All about supporting the CONSTITUTION, says the arch conservatives. We love the CONSTITUTION. Of course, we consider the state one a socialist rag and want to tear it up and consider the national one a disaster and want to amend it out of existence and we really want to live in a theocratic dictator ship but WE LOVE THE CONSTITUTION.
Except when we hate it.

Please free me from the freedumb caucus. Now Montana has its own mini branch.
These pinheads want to criminalize art.
Should a loincloth be put on Michelangelo's David?
How about a bra on the Venus de Milo.
Maybe they could print stickers shaped like fig leaves to place strategically on the "offending" parts.

The hypocrisy of Montana’s legislative Republicans, especially our area legislative members of the Montana “Freedom Caucus,” know no bounds. They are Senator Steve Hinebauch of Wibeaux, Representatives Bob Phalen of Lindsay, and Jerry Schillinger of Circle. They promote freedom by freely telling Montanans, especially women, what medical procedures are permitted. They also want to tell us what books are allowed to be read.

These members of the “freedom caucus” claim to be made of conservative steel. While claiming to protect Montanans’ freedom, believing in small government, they are especially in the fight to control out-of-control federal spending. Of course they do not practice what they preach in fighting federal spending if it involves them. Representative Phalen, while claiming that Covid relief is “fiscally irresponsible,” took $51,662 in federal PPP loans that he did not repay. Of course as a farmer, from 1995 to 2020, he took $1,047,121 in federal subsidy money. During the same period, 1995 to 2020, Senator Hinebauch took $1.43 million and Representative Schillinger took $1.51 million in federal money.

It is not my intention to criticize all farm subsidy programs as they bring needed dollars into this state. However, farm subsidy payments to giant out-of-state corporations do little for Montana’s economy. Further, I am tired of Republican legislators harping about personal responsibility and welfare, including other social-net programs, while they elbow their way to the federal trough.

Let us revisit Mr. fiscally responsible, Representative Bob Phalen. Yesterday, with bipartisan cosponsors, HB 252, providing for youth behavioral health screening, costing only about $2.2 million for a fiscal year was voted out of committee 18-3. It lost on the floor 49-51. How did this happen?

Phalen complained about the program's cost. He then complained that students’ mental health care isn't the solution. According to Phalen the solution is to "teach [students] self-worth, teach values such as honesty, integrity, manners and respect for one's self and others." This was from a guy who took $979 from the State of Montana taxpayers to attend a 2021 symposium put on by the “My Pillow Guy” in South Dakota.

Is this the same Bob Phalen who sponsored this bill HB 543?

AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING EDUCATION LAWS; REQUIRING PUPILS IN GRADES 3 THROUGH 12 TO RECEIVE INSTRUCTION ABOUT THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION; AUTHORIZING PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO INCLUDE A MOMENT OF SILENCE AFTER THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED STATES FLAG; AMENDING SECTIONS 20-7-111 AND 20-7-133, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

I'm surprised to learn Montana students aren't already taught about the United States Constitution.

Maybe it's not really about teaching the Constitution so much as it is about that "moment of silence".

Obviously, the moment of silence is to reflect upon all the genocides that the US has been a party to...

Those dummies also have proposed that only scientific fact, not theory, be taught in schools.

That means the Theory of Relativity in physics, and the theory of plate tectonics in geology, cannot be taught in our public schools. Meanwhile creationism, where Jesus is riding a dinosaur, can be taught in the private evangelical schools that the Republicans want to fund with taxpayer money.

There must be a lot of brainwashed people in Montana who watch far right news channels 24/7 to allow this nonsense to continue, by voting for idiots. I personally think it is their hatred for the woke. I do think the woke have gone overboard, but that isn't enough to make me become Republican stupid.

You have to pass a government class to graduate from high school in this state. It's been the law for decades. Government class covers the Constitution. The actual one. Not the weird one Republiecans dream about. The one that teaches separation of powers and checks and balances, which Republiecans HATE.

And -- surprise -- Republiecans don't want anyone learning science! If you get all science-y you might ask questions and demand factual answers! MUST NOT HAVE OUR POPULACE EDUCATED. It makes them uppity. There was a reason people of color and the lower classes in general weren't educated.

It gets worse every damn day.

THIS IS THE LATEST FROM THE MONTANA FREE PRESS:

"State lawmakers in the House of Representatives gave broad approval Monday to a bill that would allow medical providers, health care facilities and insurers to deny services based on “ethical, moral, or religious beliefs or principles,” signaling the bill’s likely advancement to the Senate this week.

House Bill 303, sponsored by Rep. Amy Regier, R-Kalispell, passed the Republican-majority chamber largely along party lines, with 65 votes in favor and 35 against, after roughly 20 minutes of debate.

Regier portrayed the bill as a “preservation and protection for medical conscience” in the state for practitioners and health care institutions that object to specific “lifestyle and elective procedures” such as physician aid in dying, prescribing marijuana or opioids, abortion procedures and gender-affirming medical care for transgender people.

“To be clear, this bill would not give the right to refuse to serve a person. It would only apply to the narrow circumstances where a nurse or physician cannot conscientiously perform a specific procedure,” Regier said.

A subsection of the bill says it is not meant to conflict with the federal emergency health care access law known as EMTALA as it applies to health care institutions, such as hospitals. But the bill does not provide a holistic exemption for emergency departments and emergency health care providers. When it comes to abortion, for example, the bill would require providers to opt-in to participating in those procedures in writing beforehand."

So, now we will be living in a state where a person can be denied medical coverage if the caregiver's religion does not approve of smoking, alcohol use, birth control, not being married (either single or cohabitating). We will become a state with conditions like Nazi Germany where neighbors, family and friends turned on people who where not toeing the party line.

What about the woman who is being beaten by her husband. Will she be denied medical care because she did not "honor and obey". Or the abused child who is not deemed to have "honored" their father?

What if the firefighter or police person that you call for help does not approve of your life style? Maybe you are not "christian" bur Jewish or Moslem? Will they soon be able to deny you help because of their "conscience"

This is getting beyond ridiculous.

IS THIS WHAT WE REALLY WANT?

Legislated Evangelism is no better than the Spanish Inquisition.

This guy is great. He is so on point.

I wrote to the education committee in opposition of this bill at the beginning of the week and asked them if this was a veiled way of prohibiting the teaching of the theory of evolution.
I hope they do not plan on teaching creationism, because that cannot be proven either. Scientists have been trying for years to find scientific proof of Genesis and other areas of the Bible. Not much luck yet.

And the holier than thou roll on.

More national press for Montana courtesy of Bob Phalen:

Montana House Advances Obscenity Bill That Would Subject School Employees to Criminal Liability

Bob Phalen, Montana Taliban, led by Giantfart and the AG.

I no longer tell people I'm from Montana.

I am quite sure the "Theory of Evolution" is at the heart of it because the bozo proposing it doesn't know about the "Theory of Relativity" or Gravity or Plate Tectonics because he is intentionally ignorant. And rich kids can go to private schools to get a good education so they can go to college. Poor kids shouldn't go to college anyway. Looks what happens when poor kids learn about science. You end up with a Maurice Hilleman and all that vaccine nonsense.