Rep. Ed Buttrey (R-Great Falls) was late in introducing HB 658 on Medicaid reform. It would require reporting “community involvement” hours, namely work, each month. It would also require asset and means tests. Seems like the kind of bureaucracy that Republicans normally abhor.

Sen. Duane Ankney (R-Coal Country) traveled to Washington to confer on Trump Administration plans to subsidize coal production and coal-fired plants. Kinda like having taxpayers support dial-up internet, but even stupider.

Rep. Derek Skees (R-Kalispell) sponsored HB 567. It would a establish a program of training and arming school district employees to be “school marshals.” The bill passed the House.

Rep. Alan Redfield (R-Livingston) introduced HB 327 to ensure that artificially produced meat is properly labeled.  It’s defined as “cell-cultured edible product.”

Sen. Tom Richmond (R-Billings) is sponsoring a bill to enable Northwestern to buy out its partners in the Colstrip plants without PSC regulation.  In 1997, a utility deregulation was rushed through the Legislature to benefit the Montana Power Company.  It was a disaster.

Secretary of State Corey Stapleton used state email and official letterhead to announce his bid for Governor.  As a result, the Commissioner of Political Practices fined him $4,000 for violating the State Code of Ethics.

Freshman Rep. Greg DeVries (R-Crankshaft) introduced HB303 to remove Montana’s legal requirement that children attend school.

Sen. John Esp (R-Big Timber) says he knocked on 4,800 doors during his campaign, and the biggest issue – besides not raising taxes – was getting rid of Daylight Saving Time. He introduced a bill to establish “Montana Standard Time,” which would remain constant year-round.

Our illustrious Superintendent of Public Instruction, Elsie Arntzen, spoke at a Capitol rally supporting “school choice.” She said, “Public and private schools work together.” It’s good to have her back in the loco arena.

Rep. Forrest Mandeville (R-Locoville) proposes that any state tax or fee increase require a two-thirds vote in both chambers. Besides the constitutional issues involved with this suggested statutory change, there are issues of simple sanity about how to operate government.