In November, I watched Republicans sweep into power in Montana. I figured the session would be bad, but the Legislative session has been literally insane. And then a bill from the Hi-Line floored me.
Montanan Kossacks (whom I started following today) are probably familiar with HB 516. Legislative sessions have hundreds of bills, ones that would normally need a title for you to recognize it (think 'spear hunting' or 'to allow guns at school'), but HB 516 has received so much attention the past week or so that those that follow the events in Helena probably know what I'm referring too.
For those not lucky enough to follow the circus that is the 62nd Legislative Session, HB 516 says it will "limit local ordinances to state protected classes". It is, I would argue, the most controversial bill of the session. Late last year, the City of Missoula (and Bozeman, I believe) said that it was illegal to discriminate against homosexuals and transgendered peoples.
HB 516 would change that. The State of Montana has an anti-discrimination law, which covers race, religion and gender. But not the things covered by the Missoula ordinance. HB 516 would tell cities and towns that they could not give protections to other groups. (A bill that would include those groups in the Montana anti-discrimination law failed.) The bill came from a Havre representative, which is (on good roads) about 5 hours away from Missoula.
I think most people on this site would agree that this is a discriminatory bill. Its your typical Republican kicking and screaming into the 21st Century, not willing to give in to acceptance. It outraged people in Missoula and across the state.
Though there's something that isn't being discussed all that much. This session in Montana has seen a handful of bills that tell the federal government to stay out. Bills that would place the state, not the feds, in charge of wolf management. Bills that would give the state power of eminent domain over federal land. The message from the right is clear: Montana will be run by Montanans.
But let Missoula run Missoula? Let Bozeman run Bozeman? Let local governments take care of local issues? I guess not. Its a fun little paradox, one that's gone somewhat unnoticed in Helena. The Republicans will cry 'local governance' and 'state's rights' when it comes to not accepting Federal money, but reject that very reasoning when cities want to take control of the social issues that confront them.