Abortion-rights activists score wins at state level

In the 2024 U.S. election. abortion-rights ballot measures passed in seven of ten states, including five won by Trump/Vance.

Abortion protest, New York, May 2022. Photo by Legoktm. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Pro-Choice Abortion Initiatives Pass in Seven Out of Ten States | Reason | Elizabeth Nolan Brown:

November 6, 2024 - "Measures meant to protect abortion access were approved by voters in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and New York.... Until yesterday, the pro-choice position [has] prevailed in every state where abortion-related measures were on the ballot, including in red states such as Kansas, Kentucky, and Ohio. That ... pattern is broken somewhat by results in Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota.... 

• In Florida, 57 percent of voters supported Amendment 4, an Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion ... but it falls short of the 60 percent approval threshold required for constitutional amendments in Florida.
• In Nebraska, 48.7 percent of voters approved the state's Right to Abortion measure, (Initiative 439), which would have amended the constitution to declare that 'all persons shall have a fundamental right to abortion until fetal viability'.... [A] competing measure — Initiative 434 — passed 55.3 percent to 44.7 percent.... Initiative 434 ... allows for first trimester abortions but prohibits second and third trimester abortion unless 'necessitated by a medical emergency or when the pregnancy results from sexual assault or incest'....
• [I]n South Dakota — where it's currently criminal to perform an abortion or prescribe abortion medication unless a pregnant woman's life is at risk ... [v]oters rejected Amendment G — a citizen-led initiative to enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution— by almost 20 percentage points (with 87 percent of votes counted)..... 
• In Arizona, voters approved Proposition 139, a measure that enshrines a 'fundamental right' to abortion until fetal viability in the state's constitution. Abortion is currently legal in Arizona only until 15 weeks pregnancy. Voters rejected this status quo, with about 62 percent voting for Proposition 139 with 60 percent of votes tallied.
• In Missouri, where abortion is currently illegal except in medical emergencies, voters approved Amendment 3, a constitutional amendment declaring that 'the Government shall not deny or infringe upon a person's fundamental right to reproductive freedom, which is the right to make and carry out decisions about all matters relating to reproductive health care, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions'.... 
• In Maryland, where abortion is currently legal until fetal viability, voters overwhelmingly approved Question 1, also known as the Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment. The tally was about 74 percent for and just 26 percent with three-quarters of votes counted. Initiated by state lawmakers, ... the amendment says 'the State may not, directly or indirectly, deny, burden, or abridge the right [to an abortion] unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.'
• In Montana, where abortion is currently legal until fetal viability, voters approved The Right to Abortion Initiative, also known as CI-128. The measure will amend the state constitution to say 'there is a right to make and carry out decisions about one's own pregnancy, including the right to abortion,' and 'this right shall not be denied or burdened unless justified by a compelling government interest achieved by the least restrictive means'....
• In Nevada, where abortion is now legal until 24 weeks pregnancy, voters approved Question 6.... The measure states that the right to an abortion 'shall not be denied, burdened, or infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest that is achieved by the least restrictive means.' With 84 percent of Nevada votes counted, it was up 63.3 percent to 36.7 percent. However, it must pass again in 2026 to be enacted.
• In Colorado, where abortion is currently legal throughout pregnancy, voters passed Amendment 79.... The measure repeals a 1984 amendment prohibiting the use of public funds for abortion and creates a new constitutional amendment stating that 'the right to abortion is hereby recognized. Government shall not deny, impede, or discriminate against the exercise of that right, including prohibiting health insurance coverage for abortion'....

"Trump won Florida, Missouri, and Montana and ... Arizona and Nevada ... yet a majority of voters in these states, too, opted to support legal abortion."

Read more: https://reason.com/2024/11/06/pro-choice-abortion-initiatives-pass-in-seven-out-of-ten-states/

Wyoming and Alabama to end mask mandates

Wyoming Becomes Latest GOP-Led State To Drop Mask Mandate | Forbes - Alison Durkee:

March 8, 2021 - "Wyoming will lift its statewide mask mandate on March 16 along with other restrictions on businesses including restaurants and bars, Gov. Mark Gordon announced Monday.... In addition to lifting the mask mandate, restaurants, bars, gyms and theaters will be allowed to resume 'normal operations,' Gordon said, with more details on the lifted orders to be announced later this week. Gordon’s office cited the state’s 'continually improving health metrics' as the reason behind the change, as well as the governor’s 'approach of balancing public health with protecting livelihoods.'

"The governor had previously lifted some restrictions in the state starting March 1, including on businesses like salons and barber shops, but the mask mandate stayed in effect. Wyoming imposed its mask mandate in December as Covid-19 cases in the state surged, and it requires people to wear masks indoors in businesses, government facilities, healthcare settings and on public transportation, with some exceptions. The state currently has social distancing guidelines in place for restaurants that do not restrict capacity, but directs tables to be spaced apart and requires people to be seated at tables or booths, among other social distancing recommendations....

"Wyoming follows Texas and Mississippi in dropping their mask mandates, which has sparked controversy and been decried by President Joe Biden as 'Neanderthal thinking.' Montana, Iowa and North Dakota have also lifted their mask orders in recent months. The rescinded guidance is part of a broader trend of states getting rid of various Covid-19 restrictions as cases have dropped following a holiday season surge and as more Americans get vaccinated. 

"The wave of reopenings, which public health officials have opposed, has been seen in both Republican and Democratic-led states: Connecticut’s Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont lifted the state’s capacity restrictions on businesses like restaurants and gyms last week, for instance, while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday the state would raise capacity for indoor dining to 75% outside of New York City.

"Arkansas is poised to lift its mask mandate on March 31 if certain health metrics are met, and Alabama will follow April 9, after Gov. Kay Ivey extended her mask order last week for another month but said she will not extend it further. 

"A number of other Republican governors have been hesitant to follow suit and overturn their own mask mandates, however, with leaders in West Virginia, Utah, Ohio, Indiana, Maryland and Massachusetts all signaling last week they had no intention to immediately revoke their orders."

Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/03/08/wyoming-becomes-latest-gop-led-state-to-drop-mask-mandate/

Voters legalize cannabis in 5 U.S. states

Every Single Marijuana And Drug Policy Ballot Measure Passing On Election Day Bolsters Federal Reform Push | Marijuana Moment - Kyle Jaeger: 

November 4, 2020 - " Marijuana and drug policy reform swept across the board in Tuesday’s elections, giving advocates a major boost as they push to end federal prohibition. Five more states legalized cannabis in some form and Oregon became the first state to legalize psilocybin mushrooms for therapy and also more broadly decriminalize drug possession. Meanwhile, voters in Washington, D.C. also approved a measure to decriminalize psychedelics in the nation’s capital....

• "Arizona [v]oters passed an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. This comes four years after voters in the state rejected a similar measure, signaling that support for the policy change continues to grow as the reform movement spreads. Under the new legalization law, adults will be able to possess up to an ounce of marijuana at a time and cultivate up to six plants for personal use.
• "Mississippi [a]ctivists overcame numerous obstacles both to qualify their now-passed medical cannabis legalization measure for the ballot.... The proposal will allow patients with debilitating medical issues to legally obtain marijuana after getting a doctor’s recommendation ... and patients would be allowed to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana per 14-day period.
• "Montana ... approved a measure to legalize marijuana for adult use. They also passed a separate constitutional amendment stipulating that only those 21 and older can participate in the market. The main statutory reform measure will establish a legal system of cannabis production and sales.
• "New Jersey ... voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum to legalize recreational marijuana. The legislature will still have to pass enabling legislation to set up regulations for the program, but a top lawmaker recently said that a bill to accomplish that could be introduced as early as Thursday....
• "Oregon ... became the first in the nation to pass separate initiatives to legalize psilocybin mushrooms for therapeutic purposes and decriminalize possession of all currently illicit drugs. Under the psilocybin measure, adults will be able to access the psychedelic in a medically supervised environment.... The decriminalization proposal will remove criminal penalties for low-level drug possession offenses. Instead, those caught possessing a controlled substance will be subject to a $100 fine or be required to complete a health assessment within 45 days.
• "South Dakota on Tuesday became the first state in the U.S. to go from strictly prohibitionist to legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana. The recreational measure, which is a constitutional amendment, will make it so people 21 and older will be able to possess and distribute up to one ounce of marijuana, and they will also be allowed to cultivate up to three cannabis plants. The medical cannabis initiative will make a statutory change to allow patients suffering from debilitating conditions to possess and purchase up to three ounces of marijuana from a licensed dispensary.
• "Washington, D.C. [v]oters approved a local initiative to decriminalize possession of a wide range of psychedelics, including psilocybin, ayahuasca and ibogaine.... Under the new law, possession and use of the psychedelics will be among the District’s lowest law enforcement priorities."

Read more: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/every-single-marijuana-and-drug-policy-ballot-measure-passing-on-election-day-bolsters-federal-reform-push/

Libertarian Burt elected to Wyoming state House

Libertarian Candidate Marshall Burt Wins Wyoming State House Race | Reason - Brian Doherty: 

November 4, 2020 - "The Libertarian Party (L.P.) had high hopes for a win in the Wyoming state House in two different races — and one of them came through. Marshall Burt has won in District 39 against Democrat Stan Blake, 1,696 to 1,420, according to Apollo Pazell, who was running the L.P.'s campaigns in the state. This is only the fifth time the L.P. has won a state legislative seat with a candidate running only under the Libertarian label. 

"In Wyoming's House District 55, Bethany Baldes, who in 2018 lost a state House race against an incumbent GOP majority leader by only 53 votes, lost to Republican Ember Oakley by only 32 votes, 2,058 to 2,026.

"In other L.P. races of note around America, Donald Rainwater, in a three-way race for governor of Indiana, has earned 13.1 percent of the vote with well over 90 percent of the results in. That is right in line with polling from last month, even though third-party results tend to fall precipitously from earlier polls when actual votes are cast. Rainwater came in ahead of Democrat Woody Myers in nearly two dozen counties around the state. Republican incumbent Eric Holcomb won reelection.

"In Arkansas, with 81 percent of the vote counted, the L.P.'s Ricky Harrington got 33.3 percent in his race to dethrone Republican Sen. Tom Cotton. (No Democrat was on the ballot.) Harrington won outright in two counties. In Pulaski County, which contains the state capitol of Little Rock, Harrington leads Cotton 59 percent to 41 percent.

"In Kentucky's Senate race, which Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell won with 58 percent of the vote, Libertarian Brad Barron got 4 percent while losing Democrat Amy McGrath earned 38 percent.

"In Montana, L.P. gubernatorial candidate Lyman Bishop currently has around 3.5 percent with about 52 percent of the votes counted. That's more than 10,000 votes in a race where the declared winner — Republican Greg Gianforte — is presently ahead of Democrat Mike Cooney by about that many votes."

Read more: https://reason.com/2020/11/04/libertarian-candidate-marshall-burt-wins-wyoming-state-house-race/

Libertarians oppose all the mandates

Libertarians are not against people social distancing, wearing facemasks, or vaccinating their kids. They are against people trying to bully or force other people to do those things.

Jo Jorgensen: 'Requiring People To Vaccinate Their Children Is One of the Most Egregious Things That the Government Can Do' | Reason - Matt Welch: 

October 10, 2020 = "As the Libertarian Party has established itself as the most electorally successful third party in the United States, voters have grown accustomed to the group's radical messaging against taxation, prohibition and war.... Less broadly known, though on full display in a streamed interview I conducted last night with presidential nominee Jo Jorgensen, is the party's antipathy toward international institutions, pandemic restrictions, and vaccine mandates.

"Jorgensen last night volunteered the latter as an example of the type of 'personal decision' best left to individuals, rather than determined via the political process. So I asked her whether, philosophically, she considered it wise for public schools to require children be vaccinated as a condition for enrollment. 'I think it is immoral,' she responded. Then, after noting that she personally has chosen to vaccinate her family, Jorgensen contrasted vaccination policy with the types of prohibitions Libertarians have long opposed — on drugs, gambling, vaping, consensual sex transactions, and so on.

"'All of these are laws that the government is telling you what not to do,' she said. 'Vaccinations, on the other hand — we're talking about somebody forcibly putting a substance into your body. I am just shocked that that's even a question in our country that is supposed to be free. And even though I have chosen vaccinations, and I've chosen vaccinations for my children, I would never use the excuse of herd immunity to force other people to put something into their bodies that they don't want to.'

"This is not a majority opinion – 82 percent of American adults favored school-based vaccines in 2016 ... [and] the vaccine mandate issue divides libertarians, too, as illustrated by Reason's 2014 debate "Should Vaccines Be Mandatory?" [Still] the COVID-19 pandemic has not only put such once-esoteric philosophical discussions on the political front-burner; it has given what many Libertarian candidates see as their opening.

"The Libertarian gubernatorial candidate making the biggest splash in 2020 is Indiana's Donald Rainwater, who has polled between 6 percent and 24 percent in a three-way race. 'Indiana Libertarian candidate for governor targets voters upset by COVID-19 mandates,' went the headline this week in The Indianapolis Star. 'I don't think it's the government's responsibility to tell people how to take care of themselves," Rainwater told the paper. "I think this all goes back to the idea that I get to choose what I do to keep myself safe. I am against mandating vaccines, too.'

"The other Libertarian gubernatorial candidate likely to make Election Day waves — Montana's Lyman Bishop, who is polling within shouting distance of the Republican-Democratic margin — is also campaigning against pandemic mandates. 

"'I have said from the beginning, asking people to stay home is one thing. Telling people they have to stay home is something else altogether,' Bishop recently told Montana Public Radio.   'The same logic applies to any other precautionary measure. In the face of any threat, our liberties and individual rights must come first.... The pending collapse of our economy and the steady growth of tyranny and authoritarianism in our country is of the utmost importance and supersedes all other issues. If we cannot address these issues there will be nothing left for us to discuss'....

"As we approach the finish line, the radical limited-government party is reacting more and more to big-government pandemic policies. The politics of face masks, it turns out, is not a strictly bipartisan affair."

Read more: https://reason.com/2020/10/16/jo-jorgensen-requiring-people-to-vaccinate-their-children-is-one-of-the-most-egregious-things-that-the-government-can-do/

Also read: Jo Jorgensen on lockdowns

Montana Libertarians nominate None of the Above for Senate

Libertarians won’t have 2020 candidate for U.S. Senate in Montana | KTVH - Mike Dennison:

August 6, 2020 - "The Montana Libertarian Party will be without a candidate in Montana’s 2020 U.S. Senate race, after party members failed to choose a replacement candidate last month. The lack of a Libertarian candidate leaves three people in the high-profile race: Incumbent Republican Sen. Steve Daines, his Democratic challenger, Gov. Steve Bullock, and Green Party candidate Wendie Fredrickson.

"Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Susan Good Giese – who had replaced a Libertarian candidate that withdrew in March – announced in May that she would withdraw. Giese, a Lewis and Clark County commissioner from Augusta, said commissioner duties related to the Covid-19 pandemic would not allow her enough time to campaign. Libertarians then had until mid-August to choose a replacement. Yet at a July meeting of party officials to select that replacement, the choice that won the most votes was 'none of the above'....

"Chairman Sid Daoud of Kalispell told MTN News that 'none of the above' is always a choice in a Libertarian Party selection process. He said it wasn’t his choice, but because it was the top vote-getter, the party won’t name a replacement candidate. Libertarians usually get only a small percentage of the vote in statewide races. But, in past Montana U.S. Senate races, a third-party candidate can be a factor in a close contest."

Read more: https://www.ktvh.com/news/election-2020/libertarians-wont-have-2020-candidate-for-u-s-senate-in-montana

A win for the Republicans
George J. Dance

Montana can be called a solidly red state. In 2000, George W. Bush won the state by 25 percentage points – in 2016, Donald Trump's margin was more than 20 points – and the Republican nominee won in Montana every election between those years. The state's only congressman is a Republican. The GOP controls both state houses. Yet the governor and the senior U.S. Senator are both Democrats. How did that happen?

In the Senator's case, it happened thanks to the Montana Libertarian Party. The state LP began gaining traction in the 2000s during the big-government Bush years, and since then has been seen as the place for disgruntled Republicans to vote against their party, with both major parties buying into that narrative. In 2016 the GOP tried to remove a Libertarian from the ballot; while in 2012 a Democrat-controlled PAC spent $500,000 on television ads for the Libertarian in the Senate race (which the Democrat won, with the Libertarian playing 'spoiler'). This year, given anti-Trump sentiment, the Libertarian could conceivably have bled enough votes from the GOP to elect a second Democratic senator.

To forestall that, the Republicans took a page from the Democratic playbook, and spent $100,000 to ballot-qualify the Green Party candidate – while the Democrats went to court to have the Green kicked off. The GOP may also have put pressure on Giese to withdraw from the race, and may even have tried to influence the Libertarian vote on her replacement (though that is mere speculation). Be that as it may, it looks like this development will be enough to keep the seat in Republican hands. 

MT GOP county commissioner runs Libertarian

Republican Commissioner to Run for Senate as Libertarian | U.S. News & World Report - Associated Press:

March 19, 2020 - "Lewis and Clark County Commission Chair Susan Geise has announced she will run for the U.S. Senate race as a Libertarian Party candidate after serving as a Republican because of differences with the Republican Party leaders and concerns about the toxicity of partisan politics. Geise filed Wednesday as a Libertarian after formerly serving as the chair of the Montana Republican Party in the 1990s....

"Geise was selected by the Libertarian Party on Tuesday to replace Eric Fulton of Bozeman, who withdrew on the last day of the regular election campaign filing period, meaning the party had until Wednesday to nominate a replacement candidate, she said. Geise told the Independent Record that she was concerned by allegations that Fulton was linked to the Republican Party and his dropping out was a political move to prevent the Libertarian Party from fielding a candidate.

"'I have read the allegations, I don’t have any facts about it and I hope that’s not true, that this individual was a Republican and it was maybe a tactic, or what I might call a dirty trick, so that suddenly the Libertarians would have no one,' she said. Fulton previously ran as a Republican for the Legislature, but said in an email he chose to withdraw after Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock entered the race to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Steve Daines....

"Geise served as a Republican on the commission since 2013, but recently attempted to make the commission elections nonpartisan in the future. She also was a state lawmaker representing Great Falls about 30 years ago. 'I want to be very clear, the Republicans and I have been unhappy with each other for a very long time, certainly since the 2016 election,' she said. 'I have elected dozens and dozens if not a hundred Republicans to elected office. I have invested my life to this and I feel that the Republican leadership profanes what we used to stand for and I can’t stomach it.'"

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/montana/articles/2020-03-19/republican-commissioner-to-run-for-senate-as-libertarian

Montana school choice fight goes to SCOTUS

Constitutional showdown: Montana school choice case heads to U.S. Supreme Court | News | bozemandailychronicle.com - Gail Schontzler:

January 19, 2020 - "The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit brought on behalf of Kendra Espinoza and two other Kalispell-area mothers whose children attend Stillwater Christian School. Their lawsuit against the Montana Department of Revenue concerns a school choice program that ... provided $3 million a year to be spent on tax credits for individuals and business taxpayers who donated up to $150 to a new scholarship program for private school students.

"The Montana Supreme Court ruled the program violated the state’s constitution, which bars spending any public money directly or indirectly to support religious schools [and] struck down the entire scholarship program, a decision now being challenged in the nation’s highest court.

"The scholarship program is small, helping about 40 or 50 students a year — 94% of whom attend Christian schools, according to court filings. But the potential impact of the Espinoza case is huge. The Institute for Justice, the nonprofit legal advocacy group that has represented the Kalispell mothers from the start of their lawsuit, called it 'one of the most important education reform cases in the past half century'....

"The Institute for Justice — which has received funding from billionaires Charles and David Koch and the Walton and DeVos families — argues this case could stop Montana’s discrimination against religious options, uphold the free exercise of religion and expand school choice.  Opponents, including the nation’s two largest teachers’ unions and liberal groups, argue the Espinoza case threatens public schools and the basic principle of separation of church and state..... Thirty-seven states have constitutional language similar to Montana’s barring aid to religious schools....

"The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling this summer.... Supreme Court rulings in recent years have moved in the direction of allowing public funds to benefit religious schools. In 2017 the court ruled in the Trinity Lutheran Church case that the state of Missouri violated the First Amendment when it excluded churches from a state program to make playgrounds safer because of the state constitution’s strict separation of church and state..... Chief Justice John Roberts ... added, however, that this decision does 'not address religious uses of funding or other forms of discrimination.'"

Read more: https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/constitutional-showdown-montana-school-choice-case-heads-to-u-s/article_e75727cf-8e45-5adc-981e-ab5435d353ec.html
'via Blog this'

Montana Libertarian: "No, I am not dropping out"

Despite Donald Trump Jr. Retweet, Libertarian Senate Candidate Rick Breckenridge Did Not Drop Out - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Brian Doherty:

October 31, 2018 - "Donald Trump Jr. retweeted a tweet this morning saying that Libertarian Party Senate candidate Rick Breckenridge of Montana had dropped out and endorsed Republican challenger Matt Rosendale to unseat Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Tester....

"But as Breckenridge clarified in a phone interview this morning, it is not true. The reporter on the original tweet misunderstood the meaning of Breckenridge declaring he had more trust in Rosendale on a particular issue bugging him this week: the use of political 'dark money' to send anonymous mailers; in this particular case, one slamming Rosendale for wanting 'to use drones and patrols to spy on our private lives,' while seeming to endorse Breckenridge as 'a true conservative' who 'opposes government intrusion into Montanans private lives.'

"'No, I am not dropping out' Breckenridge says, though he grants he used the word 'endorse' to reporters regarding Rosendale over Tester, but only on the issue of rooting out dark money, which this anonymous mailer has now made personal to him.... Breckenridge says he doesn't want voters thinking he actually supported something he sees as an unsavory direct public attack on his political opponents, neither of whom he views as an enemy, and both of whom he agrees with on certain issues....

"But he stresses this morning he is still running and wants people to vote for him. 'I did not say "do not vote for me, vote for Matt." I'm a Libertarian through and through, I'm not a Republican. I'm not going to be campaigning for [Rosendale], won't be on stage with' him. He characterizes his statement about Rosendale regarding dark money as 'an issue bigger than my candidacy, and I had to do something from a citizen standpoint.'

"He says he's known Rosendale and his family for over 10 years and appreciates his character, but 'I'm for liberty and the cause of liberty.' Breckenridge says he agrees with Tester on the Fourth Amendment and the Kavanaugh Supeme Court appointment (Tester was opposed to Kavanaugh's appointment and confirmation), and he disagrees with both men on the border wall (Tester and Rosendale are both for it). He also notes, regarding the anonymous pamphlet that tried to paint the Libertarian as a 'true conservative,' that he's 'very socially liberal.'"

Read more: http://reason.com/blog/2018/10/31/despite-donald-trump-jr-retweet-libertar
'via Blog this'

Libertarian Senate candidate drops out in MT

Libertarian candidate drops out of Montana's U.S. Senate race to back Rosendale | 406 Politics | helenair.com - Helena Independent-Record - Matt Brown, Associated Press:

October 31, 2018 - "The Libertarian candidate in Montana's U.S. Senate race threw his support behind Republican Matt Rosendale on Wednesday in response to an election mailer from an unknown group that appeared aimed at undermining Rosendale's support among conservatives.

"Rosendale, Montana's state auditor and insurance commissioner, is in a tight race against two-term Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, with the balance of power in the closely divided Senate potentially at play.

"Libertarian Rick Breckenridge has virtually no chance of winning. But his participation has threatened to peel away votes that might otherwise go toward the Republican and boost Tester's chances next week.....

"Breckenridge said in an interview that he doesn't know the source of the mailer, which promoted him as a 'true conservative' and claimed that Rosendale supports using drones to spy on private citizens.

"He said it appeared to be an attempt by so-called dark money groups to influence Montana's election.... Federal election laws require campaign materials to disclose their funding source. He said he disagreed with Rosendale on some issues, particularly the Republican's support for building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, and shared Tester's concerns about Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's stance on privacy issues. But dark money in elections is more important, Breckenridge said.

"The mailer is reminiscent of tactics used by Democratic-friendly groups in Tester's 2012 race to promote Libertarian candidate Dan Cox and siphon Republican voters from Rep. Denny Rehberg. Tester won the race by 4 percentage points, and Cox captured more than 6 percent of the vote....

"Rosendale said during a Thursday conference call with Breckenridge hosted by the Republican's campaign that he was honored to have the Libertarian's backing. Rosendale alleged that the flier was distributed by 'Jon Tester's allies' but offered no definitive proof."

Read more: https://helenair.com/news/government-and-politics/libertarian-candidate-drops-out-of-montana-s-u-s-senate/article_e7525245-9365-5d54-92d9-8e02b5216ce3.html
'via Blog this'

Montana Libertarian: "No, I am not dropping out"

Libertarians get rep on MT co. election committee

Libertarian Party, college student to get seat on Missoula County's Election Advisory Committee ~ Missoula Current - Martin Kidston:

April 4, 2018 - "Missoula County commissioners approved changes to the by-laws governing the Election Advisory Committee on Wednesday, though the newly created positions will have to wait for a vacancy.

"The seven-member committee, currently comprised of several at-large members and one representative from both the Democratic and Republican parties, will be joined by a member of the Libertarian Party and a student representative from higher education.....

"The EAC is comprised of seven citizen volunteers appointed by the Board of County Commissioners to study the efficiency and effectiveness of the electoral process. The stated goals include advocating for fair and open elections and increased public participation.

"The committee has included one member from both the Democratic and Republican parties, though they’ll be joined by the Libertarian Party when a vacancy opens.

"'They (EAC) felt a party that has a central committee should have a seat,' [Dori] Brownlow, [director of the county’s development district], said. 'The number of members on the EAC will stay the same. When they have a vacancy, they’ll ensure it’s filled by those new members.'"

Read more: https://www.missoulacurrent.com/government/2018/04/election-advisory-committee/
'via Blog this'

Libertarian Wicks impresses In Montana debate

Libertarian Candidate Mark Wicks Impresses Panelists In Montana Congressional Debate - Being Libertarian:

May 2, 2017 - "Libertarian Party candidate Mark Wicks appeared in a televised debate with Republican Greg Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist Saturday for Montana’s at-large congressional district election occurring May 25th.

"Wicks has been a virtual unknown in the race, with the media focusing almost entirely on the major party candidates. News coverage of the race has mentioned the libertarian as an afterthought, or not at all. Wicks would have been excluded from Saturday’s debate as well were it not for the committed work of libertarian activists and the national Libertarian Party.

"On Monday, April 24, Wicks received an email from Jon Stepanek, the News Director of KTVQ (Q2 News). Stepanek and other MTN News Directors had decided that “the one hour timeframe allotted for the debate will best be used between [Quist and Gianforte],” and that Wicks would not be invited to participate. Soon after, Wicks posted the email to his Facebook page.

"Responding to an action alert from The Feldman Foundation, Libertarian activists from Montana and across the country began commenting on KTVQ and other MTN stations’ social media pages. After being asked what criteria had been used to exclude Wicks, Q2 News responded via Facebook, 'When choosing candidates for the debate, we applied the same news standards we have used in the past for other political debates. Those standards include polling at 5% and actively campaigning.'

"However, of the very few polls for this race, one poll by Emerson College showed that Wicks had indeed attained 5%. Another poll by Gravis Marketing had Wicks at 3%, but with a margin of error of ±2.9%. Several Google Consumer Surveys polls showed Wicks receiving as much as 11% of the vote. And Wicks was indeed actively campaigning.

"The Feldman Foundation prepared to file a complaint with the FEC, on the grounds that MTN’s exclusion of Wicks constituted unreported campaign contributions to the Democratic and Republican candidates. The New Libertarian put out a call to action: members were asked to publicize MTN’s exclusion of Wicks, to contact Q2 News and other MTN affiliates, and to “make the voice of liberty heard.” At the same time, national Libertarian Party chair Nicholas Sarwark sent in the artillery – the party’s legal counsel....

"On Saturday, ... Wicks impressed the debate panelists, and many Montanans learned for the first time that they have an authentic alternative to the major parties.

"When asked who was the winner of the debate, Mike Dennison, MTN’s Chief Political Reporter, responded, 'I think a clear winner had to be Mark Wicks, the Libertarian. Not only because he got some great exposure statewide, probably for the first time in the campaign, but also because he answered the questions really well and directly. He was articulate, he was funny, he didn’t dodge anything; he did a great job of differentiating himself from the other two candidates throughout the entire debate.'

"Tim McGonigal, MTN Anchor/Producer said of Wicks, 'He was refreshing, he had the sound bites of the night.'"

Read more: https://beinglibertarian.com/libertarian-candidate-mark-wicks-impresses-panelists-montana-congressional-debate/
'via Blog this'

California, Massachusetts, & Nevada cannabis legalization initiatives pass

Voters Legalize Marijuana in Three States - The New York Times - Thomas Fuller:

November 9, 2016. - "Voters in California, Massachusetts and Nevada legalized marijuana on Tuesday in what advocates said was a reflection of the country’s changing attitude toward the drug.

"A similar measure in Maine led by less than a point with 98 percent of precincts reporting. Voters in Arizona defeated a legalization measure.

"Leading up to the election, recreational marijuana use was legal in four states: Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, along with the District of Columbia.

"With the addition of California, Massachusetts and Nevada, the percentage of Americans living in states where marijuana use is legal for adults rose above 20 percent, from 5 percent.

"A Gallup poll in October found nationwide support for legalization at 60 percent, the highest level in the 47 years the organization has tracked the issue. Support is rising even though some public health experts warn that there have been insufficient studies of the drug’s effects, and that law enforcement agencies lack reliable tests and protocols to determine whether a driver is impaired by marijuana.

"Supporters in California portrayed legalization as both a social justice and a criminal justice issue, saying the measure would help redress the disproportionate numbers of arrests and convictions among minorities for drug crimes.

"A bill to legalize marijuana in Vermont, supported by Gov. Peter Shumlin, a Democrat, failed this year. But in Massachusetts, public support for legalization rose during the fall, even with bipartisan opposition from the state’s top elected officials and an organized anti-legalization campaign.

"In addition to Tuesday’s votes on recreational marijuana, Arkansas, Florida, Montana and North Dakota all passed medical marijuana initiatives."

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/09/us/politics/election-ballot.html?_r=0
'via Blog this'

Montana Libertarian chair Fellows dead in crash

Libertarian candidate Mike Fellows killed in car crash - NBC Montana - Associated Press::

September 20, 2016 - "Mike Fellows, the Libertarian Party's candidate for Montana's U.S. House seat, died in a car crash.... Fellows died in a head-on collision with another vehicle on Montana Highway 200 Monday night.

"He died at the scene.... A person in the other vehicle has been taken to a hospital for undisclosed injuries.

"The 59-year-old Fellows was making his eighth run for U.S. House.... Fellows has run in every statewide election since 1998. Besides U.S. House, he ran for Montana Supreme Court Clerk in 2012 and Secretary of State in 2000.

"The Montana Libertarian Party has released the following statement:

It is with the deepest of sadness that we learned of the passing of Mike Fellows, longtime chair of the Montana Libertarian Party....

Tom Lutey of the Billings Gazette recently referred to Fellows as the 'godfather of third-party politics in Montana.' As the longest-serving active state chair of the Libertarian Party, he worked tirelessly to advocate the party's message for more than two decades, often on his own dime, on his own time. Former Libertarian candidate Dan Cox said that Fellows’ effort on behalf of the party was “monumental,” sometimes funding candidates’ ballot fees from his own pocket. The word dedication doesn't even begin to describe Fellows’ contribution to and passion for spreading the message of liberty in Montana.

Because of Fellows’ single-handed perseverance, the Montana Libertarian Party garnered enough votes to be legally recognized as [a] major political party and has maintained ballot access across the state for more than twenty years, something few third-party state affiliates have been able to accomplish....

"The outpouring of support and condolences from people of all political leanings would have touched and honored him. Our sympathies go out to Fellows’ family and friends, as well as the many lives he touched across Montana."

Read more: http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/politics/local-elections/libertarian-candidate-mike-fellows-killed-in-car-crash/87938155
'via Blog this'

MT Libertarian survives GOP ballot challenge

Montana court rules to keep Libertarian candidate on ballot | Government & Politics | billingsgazette.com - Matt Volz, Associated Press:

September 13, 2016 - "The Montana Supreme Court ruled Tuesday to keep the Libertarian candidate for secretary of state on November's election ballots after the head of the state's Republican Party tried to have the candidate declared ineligible.

"The justices, in a 5-1 decision, denied GOP Chairman Jeff Essmann's request to remove Roger Roots from the ballot because Roots failed to file his required campaign finance disclosure paperwork.

"Roots is a long-shot candidate for the open seat against Republican Corey Stapleton and Democrat Monica Lindeen....

"Essmann argued that Roots is not eligible as a candidate because he failed to file his business disclosure statement and several campaign finance reports. Under Montana law, candidates who don't file the documents must be removed from the ballot.

"Essmann had asked the court to order county election officials to stop printing ballots and remove Roots' name.

"Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl responded that Roots filed the documents, though some were late and one was lost in his office after Roots submitted it. Roots also said that he filed all the paperwork that was required of him....

"Essmann denied that he was trying to give Stapleton an advantage against Lindeen by striking Roots from the ballot.

"The majority opinion written by Justice Patricia Cotter said that Motl and McCulloch properly carried out their duties in approving candidates and certifying election ballots. Statements by Roots, Motl and McCulloch establish that Roots did file the necessary paperwork, she wrote."

Read more: http://billingsgazette.com/news/government-and-politics/montana-court-rules-to-keep-libertarian-candidate-on-ballot/article_cdd3804a-c60f-51b4-bf48-7045bf8171f2.html
'via Blog this'

Montana state legislators endorse Gary Johnson

Montana Republican legislators endorse Libertarian for president | State and Regional | mtstandard.com - Tom Lutey, Montana Standard:

July 25, 2016 - "Two Montana Republican legislators who won’t vote for Donald Trump this election have endorsed Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson.

"Reps. Daniel Zolnikov, of Billings, and Nicolas Schwaderer, of Superior, on Monday morning endorsed Johnson, saying the former Republican governor of New Mexico is the only candidate speaking about the national debt.... Johnson has made eliminating the debt ... the top priority. He faults both Republicans and Democrats for debt growth to $20 trillion.

"Zolnikov was co-chairman of presidential primary candidate Ted Cruz’ Montana campaign. He said he’s spoken with a few Cruz supporters looking for an alternative to Trump....

"Advocates of the two-party system say a vote by dissatisfied partisans for a third-party candidate is a throwaway vote that could decide an election.

“'I think that’s the dumbest argument, because I’m voting for the actual proven track record,' Zolnikov said. “The reason we keep getting what we get in politics is because people are always saying, ‘You waste your vote, you’re going to get the worst of two evils.’”

"Zolnikov said he wouldn’t be supporting any ... other Libertarian candidates running in Montana political races.

"Three Libertarian candidates are running for statewide office and six for state Legislature.

"Johnson is not recognized as a candidate yet in Montana, according the Secretary of State records. However, the Libertarian Party is a recognized major party in Montana, which means the party merely has to submit Johnson's name. There are no filing fees or signatures required....

"A few Montana Republicans have been breaking away from Trump for the past month. In early July, former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot, also a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, announced he wouldn't support or endorse Trump in a letter to the Washington Post.... Montana's former U.S. Rep. Rick Hill has said he won't support fellow Republican Trump, either."

Read more: http://mtstandard.com/news/state-and-regional/montana-republican-legislators-endorse-libertarian-for-president/article_55b8939b-c281-5edd-934a-58dfb7a9d20f.html
'via Blog this'

Libertarian Dunlap running for Montana governor

Libertarian from Conner running for governor | Montana Politics | helenair.com - Perry Backus, Helena Independent Record:

March 20, 2015 - "Along a slow-moving stretch of the East Fork of the Bitterroot, there’s a rock that Ted Dunlap likes quite a lot....  He calls it his thinking rock. Over the course of the next year, Dunlap plans to get to know this particular stone even better as he ponders the message he wants to spread as part of his campaign for the highest post in Montana politics.

"Dunlap filed as the Libertarian candidate for governor ... the third time he’s run for governor of a state. The first two tries came in Idaho, where he managed to spread the Libertarian message by participating in several debates broadcast statewide.

"'I didn’t win, of course, but I did influence the debate,' Dunlap said. 'The other candidates had to consider what I was saying. People told me later that what I said made sense.'

"When people ask Dunlap to define a Libertarian’s perspective on the world, he hearkens back to his years in junior high when someone told him: 'Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins.' His wife prefers: 'Whatever floats your boat, as long as it doesn’t sink mine.'

'We don’t feel like anyone should have the right to tell you how to live your life,' Dunlap said.... “I grew up with a strong dislike for bullies,” he said. “I didn’t like seeing anyone get pushed around. In my mind, that’s what the Democrats and Republicans are. It’s their own way or the highway. They are bullies.... Who gave them the right to tell me how to use my money or how I should live my life?' ...

"Dunlap was living in California when he first realized that he didn’t fit. It was just after Dianne Feinstein was elected to the U.S. Senate.... So, he sold his mowing/hazardous fuels control business and moved to a small town just outside of Boise.... In Idaho, he went searching for members of the Libertarian Party.... 'I took over leadership, which required a bit of a battle at the time.'

"After putting on a convention that raised about $8,500 for the cause and creating some party unity, Dunlap spent the next few years adding his name to the ballot, twice for governor and once as sheriff.... 'It was the closest election the sheriff had ever suffered,' Dunlap said. 'He didn’t even see it coming. I didn’t really want the job of sheriff, but I would have done it better than him.

“'I feel the same way about the Montana governor’s job,' he said. 'I don’t really want the job, but I’ll do it, and do it better than what the governor has done.'

"Dunlap said he doesn’t really plan to travel much to campaign.... 'But I will do my best to spread the word about the Libertarian Party. Once you get involved in it, your mind will get stretched and it will never go back to its previous shape. We call it the party of principle.'

"Dunlap said he’s been heartened by the like minds that he’s found since moving northward.

"'I thought I would find more and more individualism if I went north,' he said. 'When I went to Idaho, it felt like there was about one in 10 people who thought like me. Here in Montana, it’s closer to 50/50. I’m making progress.'"

Read more: http://helenair.com/news/politics/state/libertarian-from-conner-running-for-governor/article_bab483a7-7dd8-5748-8842-af7fb7ce981a.html
'via Blog this'

GOP entitlement rhetoric may boost Libertarian's chances in Montana

GOP Boosts Libertarian 'Spoiler' in Montana - Mike Flynn, Big Government, Breitbart News:

July 22, 2014 - "Most political handicappers of Senate races this fall generally assume that the GOP will capture the seat of former-Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT). A new poll from liberal polling firm PPP, however, shows a race much closer than expected.....

"The new poll, released Monday, shows Democrat-appointed Sen. John Walsh trailing GOP Rep. Steve Daines by 7 points, 46-39. That result is a 10-point gain since November, when Walsh trailed Daines by 17 points, 52-35, in the same poll. A big factor in Walsh's surge is increased support from Republicans....

"Republican Daines has recently been attacking Walsh for believing that partial privatization of Social Security should be 'on the table' when discussing reforms to the entitlement program. Democrat Walsh was even attacked on this issue from the left during his primary race. Note to GOP strategists: When you are lifting attack lines from the progressive left, you are doing it wrong.

"There is no better indicator of the intellectual bankruptcy of many in the national GOP.... Entitlement programs, very shortly, are set to consume all federal revenues, before a dollar is spent on national defense and the myriad of things the government does. To write-off any market-based reform to entitlements obviates the entire point of having a Republican party....

"Montana has a strong libertarian tradition. In 2012, the Libertarian candidate for Clerk of the state Supreme Court won 42% of the vote as the sole opponent to the Democrat nominee. The party's Senate candidate, Dan Cox, took almost 7% of the vote in the hotly contested race between Democrat Sen. Jon Tester and GOP Rep. Denny Rehberg....

"Daines' attack on Walsh for being open to entitlement reform, of course, will only further boost the Libertarian candidate. If the Republican candidate, after all, is going on record against any kind of market-based reform of an unsustainable retirement program, a conservative protest vote for the libertarian candidate is tempting.

"What's the point of a Republican-controlled Senate if the GOP doesn't know what to do with it?"

Read more: http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/07/22/GOP-Boosts-Libertarian-Spoiler-in-Montana
'via Blog this'

Montana Libertarians in 1st congressional debates

Libertarian candidate to join Montana U.S. Senate debate - Mike Dennison:

June 13, 2014 - "Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Roger Roots will be on the stage Saturday in the race’s first general-election debate – and the campaign of Republican Steve Daines is none too happy about it.

"'You can’t do an Internet search on Roger Roots without coming across a racist or offensive comment that he has made,' said Brock Lowrance, Daines' campaign manager. 'There is no room for racism in civil dialogue, and it does not reflect who we are as Montanans.'

Yet Democratic U.S. Sen. John Walsh, the third candidate in the race, is not objecting – and, in fact, has made it a point to invite Roots to take part in future debates among the three U.S. Senate candidates....

"Roots, who now disavows his racist past and said 'I haven’t uttered a racist remark in 15 years,' will join Daines and Walsh at a televised debate Saturday in Butte, sponsored by the Montana Newspaper Association.

"Mike Fellows of Missoula, the Libertarian running for the U.S. House, also will appear Saturday at the same event, joining fellow House candidates Democrat John Lewis and Republican Ryan Zinke at their own, separate debate....

"Roots said he knows some Republicans think Libertarians are to blame for the GOP losing close races for the U.S. Senate and governor in 2012, when Libertarians polled well and the Democrat won with less than 50 percent of the vote. But he believes Libertarians draw votes away from both Democrats and Republicans.

"'(Republicans) have no one to blame but themselves if they think their libertarian voters are going to vote Libertarian,' he said, noting that Montana Republicans have supported big-government, anti-libertarian stands on many issues, like opposing medical marijuana and supporting restrictions on abortion."

Read more:
http://missoulian.com/news/local/libertarian-candidate-to-join-montana-u-s-senate-debate/article_916ba392-f290-11e3-a913-0019bb2963f4.html
'via Blog this'

Libertarian 'Spoiler' Alert!

Libertarian 'Spoiler' Alert! Seven Democratic Victories in Which the LP Candidate Received More Than the Margin of Defeat - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Matt Welch:

November 12 - "On Friday, Garrett Quinn pointed out two congressional races in which a Libertarian Party candidate received considerably more votes than the margin separating a winning Democrat from a losing Republican: Massachusetts' 6th District (48.3%-47.3%-4.5%** for Rep. John Tierney over Richard Tisei and Daniel Fishman), and Utah's 4th District (49.3%-48.1%-2.6%** for Rep. Jim Matheson over Mia Love and Jim Vein).

"Last Wednesday, Brian Doherty also flagged Montana's race for U.S. Senate, where incumbent Sen. John Tester defeated the Ron Paul-endorsed Denny Rehberg 48.7% to 44.8%, while LP nominee Dan Cox received 6.5% of the vote. All three losing Republicans had significantly more libertarian credibility than maybe 90% of elected GOPers on the national level.

"So are there any other 'spoiler' accusations out there? At least four, probably more"

Read more: http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/12/libertarian-spoiler-alert-seven-democrat
'via Blog this'