over the objections of livestock producers,” said Cuffe.  “They needed some targeted help.  This bill provides that targeted help.”

The bill came about because wool producers, cattlemen and other livestock owners have been frustrated with state and federal wolf management. H.B. 363 requires the Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to spend money from wolf license receipts to be divided between placing collars on at least one wolf per pack in livestock conflict areas and extermination of wolves which kill livestock.

The need was emphasized during the joint listening session” early in January. “This will remove much uncertainty from farmers and ranchers and eliminate much frustration from their lives.  They know we listened and we responded,” Cuffe said.

The importance of the bill takes on greater significance with talk at the federal level that the wolf could be delisted from the Endangered Species list.  That may bring loss of federal funds for the wolf program, so H.B. 363 will already have a process in place to partially replace that funding.  Cuffe emphasized that his legislation is intended to help the farmer-rancher issues, not to fully fund management of the wolf.