Where and when are we in the time and space of Legislative Land? Well, we are still in Helena. Some of us are in home-offices on Zoom and/or streaming hearings. Some of us are at the Capitol lurking in dark corners while streaming hearings so we know what the heck is going on behind the closed doors that we can’t go through unless testifying. And all of us are almost halfway through the session.
Helena – Week 7. Hi, hello, how are ya? I bet you just love that I’m gracing your inbox on Valentine’s Day, especially when Monday is a federal holiday and you’re looking forward to not thinking about legislation and instead are dreaming about sleeping in.
Helena – Well hello Week 6, have you seen my shoes? No? How about my jeep keys? No? My vacuum-sealed, double-walled, burn-my-lips, keep-my-coffee-hot-forever, travel mug? No? Hmmmm . . .
On February 5th, MACo and the MSU Local Government Center hosted a virtual “townhall” to provide Montana’s counties with a venue and opportunity to share and learn from the situations and best practices in their communities around the state as well as receive pertinent updates during this unprecedented time.
Helena – Welcome to week five of the 67th Legislative Session! Holy cannoli folks, we are ONE MONTH IN and one month down. It’s been . . . an adventure. A quiet, yet loud, slow, yet busy, calm, but chaotic adventure. Rest-assured that your ever-faithful, never-tiring MACo lobbyists and friendly local government advocacy groups are holding the line, presenting the facts, and keeping you folks informed.
HELENA – Legislative week four, here we come . . . It is week four, right? One month into the session is about the time when regular time starts to turn into Legislative Twilight Zone Time (LTZT).
On January 22nd, MACo and the MSU Local Government Center hosted a virtual “townhall” to provide Montana’s counties with a venue and opportunity to share and learn from the situations and best practices in their communities around the state as well as receive pertinent updates during this unprecedented time.
Well, we’ve done it—another legislative week in the books. How is it going? Glad you asked. Committees are still convening in person. Each committee is different as to how they allow public participation. The committees that are meeting in the smaller rooms allow for one person to come in at time, so proponents and opponents stand in line and wait to be called upon. Most Chairs allow for in-person testimony first, followed by online participation. This logic revolves around avoiding groups of people being congregated in one area for too long.
The 67th Legislative Session is freshly underway, having just convened last Monday, January 4th. The usual hustle and bustle of the Capitol building–often filled with legislators, lobbyists, the public, and guided tours–was unnervingly absent. Some legislators and advocates still haunted the halls, but for the most part, the first week’s chaos migrated primarily to computer screens, cell phones, and emails.
On January 8th, MACo and the Local Government Center hosted a virtual “townhall” to provide Montana’s counties with a venue and opportunity to share and learn from the situations and best practices in their communities around the state as well as receive pertinent updates during this unprecedented time.
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