When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade back in June of this year it sent the abortion issue back to the states.
The state legislatures, courts, and governors will now be held accountable by state voters for whatever abortion laws they pass and uphold in this new landscape.
State lawmakers in Cascade County and Great Falls are now faced with a question they probably didn’t anticipate having to answer when they filed for office in early 2022, but E-City Beat will be asking each of them that question, along with a couple of other local issue questions, in an email questionnaire later this week.
We look forward to receiving answers from local legislative candidates and providing those responses for our readers.
We’re posing the abortion question here as a poll question for our readers:
E-City Beat has invited local political candidates for legislature and county office to send us a profile and summary of their reasons for running. See email text below.
FRED ANDERSON (R) HD20 – anderson.for.legislature.hd20@gmail.com SAMANTHA RISPENS (D) HD20 – srispens4mt@gmail.com
ED BUTTREY (R) HD21 – ed@buttrey4montana.com LELA GRAHAM (D) HD21 – grahamhd21@gmail.com
NICK R. D. HENRY (D) HD22 – relativity98003@yahoo.com TONY ROSALES (L) HD22 – trrosales@gmail.com LOLA SHELDON-GALLOWAY (R) HD22 – Lola4Montana@yahoo.com
DAVID GRUBICH – DISTRICT COURT JUDGE – judgegrubich@gmail.com MICHELE R. LEVINE – DISTRICT COURT JUDGE – michelereinhart@gmail.com
RAE GRULKOWSKI (R) CASCADE COUNTY COMMISSION – raeforcascadecounty@3rivers.net DON RYAN (D) CASCADE COUNTY COMMISSION – senatordonryan@icloud.com
CASCADE COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER/AUDITOR/SURVEYOR SANDRA MERCHANT (R) – smerchantforcountyclerk@protonmail.com RINA FONTANA MOORE (D) – moorerinaf@msn.com
Greetings, Cascade County candidates.
In order to help fully inform Great Falls/Cascade County voters about the candidates and issues in the upcoming November election, E-City Beat is requesting a brief profile from each candidate.
We’re asking for you to provide our readers with a little personal bio (job, family, hobbies etc.), why you’re the best candidate for position, and your reasons for running.
We’d like you to also include the top one or two challenges you intend to tackle if you’re elected and how you would address those issues.
You may also include a profile picture (jpg or png) if you like.
Please keep your submission to 500 words or less and send it in MS Word format to ecitybeat@straymoose.com by Friday, August 26th. We will publish your submissions without edits or editorial comment.
Editors note: the opinions expressed in “Letters to the Editor” do not necessarily reflect the opinions of E-City Beat, our volunteer staff or contributors. All letters to the editor are welcome and will be considered for publication. Please include your name and city of residence and email to ectitybeat@straymoose.com.
I had an old minister some time ago who always liked to preach that when you point a finger at someone, be very careful because you have three more pointing right back at you, on your own hand. There seems to be a whole lot of finger pointing going on concerning the brouhaha over the homeless camp at the United Methodist Church (UMC) downtown as well as the homeless population, drug use, and crime in general. A well liked City Commissioner has appropriated it as his cause célèbre on social media. Well meaning people on both sides of the issue have lobbed Bible Verse Grenades at what is seen as the “other side”. There are several who aren’t so well meaning either. The downtown homeless population have been blamed for drug use, assaults, prostitution, indecent exposure, littering, jay-walking, sleeping in doorways, being dirty and unkempt, and an unsightly mess. I’m surprised they haven’t been accused of shooting JFK, being Jack the Ripper, hiding Jimmy Hoffa’s body, or impersonating Lizzy Borden. According to some, it’s this unkempt ragtag group of useless ne’er-do-wells who are single handedly preventing unbridled development and investment into our downtown simply due to their inconvenient presence.
Much chest-beating hyperbole has gone into looking into causes and fixes. However it all boils down to blame the homeless. Get them out. Out of sight, out of downtown, out of Great Falls, out of mind. They are subhuman, not suitable for human interaction with our superior Great Falls “normals”. After all it’s easy to place the blame on the defenceless and castigate those (UMC) who are actually trying to make a difference while others just cry the blame game and point fingers.
Don’t misunderstand me here either. I know that some of those homeless/vagrants/destitute/wretched, whatever you tag them with, are committing crimes. Others are just homeless who have fallen on hard times, many so long they see no light at the end of the tunnel. Many have been so downtrodden their human dignity is something that they may not have lost, but our “normals” certainly don’t recognize it in them. Others are suffering from various mental illnesses and have been left to their own devices on the street, unable to comprehend reality. We shelter homeless animals better than we shelter our mentally ill. As William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army said in the mid-1800’s, the work horses get better treatment than those who are down and out. I can see nothing has changed in people’s minds since that time.
Yet we have the power to effect positive change if we would just quit finger pointing and blaming, hoping we can get someone to make the problem “disappear”. The first major step should be to effectively deal with the crime with real consequences. Real crime deserves real justice and not just punitive justice alone. That rests not on the backs of those committing the crime but on those who are prosecuting and judging that crime. The City & County prosecutors and judges need to step up to the plate and take responsibility for legal and judicial actions that return criminals to the streets instead of incarceration and rehabilitation. Much of this problem falls squarely on their lap. It doesn’t matter how many times our law enforcement arrests someone if the prosecutors and judges don’t hold up their ends. They have many tools available that they choose not to use. Treatment Court is one. Sentencing to the Great Falls Pre-Release Center (GFPRC) instead of jail is another. Work release can even be a part of the solution. The GFPRC has many programs available to help people transition into a self-sustaining community member. Judges can give stiff sentences but suspend any amount of the sentence which could then be automatically enacted should a person reoffend. Our City Commissioners could institute a “vagrancy enhancement” through city ordinances for drug and violent crimes that homeless commit. This, if established correctly, could give judges more leeway or authority in stronger sentencing. Anyone who absconds while on parole or probation would not be extradited back to Montana, but would serve their maximum sentence if caught in Montana.
Yet I doubt any of this will ever be done. It’s far easier to roust the destitute than it is to change “the establishment”. The “Crime Task Force”, baby of that City Commissioner mentioned earlier that just sat spinning its wheels is proof of that.
Editors note: the opinions expressed in “Letters to the Editor” do not necessarily reflect the opinions of E-City Beat, our volunteer staff or contributors. All letters to the editor are welcome and will be considered for publication. Please include your name and city of residence and email to ectitybeat@straymoose.com.
I am writing today to express my strong support for Congressman Matt Rosendale and his campaign for re-election to Montana’s new, second congressional district.
One of the many reasons I will be casting my vote for Rosendale this election is that he’s not afraid to vote against bad legislation. One of these pieces of bad legislation being Biden’s outrageous $1.5 Trillion spending package.
This spending package was another attempt by the far left to expand the size of the federal government while ignoring the basic needs of American citizens. Instead of addressing real needs, this bill actually included billions of dollars for the Green New Deal, vaccine mandates, and other Democrat pet-projects.
While other elected officials prefer to test which way the political winds are blowing before casting their vote, Matt can be relied on to stand his ground and make the right choices.
I applaud Congressman Rosendale for taking these tough votes and for voting against Joe Biden’s out-of-control spending. We need more people in Congress like Matt Rosendale who understand that more government spending means higher inflation, higher fuel prices, and a higher overall cost of living for all Montanans.
On a different note, I would also like to thank Congressman Rosendale for his support of Red Lodge after the flooding that occurred last month. I am grateful to have a Congressman who steps up to support local communities in times of need.
Please join me in supporting Congressman Matt Rosendale for re-election in Montana’s eastern congressional district!
‘Twitter does not allow users to “engage in the targeted harassment of someone, or incite other people to do so.”
Ruth Sent Us to shut down the website where the addresses were posted on June 9, shortly after an armed man was arrested near Kavanaugh‘s home after telling officers he wanted to kill the justice. The group denied publishing Kavanaugh’s address at the time and scoffed at the severity of the charges, tweeting: “It just wasn’t a serious assassination attempt.” ‘
Several Great Falls activists have also recently posted SCOTUS home addresses on their social media pages.
Earlier this month Nicholas John Roske, 26, was arrested outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and has been charged with attempted murder in an assassination plot.
At the time of his arrest Roske had in his possession a tactical knife, a pistol with two magazines and ammunition, pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer, a screwdriver, a nail punch, a crowbar, a pistol light and duct tape, in addition to other items, according to the affidavit.
Kavanaugh was at home with his wife and two young children at the time Roske was outside his home according to a source, as reported by the Washington Post.
Yesterday, an elected official with the Cascade County Democratic Central Committee posted on her Facebook page, ‘Jasmine Taylor for Montana’, a picture containing the home addresses of SCOTUS Justices with the message, ‘If my uterus has no right to privacy than neither do these fuckers.’
E-City Beat has covered the addresses in the screenshots for this post.
Taylor is a Cascade County Democratic Central Committee precinct captain in precinct 22A in Great Falls, according to the CCDCC website.
Editor’s note: The cover photo for this story showsJasmine Taylor (right) posing with Cascade County Democrat Central Committee Vice Chair Helena Lovick for their wtf406 blog.
On Friday morning E-City received an email containing screenshots of several posts on a Facebook page called ‘Jasmine Taylor For Montana’.
Taylor is a Cascade County Democrat Central Committee precinct captain in precinct 22A in Great Falls, according to the CCDCC website.
She also ran for state legislature in 2020 and for Great Falls city commission in 2019, losing both times.
Below are the screenshots of the Taylors posts from this week.
“Everything about our country’s policing system is shameful…I will say again, defund the police.” – Jasmine Taylor, Cascade County Democrat Precinct Captain
The full text of Taylor’s post on the above screenshot.
I ran this letter in the Tribune in May of 2015 and nobody was concerned.
“Russian Payoffs
If I publicly said some of these environmental groups look like communists, my friends would say I’ve been in the sun too long.
However, now I read in the International California Mining Journal where Russian oil executives have been funneling tens of millions of dollars to American environmental groups. This money is laundered through the Bermuda and California-based See Change Foundation.
Environmental groups received $100 million in grants in 2010 and 2011 from See Change! This dark money is being used to influence our government leaders from the top down, plus many people employed by our government.
I believe groups such as the Sierra Club can buy a lot of influence with this kind of dark money while members are being used as pawns. While being told they’re saving the planet, this dark money is not about protecting the environment. It’s about destroying our economy and our country. If my mother were still alive, she would say that’s exactly how communism works.
This explains why these groups file suit to stop all resource development. They can also get paid legal fees at taxpayer expense by sympathetic Federal judges, which just encourages more lawsuits. Yes , we’re being duped. If they were pro-American they would give constructive advice. As a tired farmer, I’ll go get some more sunshine.”
Now 7 years latter these environmentalist have killed mining for oil and coal extraction so we import oil and platinum from evil people who use our US dollars to build war machines to slaughter people. To me, it’s very clear, these obstructive groups have a lot of blood on their hands. These groups include everybody from our Federal Judges to the EPA, and the Forest Service, our Wilderness Assoc. and our media.
The Ukraine people are paying a terrible price for these green peoples dream.
Today April 13, 2022 Tribune has two articals of Federal Judges stopping the Forest Service and DEQ from doing their job.
Representative Wendy McKamey is happy to announce her candidacy for Senate District 12.
A local Cascade County area rancher along with her husband Les, Wendy raised their seven children: Monika, Michael, Mark, Matthew, Mitchell Marshall and Merrill in the wholesome, hard-working environment of production agriculture. She’s been employed as a teacher, the area executive director for the American Cancer Society, an account executive, and remains primarily a mother and business woman who happens to hold a Bachelor of Science degree in management. McKamey is known for her over 40 years of active service to the community in Great Falls and Cascade schools, in FFA, Boy Scouts, 4-H, numerous community Boards and her church. Wendy is an accomplished pianist and remains active in sharing that with the community-at-large, as well. Wendy McKamey previously represented half of the District 12 area well as the Representative for House District 23 and is excited for the opportunity to serve them again, along with House District 24 as they together form the entirety of Senate District 12.
Wendy McKamey’s voting record consistently aligns with the United States Constitution and she has solidly represented these values while serving first HD23 and then HD19 for a total of four sessions in the Montana House of Representatives. McKamey has consequently received endorsements and commendations from Montana Farm Bureau, Montana Chamber of Commerce, Montana Contractors, United Property Owners of Montana, Montana Realtors Association, Montana Family Foundation, Montana Medical Association, American Conservative Union, Americans For Prosperity, National Federation of Independent Business- Montana, Montana Shooting Sports Association and National Rifle Association. Examples of Wendy McKamey’s work in the 67th Legislative Session in 2021 include:
Sponsored and Passed HB 11, which appropriates Treasure State Endowment funds for infrastructure projects and emergency grants to local governments.
Sponsored and Passed comprehensive election integrity and security legislation.
Sponsored and Passed HB 351, which allows local school boards to provide students personalized, proficiency-based education.
Authorized healthcare co-ops and allowed the purchase of healthcare across state lines to keep costs affordable.
Voted to allow individuals to carry a concealed firearm if otherwise lawfully entitled to possess one.
A Life member of the NRA, Wendy McKamey is a strong supporter of 2nd Amendment rights, and will continue to fight for free enterprise and job creation unhindered by excessive regulation; quality education with local school control; intelligent development of Montana’s abundant resources and simplified tax code with the lowest taxes as possible.
Here’s Wendy McKamey’s personal message to each of you: “It will be my pleasure to meet you in the near future as I go door to door in the District. In the meantime, I encourage you to contact me. You are welcome to email me at wsgmckamey@gmail.com or call me at home: 866-3300. I want what you want. Let’s work together. I appreciate your vote”
The reason I decided to run for Senate District 12 is my opponent has lost touch with Montana values. My opponent does not live in SD 12 or even in Great Falls. I believe SD 12 deserves a Senator that lives in the District, not out of town, and understands our issues.
I have serious concerns about Montana healthcare issues. Nursing homes and hospitals around the country are critically short staffed, thanks to federal government vaccine mandates which forced many out of the profession. Now the feds want to mandate staffing ratios. As someone with first-hand knowledge of healthcare issues, I know federal government involvement is not the way. I believe Montana can fix our own problems. SD 12 deserves better.
I believe the current challenges facing Montana include: Inflation is highest in 40 years. Government needs to work within a budget, while holding taxes down. Montana needs to increase our natural resources and oil production. Montana needs to become a place for companies to look to relocated from high tax states, and those moving back to the USA. Illegal drugs, and human trafficking need to be addressed, as well as homelessness. I support Law Enforcement and a strong Military.
I have worked in retail, insurance and advertising. When I became a CNA that I found my passion. I started at the Liberty Medical Center in Chester and continued at Benefis Health Systems in Great Falls. While at Benefis I worked in the Patient Flow Department, which places staff in different departments based on workload need. I continued at Benefis as a nurse after getting my LPN and RN.
My love of nursing led me to become a Clinical Nursing Instructor at GFC-MSU, helping others become nurses. This year marked my 6th graduating class of LPN’s and RN’s.
I attended The College of Great Falls (University of Providence) and graduated with a B.S. in Social Psychology from Park University at Malmstrom AFB. I received my LPN and RN from Great Falls College – MSU.
I have been involved in a number of organizations over the years, including: Young Republicans, Pachyderms, Junior League, GFC-MSU Nursing Advisory Board, Missouri River Women Shooters and have trained with the Community Emergency Response Team.
My parents Don Tornberg and Marilyn Carrico were both born and raised in Great Falls. I am a 4th generation Montanan, and 3rd generation resident of Senate District 12. We moved to Oregon when I was 4, and after my father died, returned to Montana. I lived in Missouri for 1 year and New York for 1.5 years, always returning to Great Falls. There is just no place like home.
In 2005 I married Shawn Meissner of Chester where we spent a few years splitting time between his family ranch, and my home in Great Falls. We made Great Falls are primary home in 2008, I enjoy spending time with family, reading, camping, and volunteering.
