14 April 2015

All Flathead GOP Reps. oppose blasting CSKT compact to floor

Today was a good day for majority rule in the Montana Legislature. Eleven Republicans (below) joined with all Democrats to blast SB-262, Sen. Chas Vincent’s bill to approve the water compact with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, to the floor of the MT House for its second reading, which will occur tomorrow. The final vote: 52 Ayes, 48 Nays.

All Republican legislators from the Flathead — Keith Regier, Carl Glimm, Frank Garner, Steve Lavin, Randy Brodehl, Mark Noland, and Albert Olszewski — voted against the blast. Or putting it another way, they voted to kill the bill, to deny approval of the compact, and to condemn Montana to years of costly and divisive litigation that the CSKT most likely will win.

It’s possible that one or two of these men know that approving the compact is the smart policy decision, but if so, none had the courage to defy the local Republican machine and risk excommunication from the party. That was why the Flathead Republican Party censured Sen. Bruce Tutvedt (SD-3) for supporting the compact: to keep the rest of the local delegation in line.

There’ll be more diehard parliamentary maneuvering to kill or poison SB-262, but the odds are it will pass without amendments. That won’t be the last step in the ratification process. Congress must also approve the compact, after which I believe the CSKT must approve it. Congressional approval will require the support of Rep. Ryan Zinke and Sen. Steve Daines.

Republicans who voted to blast SB-262 to the 2nd reading in the House