Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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"Redshirt Freshman" Representative Mark Reinschmidt of HD 71 spoke at the final 2025 meeting of Whitehall Indivisible (WI) last Thursday, November 20th. He discussed the steep learning curve of entering the legislature midstream, troubling instances of division, and his unwritten party-line parking faux pas. Selected to replace Marta Bertoglio (R) through a multi-step interview process by which the party in power selects a replacement for an open seat, Mark has jumped into Marta's assigned...
Whitehall Indivisible (WI) had a busy week, hosting Congressional candidate Sam Lux at our regular Thursday meeting, and then, over the weekend, US Senate candidate Reilly Neill came to town to talk to us about her campaign and plans to be Montana’s second female US Senator. Whitehall Indivisible continues to grow and invite guest speakers from both sides of the aisle. It might be passe to say Montana votes for people, not parties, but the more we learn about the parties, the less interested i...
Whitehall Indivisible (WI)’s calendar is filling, and we encourage people of all political stripes to come and hear what our guest speakers have to say—it really can’t hurt to listen to someone talk, even if you disagree. Because we value the opportunity to make our own decisions about candidates and issues, we will continue to invite local politicians who will appear on our future ballots, regardless of party. Defiance.org is a new organization spearheaded by Miles Taylor, a former DHS official. This organization has a national scope and w...
Regarding the Indivisible groups nationwide, the flurry of media reports about the No Kings Oct 18th rally is an interesting example of doublespeak. First, we were Hamas, then highly trained domestic terrorists, now we are dubbed out-of-touch overeducated women in our 40s with all-matching signs, seven million strong. Whitehall Indivisible (WI) might have one person in their 40s, and none of our signs match because we made them ourselves. We are unpaid; we receive no funding from anyone —not even Indivisible —and we arrange our meeting age...
At least 15 people from Whitehall attended the No Kings rally in Butte, with several attending rallies in other parts of the country. Everyone reported good spirits, clever signs, and a positive atmosphere. The participant count across the country was around 7 million, making Oct 18th the largest demonstration in US history. For those who question the point of the rally, Andrew Egger of The Bulwark said it best: The “No Kings” protests had one specific and concrete aim: breaking the mirage of Donald Trump’s supposed mass popular mandate. Three...
Dear Editor, I invite your readers to a peaceful protest - the No Kings Rally on October 18th. I'm inviting all of you to show up and join me this Saturday, October 18 at the Butte Plaza Mall at noon for the No Kings Rally. I'll be carrying a large American flag, so I'll be easy to find. "But I don't have a sign!" Butte Indivisible has a pile of signs you can shuffle through and borrow. Also, you can just walk around and wave at people, signless. Sometimes people hand out little flags. "But I've...
American politician Patrick Moynihan once said, “You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.” This idea is at the forefront of the minds of Whitehall Indivisible (WI). If everyone were indeed accessing the same accurate facts, would the opinions be as widely divided? We think not. We do not believe in “alternative facts.” We acknowledge multiple perspectives on a single event and recognize the need for thorough research. Since we first started meeting in February, we have discussed the role of the media,...
Christopher Plummer opened with a soulful voice-over of “Epstein Files” to the tune of “Edelweiss,” and after that, there was nowhere to go but up. Adam Kinzinger defined an OODA loop in terms of the Dem’s quandary, and Aaron Parnas reminded us that the First Amendment is worth exercising and defending. Whitehall Indivisible (WI) discussed the presidential directive, identified as National Security Presidential Memorandum 7, which instructs anti-fascist organizations not to be confused with any of the 206 Executive Orders signed by Trump thi...
Whitehall Indivisible (WI) had approximately 15 people in attendance at its meeting on Thursday, the 25th, despite the perfect late-September weather. October 18 is the No Kings rally, and there will be many sites across Montana where people can join. The nearest sites are Helena, Butte, Bozeman, and Dillon. The UN meeting dominated the outrage of the week, from Trump’s triple sabotage accusation to the “vitriol and garbage” (per our newest addition) expressed by our Commander in Chief in his speech to the UN Assembly. Other topics inclu...
The meetings of Whitehall Indivisible (WI) often have point and counterpoint conversations, where we don’t all agree or have not heard the same version of a news story. In those instances, we put the topic on hold for a week, do some research, and revisit the same topic the following week. WI had several holdovers in this category from the previous week: the cessation of the vaccine mandate in Florida, the debate over culling the herd versus achieving herd immunity, and Texas HB 7, which extends the reach of penalties beyond the Texas border f...
Whitehall Indivisible (WI) is now meeting on Thursdays for the months of September, October, and November, and we will arrange our speakers accordingly whenever possible. The group discussed the Raging Grannies, monthly ukulele lessons in Butte, and Coursera free online courses, specifically “Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Explained.” With winter fast approaching, maybe a free online course or ukulele lessons is a good idea. On September 10, Jeff Mangan and the Transparent Election Initiative will present at 6 PM in the Copper Lounge of the Stud...
Whitehall Indivisible (WI)’s August 27th meeting at 6 PM will be our final Wednesday gathering of the year. The League of Women Voters will present its Suffrage Timeline and lead us through the history of voting rights in America at our weekly meeting, held at the school library at 6 PM. School staff and parents are encouraged to attend, as the League of Women Voters presentations are one option for specialized curriculum delivery in the newly created Freedom Week, which will take place for the first time during the last week of September. M...
Just when we thought we had a calm August, two new Wednesday events appeared! On August 13 we will not hold our regular meeting so we can attend “The Real Yellowstone” at the Star Theater at 7 PM. On August 20 we will have a regular meeting at 6 PM, and then on August 27 we will be hosting The League of Women Voters (LWV), who will present their “Suffrage Timeline.” We hope parents and teachers will attend the August 27th presentation by the League of Women Voters. HB 591 went into effect in July, creating Freedom Week in public schools...
Whitehall Indivisible's final presentation in July was by the irrepressible retired attorney, Betsy Brandborg, of the nonprofit Friends of the Third Branch (friendsofthethirdbranch.org). Betsy's energy was the impetus of the nonprofit group, and the experience she gained during her 26 years as the first General and Ethics Counsel at the State Bar of Montana informs her work today. With an entertaining, irreverent, and enlightening firehose of a presentation, Betsy tried to bring us up to speed...
Friends of the Third Branch member Betsy Brandborg will be presenting at the regular meeting of Whitehall Indivisible (WI) on July 30, from 6 PM to 7:30 PM at the Whitehall School Library. The public is welcome. Two guests from Wisconsin shared their urban political perspectives. They discussed events of the week with us, interspersed with an Epstein-related excerpt from historian Heather Cox Richardson and a snippet of newly-unmuzzled Stephen Colbert. Medicaid changes and immigration policy dominated the conversation. We are watching the...
Whitehall Indivisible (WI) was relieved not to have a speaker last week, allowing us to discuss the news and our two previous July speakers: The Transparent Election Initiative and Reilly Neill, Montana Candidate for US Senate. Those present agreed that Reilly Neill has good experience, a common-sense grounding, and an inspiring vision. She served in the House of Representatives for the Livingston area in 2012, with focused work on water issues in Montana. She describes herself as a moderate Democrat and is running a campaign based on...
Whitehall Indivisible hosted its first speaker of July, Jeff Mangan and Chris Burke of "The Montana Plan," at the Whitehall Elementary School Library on Wednesday, July 2nd. The Montana Plan is a 2026 ballot initiative aimed at removing corporate spending from Montana elections. Unlike recent efforts to remove dark money from influencing Montana elections, this will not attack Citizens United regarding free speech. Instead, the Montana Plan will rely on the 10th Amendment's states' rights to...
Whitehall Indivisible (WI) hopes to see a strong community turnout in July for our guest speakers: July 2, the Transparent Election Initiative, July 9, Candidate for US Senate Reilly Neill, and July 30 Friends of the Third Branch, all during our regular Wednesday meeting time at 6 PM (see ad). We are discussing who we would like to invite for future months. Suggestions are the US Congressional delegation or, better yet, a well-informed aide. We target nonpartisan or potentially relevant partisan speakers we should learn about. Ryan Busse of Pub...
Save the date: Jeff Mangan, of the nonpartisan Transparent Election Initiative and former Montana Commissioner of Political Practices will be presenting at our regular meeting Wed, July 2nd from 6 PM to 7:30 PM. He has been crossing the state, sharing his ideas about how to restore election transparency by removing dark money from Montana elections. Learn more at transparentelection.org. Of the 23 No Kings protest sites in Montana, WI attendees had a presence in Butte, Helena, and Bozeman. All goers reported friendly crowds with good turnouts....
Rep Ken Walsh (R- HD69) came to speak at our last Whitehall Indivisible (WI) meeting, and we learned about his perspective on the recent legislative session as well as what’s changed during his tenure. Our consensus was that Rep Walsh is a personable, believable, good guy that regards political office as a public service. WI corresponded regularly with Rep Walsh during the legislative session this year, and we were particularly pleased with HB932, which Rep Walsh sponsored. HB932 took funds from the shuffle of marijuana tax revenue and s...
Whitehall Indivisible (WI) did not meet last week, opting instead to host a showing of the film Good Night & Good Luck at the Star Theatre. About 40 people were in attendance. Several scenes from the 1950s actual senate hearing video footage could have been pulled from the Senate hearings in 2025. On May 21st, we will have our first Wednesday night meeting at the Whitehall School Library (not the Whitehall Community Library). Participants should enter through the main elementary doors on the east side of the building, off Yellowstone, and park...
Free Showing of Good Night and Good Luck May 14 Whitehall Indivisible (WI) invites the entire community to a free showing of the 2005 award-winning film Good Night and Good Luck at the Star Theatre at 6 PM, on Wednesday, May 14 . The movie depicts the journalistic integrity that was required to bring down Senator McCarthy in the 1950s. Concessions will be available for purchase. WI continues to see new faces; participants this week ranged in age from just three-weeks-old to 77. WI has been busy...
4/30/2025: Whitehall Indivisible (WI) heaved a sigh of relief that the state legislative session is over. However, we will be puzzling out the new property tax bill and its exemptions and requisite applications (and paying) for years to come. On Wednesday, May 14th, at 6 PM, we invite the community to the Star Theatre for a showing of the 2005 award-winning drama Good Night and Good Luck (rated PG). Donations for Gold Junction Presents are encouraged, but admission is free. Concessions will be available for purchase. Starring David Strathairn...
Fifteen concerned citizens met last week for the Whitehall Indivisible meeting and discussed Montana legislation, the federal government, and the ongoing issue of Head Start in Whitehall. HB740, brought by Rep Bertoglio, is a bill that would set a floor for prescription payments, critical to the survival of small pharmacies like Whitehall Drug. This bill has passed to the governor’s desk. HB932 is brought by our own Rep Ken Walsh and clarifies and secures some existing public lands funding. This much-amended, complicated bill passed with b...
Dear Editor, I would like to submit a letter in response to Barbara Lien's letter. Barbara, thank you for writing to express your concerns regarding Whitehall Indivisible. The seeds of the group sprouted on a snowy day in February over scones at my kitchen table. Concern about the direction of this beloved country drew us together initially and continues to draw people to the meetings, and that is nonpartisan. Violating the Constitution is a nonpartisan insult, as is law-breaking by high-level...
