Legislative Poison Pills: How Good Laws Get Killed in the Shadows

Legislator signing documents at a desk, symbolizing how legislative poison pills quietly alter and weaken good bills before passage.

Every legislative session in Helena, lawmakers roll out their “good bills” — proposals they say will fix what’s broken, protect the rights Montanans care about, or keep government in check. But too often, those promises don’t survive the journey from committee to the Governor’s desk. Somewhere between the first draft and the final vote, bills…

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Trust in Elections Starts with Hand Counting Ballots

Four Montana election judges seated at a table hand-counting paper ballots under public observation, with an American flag in the background. The scene conveys transparency, civic duty, and trust in the election process.

In a Republic, faith in the voting process is the cornerstone of every election. Without it, the entire system falters. It doesn’t matter who wins or loses—if citizens don’t believe the ballot counting process was fair, then our democracy loses its foundation. As someone who has spent decades in the technology industry, I can tell…

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Citizen Accountability: Holding Politicians Responsible

Symbol of citizen accountability in government — Americans participating in democracy to protect liberty and self-government.

In a Republic, like we have in these United States of America, the greatest threat to liberty isn’t the politician who overreaches — it’s the citizen who looks the other way. Once the votes are counted, the job is done — at least that’s what most of us like to believe. We elect good people,…

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