The good, responsible citizens of Billings begged and pleaded with their City Council not to approve it, warning that a “yes” vote would lead to lawsuits, and to no end of trouble in bathrooms and changing rooms all over the city. I refer, of course, to the ordinance allowing the keeping of backyard chickens, approved by the City Council in August 2012. (more…) Continue Reading →
NDO
Recent Posts
From the Outpost: Waiting for ‘ready’ on the NDO
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Is it possible that Mayor Tom Hanel was right? I don’t mean right to cast the deciding vote against a nondiscrimination ordinance in Billings last week. I mean right that this town just isn’t ready for such an ordinance. (more…) Continue Reading →
Filed under: Billings, Angela Cimmino, David Crisp, Denis Pitman, Mike Yakawich, NDO, Rich McFadden, Tom Hanel
Guest editorial: The Confederate flag and the NDO
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In 1986, when I was a junior at Richland High School in North Richland Hills, Texas, the local chapter of the NAACP came to my school with a request: It wanted us to drop the Confederate flag from our letterhead, our uniforms, the middle of our gym floor. (more…) Continue Reading →
Filed under: Billings, Confederate flag, Craig Lancaster, George Wallace, Jim Crow, NAACP, NDO, North Richland Hills
Senate candidate Curtis gives pep talk at NDO rally
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Barely 48 hours after being chosen as the new Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat from Montana, Amanda Curtis stopped in Billings briefly to cheer on supporters of a nondiscrimination ordinance. Curtis, a Billings native and Butte schoolteacher serving her first term in the Montana House, spoke Monday evening on the steps of the First Congregational United Church of Christ. (more…) Continue Reading →
Filed under: Billings, News, Amanda Curtis, Billings City Council, Brent Cromley, Eran Thompson, Jamey Eisenbarth, NDO
Looking at regrets, what-ifs in the wake of NDO’s defeat
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Jani McCall didn’t sleep much Tuesday. She is the Billings City Council member who first suggested, in December, that the city consider a nondiscrimination ordinance. Tuesday morning, the NDO went down on a 6-5 vote, with Mayor Tom Hanel casting the deciding vote shortly after 3 a.m. (more…) Continue Reading →
Filed under: Billings, News, ACLU, Brent Cromley, Denis Pitman, Jani McCall, Liz Welch, NDO
Mayor Hanel in the hot seat for Monday’s NDO vote
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All eyes will be on Mayor Tom Hanel Monday night, when the Billings City Council is finally scheduled to vote on a nondiscrimination ordinance. Hanel appears to be the swing vote on the 11-member council, and on a roll-call vote the mayor is traditionally the last one to cast his vote. (more…) Continue Reading →
Filed under: Billings, News, ACLU, Billings City Council, Dick Pence, Jani McCall, Liz Welch, Mayor Tom Hanel
Council finally gets down to examining draft NDO
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After weeks of debate, an unprecedented flood of emails and the longest public hearing in its history, the Billings City Council finally got around to discussing the language of a proposed nondiscrimination ordinance Monday night. (more…) Continue Reading →