Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana

Dear Editor: Researching Senate and House Bills

I read with interest last week’s letter to the Editor about the Senate and House bills that will endanger public lands. I have been watching what goes on in Helena and for the life of me, I didn’t remember any of those bills on the agenda. So, I decided to look them up; I will do this in the order of their claims.

Let’s start with HB320. The claim was “a bill to pave the way to transfer public lands out of public hands.” When I looked HB320 up, I found that it was actually “AN ACT PROHIBITING FUTURE SALES OF LAND GRANTED OR TRANSFERRED TO THE STATE”. Not exactly as claimed.

The claim: “They’ve proudly gone after public access,” regarding SB354 and SB115. The truth? SB354: AN ACT REVISING LAWS RELATD TO LAND SERVITUTDES AND EASEMENTS; ALLOWING THE OWNER OF A SERVIENT TENEMENT TO MARK THE SERVITUDE BOUNDARIES WITH SIGNAGE.” I believe, in plain English, that means that a landowner has the right to put up signs along the easement across his property.

SB115: AN ACT CLARIFYING THE APPROVAL PROCESS FOR LAND AND WATER-RELATED ACQUSITIONS BY THE DEPARMTENT OF FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PARKS; REQUIRING CERTAIN EASEMENTS TO BE APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF LAND COMMISSIONERS. In reading this one, it seems that “in the case of easements for which more than $1 million in state funds will be used for the acquisition, the approval of the board of Land Commissioners is also required.” Also not as claimed.

Claim: Tried to strip millions from key public land projects, regarding HB670, 683, 701, and 707. Reality? In 670: “AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING LAWS RELATED TO THE REGULATION AND TAXATION OF MARIJUANA.” In 683: “AN ACT REVISING THE DISTRIBUTION OF RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA REVENUE FOR PUBLIC PENSION PAYMENTS AND ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.” In 701: “AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING LAWS RELATED TO THE REGULATION AND TAXATION OF MARIJUANA.” In 707: “AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING MARIJUANA LAWS; REVISING MARIJUANA TAXATION LAWS TO PROVIDE THAT TAXATION OCCURS AT THE WHOLESALE LEVEL.”

Marijuana laws are affecting public land projects? I don’t think so.

Claim: They’ve tried to build roads through National Parks (HB418). Reality? “AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING LAWS RELATED TO PROVIDING FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF RIGHTS-OF-WAY GRANTED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.”

Claim: Overturn a citizen’s initiative to privatize wildlife held in public trust (SB143). Reality? “AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING LAWS RELATED TO CLASS B-10 AND CLASS B-11 ELK AND DEER COMBINATION LICENSES.”

Claim: Allow motorized vehicles on non-motorized trails (HB281). Reality? “AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING BICYCLE LAWS; REVISING THE DEFINITION OF “ELECTRIC BICYCLE”.

I found it strange that there were such discrepancies between claims and reality, so I thought that maybe these people got the year wrong on the bills or that these people were talking about past bills. I checked past sessions all the way back to 2001 and nothing matched up. I am not sure what the plan was in writing that letter. What I do know is that all this division is seriously harming our country. I look across the United States and can’t understand how everyday Americans fall for the false narratives being pushed.

If you listen to the “woke” activist, police are hunting and purposefully killing black Americans. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Are there bad cops? Sure – same as any other profession. There is always 1 or 2% who need to be weeded out. In the case of

Officer Chauvez, he should have been out long ago. Even his fellow officers complained about his abuses. Why was he still there? Why was he training new recruits? But another thing to remember is that some of his bosses were also people of color. Where is the failure of the system?

Instead of villainizing the right with lies, how about we figure out what is truth and what isn’t, then hold those who lied responsible.

Jim Buterbaugh

Whitehall, Montana

 

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