26 February 2019 — 0521 mst

Raw milk legalization bill fails as 49 Republican
legislators embrace science based public health policy

Rep. Walt Sales attempt to legalize some sales of raw milk in Montana failed when the MT House rejected HB-490 yesterday, 35–65. That was a surprise, as was the distribution of votes.

Democrats favored the bill 26–16. But only nine Republicans supported the bill while 49 opposed it.

Two Flathead representatives, Democrat Dave Fern and Republican Frank Garner, voted for the bill. Democrat Zac Perry voted against the bill, as did Republicans Matt Regier, Carl Glimm, John Fuller, David Dunn, Mark Noland, Derek Skees, and Polson based Greg Hertz (his district is part of SD-6, which includes southwest Kalispell).

Download spreadsheet with tally organized by party and vote.

This was a deeply puzzling outcome — and for Democrats, the self-styled party of science and reality based policy making, a deeply troubling one. Montana’s Republicans emerge as defenders of science, while Montana’s Democrats emerge as science stiffarming luddites.

Why?

Did Democratic state representatives drink something that caused them to lose their bearings and blunder into Know Nothing Land? Or were they snookered by the Republicans into gutting pasteurization laws so that they appear as fact denying ignoramuses and hypocrits?

MT House minority leader Casey Schreiner, who voted against HB-490, needs to gather his flock for a come to Jesus meeting before his caucus loses all credibility on science and health care.

The four-day transmittal break starts Sunday, 3 March. Most legislators will be home. This would be a good time for Democrats to accost their blessings who voted for HB-490. Give them a chance to explain themselves — that should be entertaining — then let them know why their vote was wrong and stupid.