The Flathead Beacon has an excellent report on Ed Butcher's horse slaughter bill, indicating that, even if the bill passes, a horse slaughterhouse faces regulatory obstacles: "Even if Gov. Brian Schweitzer signs the bill into law, a slaughter facility might encounter an inspection regime that could restrict its access to markets - raising the stakes for any company considering the investment of millions to build a slaughterhouse."
Speaking of the Beacon, it looks like I wasn't the only one who thought some of Montana's House representatives were relieved not to have to vote on the death penalty ban.
Jhwygirl has the roundup of legislative activity for the week...which seem to be dominated by giveaways to the coal industry. Does Schweitzer's veto of the horse slaughter bill augur similar action on other bills that try to slip off the fetters of environmental regulation?
Ochenski: "There are a lot more bad environmental bills out there than just HB 483, but the seminal question is why the Legislature is pursuing these measures. For one thing, the recession has significantly lowered projections for energy as businesses slow down or close and consumers reduce costs by conserving. The recent rush to develop all available energy sources-dirty or clean, finite or renewable-now seems both unwise and unnecessary. To give Montana's environment second billing to energy production by cutting our citizens out of the permitting processes also makes no sense. And finally, as we know through long experience, trashing the environment for short-term gains has never paid off for Montanans."
Politics, Peaks, and Valleys is en fuego, first writing about a House bill that would allow local agencies to sideslip federal clean water regulations. PPV: "...what this has to do with Montana and SB-95 is the federal money coming down the pike for local water infrastructure. It's the piece of the stimulus bill that hopes to use federal money to rebuild water infrastructure like local septic and sewer systems through revolving loan programs already in existence. In Montana, for example, the DEQ, and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), oversee a variety of loans that dish out millions to local governments to rebuild and renew their local water systems at extremely low interest rates.
"New stimulus money is finding its way to these programs, but with SB-95 looking to pass, the impetus to bring local municipalities up to speed with water quality standards through costly water sytem restoration projects is gone...
And then there's this post on state AG Steve Bullock and Senator Jon Tester's efforts to protect Montana farmers from BNSF...
Jhwygirl has a post up on physician-assisted suicide in Montana -- remember that a district judge recently ruled that Montanans have a right to the practice? -- well the appeal by state AG McGrath was dismissed, effectively making it legal in the state. But the state's terminally ill are still being denied the right to die...
Ezra Klein on the latest GOP budget: "This week, Representative Paul Ryan is proposing a budget that will be widely mocked because the numbers it contains make no sense. That's an improvement, to be sure, but it's the difference between a schoolchild missing a multiplication problem because he left it blank and missing a multiplication problem because he wrote down eleventy-seven. Numbers only matter if they're right."
Still cleaning up the Bush administration mess: US Attorney General Holder asks that the conviction of Ted Stevens be dropped because of "prosecutorial misconduct." I admire the ethics but am distraught that a dangerous criminal like Stevens is at large.
Watch Rachel Maddow make Colin Powell squirm about the Bush administration's use of torture...
Dahlia Lithwick pushes back against the rightwing efforts to derail Obama administration appointments. This is one story that's slipping under the radar, but the GOP is ushering in an era of radical politics by blocking reasonable appointments.
White House Budget Director, Peter Orszag, on The Daily Show. During the interview, Orszag says that health care will drive our fiscal future and advocates reform.
Joe the Plumber is rallying against the Employee Free Choice Act...only he doesn't know what's in the bill. d-day: "When you watch this, keep in mind that Republicans at the highest levels thought it was a great idea to elevate Joe the Plumber to a position of authority." Actual plumbers shouted, "rat, rat, rat!" at Joe during the rally.
My new favorite comedian, Louis CK:
And...finally...a day in the life of a Montana dog...
