Valley Views

Return of money

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 your money back to you in a timely fashion. While your Republican majority may have disagreed on the timing of returning your money this fall, from many conversations with our colleagues, the silver lining is that this will be a top priority for your Legislature to accomplish in the opening weeks of the 2023 session. We are looking forward to working with the Governor to deliver on his campaign promise for a responsible budget and return of your overpayment. We are in complete support of his Comeback Plan when it states, “State government spending goes up every single year. In fact, it has gone up over 60% in the past 10 years alone. Just because state government brings in more money, it doesn’t mean it has to spend it. After all, it’s not the state’s money; it’s the money you earned that you’re sending to Helena.” We propose that the overpayment of money you have earned and sent to Helena be refunded to you up to $3,500 for full time resident households who paid income taxes as joint filers for 2021 and paid property taxes on a primary residence in Montana. It is a large chunk of change that belongs to you, the full-time Montana resident taxpayer. So, enjoy your pizza and know that there are many of your legislators working hard to get your money back to you at the beginning of January.

Valley Views House Majority Leader Sue Vinton Senate Majority Leader Cary Smith Rep. Bill Mercer Sen. Greg Hertz Sen. Dan Bartel Rep. Matt Regier

No Redistricting Without Native Representation

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 public lands, and keeping our economy strong. As a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, a Montananan, and a state Senator, I know firsthand the importance of having a fully representative legislative body at work in those halls. That’s why we must adopt a map with fair, legal legislative districts, during the current legislative redistricting process in Montana.

The districts we draw this year will shape our lives and our communities for the next decade, including how resources are allocated and what issues are brought to the table during the legislature. Right now, the Montana Redistricting Commission is working on a new map for Montana that will portion out the districts for Montana’s legislators and the areas they will represent, including the districts that encompass tribal nations. Of our current legislative districts, there are 6 House districts and 3 Senate districts where Native voters have the opportunity to elect someone from their communities to represent them. Now that the legislative district lines are being redrawn, the number of Indigenous majority districts is uncertain.

Native Americans were not considered citizens for most of our country’s history and thus not granted the right to vote. It wasn’t until 1924 that Native Americans were finally granted citizenship. Even after that law was passed, some states worked to restrict Native voting rights–an effort that we see continue today. So when Representative Brad Tschida told the Redistricting Commission that he believed Native Americans were overrepresented in the legislature, it felt like one more piece of rhetoric in a long line of efforts meant to disenfranchise Native voters.

It should go without saying that fair legislative districts should be the norm across the state, especially for areas of underrepresented communities. Native folks have historically been underrepresented in Montana’s legislature. It wasn’t until 1932 that Montana elected its first Native legislator, Dolly Smith Cusker Akers from Fort Peck, to our state legislature—nearly 43 years after Montana became a state and almost a decade after Native Americans secured the right to vote from federal legislation. According to self-reported statistics from the Montana Legislative Services Division, it was not until 2001 that Montana elected our first Native state senator. Far from being overrepresented in the state legislature, we have had to fight for many years for any political representation.

Valley Views Sen. Shane A Morigeau

see page 11

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from page 10

When pressed about his comments, Representative Tschida said that life’s not fair. While he may be comfortable telling that to school age children when they have skirmishes on the playground, it’s not a statement that we should abide by when it comes to determining the people we elect to represent us. Life may not be fair, but it is the job of our representatives to come up with solutions to the challenges that make life unfair for many people in this state. I know this firsthand as a member of the Indian Caucus. When I go to the legislature, I’m there to fight for people in my community and the issues they face, especially those who are often ignored by people in power. For far too long, decisions have been made about Indian County by people who do not understand the history nor the challenges of tribal communities and Indian people. We need Native legislators to bring our unique perspectives and experiences to the legislative process for all of Montana. Like our fellow legislators across the state, we want better schools, better jobs, and better opportunities for our constituents, our families, and our communities.

Whether intentional or not, creating legislative districts that would guarantee Native voters cannot elect their candidates of choice is wrong for Montana and our legislature. It shouldn’t matter where you live or what you look like, all Montanans deserve to be represented in our legislature and adopting a fair and legal map that reflects the communities of Montana, including Native ones, is the right thing to do. vj

Consider Azzopardi

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 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt tested that separation. Frustrated by the US Supreme Court’s resistance to his New Deal programs, FDR backed legislation to essentially expand the court from 9 to 15 members. With his overwhelming Democratic majorities in Congress, Roosevelt thought that for political purposes, he could easily take over the court, thus giving the executive and legislative branches controlling power over the constitutionally independent Supreme Court.

Congressional leader of the opposition to the “court-packing plan” was Montana’s highly influential Senator Burton K. Wheeler. A Democrat and “new dealer” himself, Wheeler was shocked by what he saw as an outrageous political power play.

Wheeler recognized that many in his party agreed with him that the court bill was a direct danger to our system of democracy, but they were afraid to defy the popular will of their President. Against the odds, and through a skillful appeal to senators’ consciences, Wheeler killed the court bill. It was FDR’s first major defeat. The Saturday Evening Post at the time lauded the Montana Senator’s talent as a coalition builder, and referred to him as the “President-Tamer.”

Wheeler told me in a conversation with him late in his life, that in his opinion the safeguarding of the independence of the US Supreme Court was by far his most important achievement in 24 years as a United States Senator. This year, the Montana Republican Party has openly and actively thrust itself into a nonpartisan judicial campaign. They have repeatedly paid for mailers in outright partisan support of James Brown’s Supreme Court candidacy.

Beyond his political connections, Brown’s career has been mostly as a lobbyist. He actually appears to have been counsel of record in something less than 100 Montana court cases.

In vivid contrast, Brown’s opponent, Montana Supreme Court Associate Justice Ingrid Gustafson, gained valuable experience as a full time practicing lawyer in a widely varied practice for nearly sixteen years. Her record for diligence and dedication was brought to the attention of Republican Governor Judy Martz, who appointed her District Judge in the Billings district. (At that time, Brown had not even completed

law school.) A recognized hard-worker, Gustafson went on to preside over nearly 15,000 cases as the people of Yellowstone County repeatedly reelected her district judge. Democratic Governor Steve Bullock recognized her ability, and appointed her to the Montana Supreme Court to which the people of Montana have since elected her. Valley Views She has directly participated in about 1100 opinions in Bob Brown Former MT Secretary of State and State Senate President her service on the Supreme Court. Straight-arrow, non-partisan, hard-working Justice Ingrid Gustafson is experienced and qualified in all aspects of the legal profession. She is a totally impartial, fair, dedicated, and deeply qualified public servant. Comparing her record of public service and achievement to her opponent’s is like comparing a Mack truck to a motor scooter. Though no longer a public official, I have a career extending back for decades observing public office holders and evaluating their performances. Gustafson over Brown is as easy and obvious a choice as I can remember.

Editor,

We all want Montana to be a beautiful, clean, and safe place for future generations to live and raise children. Our constitution guarantees a “clean and healthful environment,” and we want to keep it that way. We want government that will solve problems that affect our community - not foster divisions with culture wars. We want our children to be well-educated, to be able to think rationally, and to understand the rich history that we are heir to in Montana. This is why Shirley Azzopardi is a great choice for House District 93.

She appreciates the natural beauty of Montana and will work to protect it.

As a retired special education teacher and longtime resident of the Mission Valley, she knows this community and its history. She is a good listener, and has the skills to work with individuals, community, schools, and families to come up with real solutions to problems. She will foster a community that is diverse, but that can work together.

She respects and honors tribal sovereignty, and will listen to the needs of tribal communities. For the benefit of all communities, she will work to increase funding for Indian Education for All.

As our representative for HD 93, she will protect our environment, advocate for all Montanans; ensure that we all have a voice in our state government, take a pragmatic approach to community problems, and strengthen our public schools.

This is an important election, both for Montana, and for our country. Visit https://app.mt.gov/ cgi-bin/voterinfo/ voterinfo.cgi to be sure you are registered to vote; download a voter registration form; fill out a voter registration form if your name or address has changed; and to follow your ballot once you have sent it in.

Gail Trenfield St. Ignatius