Last Best Blog

This is the weblog page of Last Best News. Here you will find some news, perhaps, but also lots of commentary, opinion and satire. Just so you know.

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Legislative Update: Wednesday, Feb. 8

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A new name for Columbus Day? By Cole Grant
Lawmakers in Helena are considering changing the name of Columbus Day to Montana Heritage Day. Many proponents of House Bill 322, including Rep. Bridget Smith, D-Wolf Point, say part of the bill is about correcting misinformation about the discovery of America. “As awareness grows in the age of information, hope grows also,” she said. “The celebration of oppression must end.”

There was no opposition to the bill at the House State Administration Committee hearing Wednesday morning. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Last Best Blog, Christopher Columbus, Montana Legislature

Legislative Update: Monday, Feb. 6

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Bill would end Montana’s death penalty
By Cole Grant
House Bill 366 would get rid of the death penalty in Montana and replace it with life in prison without the possibility of parole. “The death penalty system, like so many government programs, is wasteful, ineffective, and unjust,” said bill sponsor Rep. Adam Hertz, R-Missoula. Many of the bill’s proponents, including lawmakers, faith leaders and a former death row inmate, argued the death penalty costs too much money, is morally wrong and takes up too much time in the court system. But Rep. Seth Berglee, R-Joliet, says he generally supports the death penalty. “I think in the justice system, it’s not just about cost,” he said. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Last Best Blog, death penalty, Montana Legislature

Defending the use—and abuse—of mugshots

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An editorial in today’s Billings Gazette—in the print edition anyway; the online version for some reason is dated Feb. 3—made some good points about a bad bill. As originally introduced, House Bill 236 would have made it explicit that jail booking photos—mugshots—are public information. Current law is not quite so clear, with the result that some law enforcement agencies have refused to release mugshots. The bill was introduced by Rep. Frank Garner, a Kalispell Republican and former police chief, and it had the support of the Montana Association of Chiefs of Police. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Last Best Blog, Barry Usher, Billings Gazette, Frank Garner, mugshots, Rich St. John

Legislative Update: Thursday, Feb. 2

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Governor issues first veto of session
By Freddy Monares
Gov. Steve Bullock has vetoed the first bill of the 2017 Montana legislative session and offered up an amendment to decrease a raise in legislator pay. House Bill 1 would have increased the legislators’ pay by 14 percent for the next legislative session. Bullock amended the bill with an increase of only 1.4 percent, to coincide with the rate of inflation. He says the state needs to “live within its means.”

“At the same time that we’re tightening the belt of the rest of government, the legislative branch sent me a bill to increase the spending of their branch of government by 14 percent,” Bullock said. Republican Rep. Nancy Ballance said she was blindsided by the veto. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Last Best Blog, Montana Legislature, Steve Bullock

Legislative Update: Wednesday, Feb.1

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Nations

Legislators hear State of the Tribal Nations address
By Freddy Monares
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Chairman Vernon Finley asked legislators at the State of the Tribal Nations address in the Montana House chambers Wednesday to remember their collective history. He said he’s proud that despite national rhetoric, legislators are able to shake hands and disagree. (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: Last Best Blog, Montana Legislature, State of the Tribal Nations, Vernon Finley

Subject of today’s Google tribute had ties to Bozeman

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The Google image today shows Edmonia Lewis, an African American sculptor who was best known for her monumental statue of Cleopatra, shown at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. What makes her of special interest to us is that her half-brother, Samuel W. Lewis, was one of the earliest residents of Bozeman, a successful barber whose house is on the National Register of Historic places. There are lots of stories about Edmonia Lewis on the web today. One of the most popular seems to be this piece from Al Jazeera. I couldn’t find anything to indicate that Edmonia herself ever visited Montana. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Last Best Blog, Al Jazeera, Bozeman, Edmonia Lewis, Samuel L. Lewis

From the Guardian, a look at the future of local news

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Kathleen McLaughlin, whose reporting career has included a stint with the Lee Newspapers state bureau, wrote a great piece for The Guardian about the steady decline of newspapers devoted to covering local news. The story is full of good, thought-provoking stuff, but here’s the gist of it:
“The real crisis in American journalism is not technological, it’s geographic,” said Tom Rosentiel, fellow at the Brookings Institution who founded and ran for 16 years the Project for Excellence in Journalism at the Pew Research Center. “The crisis is that local journalism is shrinking. I wouldn’t say it’s dying but it’s the most threatened.”

This is certainly true in Montana, where a recent study found that people get their news online, but still gravitate most toward the websites of their local papers and television stations. Local press isn’t dead, but it’s fragmented and weakened. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Last Best Blog, Flathead Beacon, Guardian, Kathleen McLaughlin, Lee Enterprises, Maury Povich

Legislative Update: Monday, Jan. 30

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Corbally

Commission would track child abuses cases
By Freddy Monares
In the wake of reports of an increase in child abuse and neglect cases, lawmakers in Helena are considering a bill that would create a commission to review trends and patterns to share with policymakers. House Bill 303 also aims to educate the public and service providers about child abuse and neglect. The commission would provide analysis of information to further improve prevention. Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies representative Sarah Corbally says the bill echoes federal efforts. “It needs to be a proactive approach to prevent them, not this reactive approach to find new and greater punishments for these types of cases,” Corbally said. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Last Best Blog, Montana Legislature

Legislative Update: Friday, Jan. 27

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KK

Expansion of school funding sought
By Freddy Monares
Montana Lawmakers will be considering a bill that would allow schools to receive state funding for a wider age range of students. House Bill 274 would include 5-year-olds and students with disabilities up to age 21 in the Average Number Belonging, or ANB, calculations. Current statute only funds students ages 6 through 19. “The adult programs that are available for people with significant disabilities have long waiting lists,” said bill sponsor Rep. Kathy Kelker, D-Billings. “No school. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Last Best Blog, Cary Smith, Eric Feaver, Kathy Kelker, Montana Legislature