Guest Opinions

Montana constitution secures our voting rights

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For over fifty years, the 1965 Voting Rights Act has served to prohibit discriminatory election practices and ensure all Americans are treated equally in exercising their right to vote. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act pertains directly to redistricting and makes it illegal for states to dilute the voting power of minority communities.

Family farms benefit from the Capper-Volstead Act

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February, 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the Capper-Volstead Act. This is one of the most important agricultural laws ever passed for farmers. Capper-Volstead gave agricultural producers the right to collective bargain their production with other producers. This is commonplace today, but it was innovative and very much needed in 1922. Prior to Capper-Volstead’s passage, producers attempting to join together for the purpose of pricing their commodities could have civil penalties brought against them.

Anticompetitive practices are the target of new online tool

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The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Justice recently launched an online tool designed to help farmers and ranchers submit anonymous comments about anticompetitive behavior in the meat and poultry industries.

Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness

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Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness are words that our incredible country’s forbears enshrined in our Declaration of Independence from the tyranny of King George III. These simple words are the very core of our unalienable rights bestowed on us by our Creator. But why, you may ask, did Thomas Jefferson write it this way? Mr. Jefferson and our founding fathers drew upon the wisdom and guidance distilled through the arc of history from such varied and timeless sources as the Bible, Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, and John Locke. Thomas Jefferson and the rest of our founding fathers realized that nothing is possible without first the Right to Life.

The Discipline of Solitude

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There is renewed interest these days in the practice of spiritual disciplines. Though there is no consensus on exactly how many disciplines there are, there is wide-held agreement that they are important to the ongoing process of spiritual growth. The idea for them is rooted in Scripture, of course, which clearly calls people to engage in specific activities that help to define one’s Christian witness – Prayer, Fasting, and Charity to name just a few. But, in today’s fast-paced, clamorous, and chaotic world, I believe there is one discipline that each of us would benefit from practicing more sincerely: Solitude.

Grant program will assist with rural community energy development

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A new federal program is offering grant funding for rural communities to develop community renewable energy projects.

Biochar: A soil amendment that offers multiple benefits to climate, soil health, water quality

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Biochar is an agricultural practice that is gaining in popularity, but what is it?

Would you be willing to consider that this might be a much bigger storm?

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My husband’s brother died Jan. 18 from COVID-19 in a crowded Denver ICU. Although they have no idea where it came from, his wife contracted it too. She died Jan. 25, without ever knowing that her husband of 40-plus years had succumbed to a virulent pandemic disease.

The choice of mental health services is now

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As State Superintendent, I very much appreciate the discussion on student mental health with our Montana Legislature. Last spring, over 41% of Montana high school students reported feelings of sadness or hopelessness for two or more weeks in a row. In this survey, 98% of all school districts participated, representing 16,848 students in grades 7 through 12.

Remember the good old days

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Jan. 4 – a new year, new challenges, many things to be thankful for, new opportunities to be positive, and not focus on all the negative issues today, but when you have a day like I did today, I longed for the good old days. Remember when people used their phone only for talking to each other – the phone on the wall or tale – and you could call a company or store and get a real person? When you could conduct business ear to ear and face to face and not have to use the internet? When you did not have to depend on a smart phone and your email for important reminders and messages that in the past you would get a real phone call or letter; not a text message which you may not have looked at for days?