It is great to see people being politically aware and involved. I thought I would share what state legislatures are doing to solve critical problems.
Starting with Montana (from http://www.mtcowgirl.com) This is not a joke. These are real bills, and they are currently taking priority in the Montana legislature over anything legitimate that would create jobs or help people afford healthcare.
1) Remove restrictions on the possession of domestically-bred foxes. HB 157 by Forrest Mandeville R-Columbus (Perhaps this is how Mandeville hunts for chickens.)
2) Impose a new tax on electric vehicles, to encourage more oil consumption, HB 205, Alan Redfield, R-Livingston. (Actual quote from bill co- sponsor: “Fuel efficiency has really impacted us negatively.”)
3) Allow state legislators (and only legislators) a special exemption to carry firearms in any government building, including schools and state prisons, by Randy Brodehl (R) Kalispell HB 280 (Does not apply to legislators who are sent to prison).
4) Ban Sharia law from Montana courts. SB 97 by Keith Regier (Regier believes there is no more pressing issue in Montana.)
5) Exempt sale of “homemade food” from all freshness, safety, cleanliness, and contamination standards. by Greg Hertz R-Polson HB 352 (Includes unsanitized aka “raw” milk, which also has its own separate bill. Finally someone is doing what it takes to advance jobs and economic development in our great state.)
6) Create a state militia and outfit them with uniforms. LC546 by Cary Smith R-Billings (Smith may be in talks with Hugo Boss, who made SS uniforms in the ’30s).
7) Lift nuclear ban so that reactor can be built in the Flathead Valley, next to Galcier National Park. by Derek Skees R-Kalispell LC2008 (Ideas of this caliber never die. See HB 326 from the 2011 session.)
8) Strike the word “fair” wherever it appears in landlord/tenant agreements for trailer homes, by Peggy Webb (R-Billings) HB 350
9) Exempt political ads by religious groups from campaign finance laws, by classifying them as “news reports.” LC0604 by David Howard (R-TEA Park City)
10) Give county sheriffs authority over the federal government in terror investigations. By Cary Smith R-Billings LC0512 (Don’t you feel safer already?)
11) Re-legalize the drinking of beer while riding in a car (the “road beer” bill), by Daniel Zolnikov, R-Billings, HB 206 (Montana ranka 3rd among states with most drunk driving deaths. Perhaps Zolnikov wants the number one spot.)
12) Eliminate the office of Commissioner of Political Practices, by Derek Skees (R-Kalispell) HB 340.(Skees might have been himself removed from office for his involvement in the Meth House Scandal, had not the statute of limitations expired shortly before the Commissioner of Political Practices began his prosecutions.)
13) Ban bicycles from all two-lane roads. by Barry Usher R-Roundup (Indeed Usher owns a motorcycle dealership. Hard to believe this world class idea has not been advanced before.) LC2196
14) Create new time zone known as “Montana Standard Time”, Ryan Osmondson, R-Buffalo, SB206
15) Allow “the possession of firearms on postal service property.” HB 246, by Randy Brodehl (At long last, Montanans will have more freedom to go postal.)
16) Prohibit dousing oneself with out-of-state deer urine, SB 173 Jill Cohenour, D-East Helena (In this case, it’s the necessity of banning said practice that’s nuts, not the bill.)
17) Increase the legislative branch budget by 16% while every branch or agency faces painful cuts. HB 1, by Nancy Ballance R-Bitterroot. (Branding their own caucus as blatant hypocrites is perhaps the sharpest move this bunch has ever made.)
18) FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT LIMITING THE EXEMPTIONS FROM WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN ABLE-BODIED ADULTS RECEIVING SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE BENEFITS; UPDATING TERMINOLOGY; AMENDING SECTIONS
MY ADDITIONS – JOB CREATING BILLS
19) HB 55 Vince Ricci “Require DPHHS to seek a waiver to prohibit using SNAP benefits for energy drinks – Classic republican solution in search of a problem because supplement labels on energy drinks already prevent energy drinks from SNAP purchase – which his fellow republican legislator pointed out during the bill hearing 😉 #jobcreation
20) HB 212 Jeff Essmann – This is just another good ol’ voter suppression bill trying to make it harder for elderly, disabled and low income folks to vote by making it illegal for us to pick up their ballots and take them to the elections office. There have been zero cases of ballot theft in Montana. #jobs #morejobs
21) HB 255 This was another solution in search of a problem trying to ban the use of the Governor’s plane from campaign use. The republican chair of the committee was quick to gavel down a dem woman questioning the validity of this garbage. #1stamendmentformenonly and #jobs.
22) SB 27 This bill looks like it provides a legislative reaction to the effective date of the medical marijuana ballot initiative start date ruling of the Supreme Court, but it does so much more – by naming and insulting the court that made the ruling – and ignoring the will of the people. #jobsjobsjobs
Beth Klein 