BILL WATCHLIST

Montanans For Multiple Use closely watches the work of the Federal and Montana legislatures .   It takes a lot of time and effort to exercise your right to petition government about pending legislation.  We did all we could to take most of the work out of this task by presenting a list of bills you should be concerned about.  In the process we learned some lessons that will help us to serve you even better.  

We took a position on the bills that impact the ability of Montanans to access and use the natural resources of Montana public lands.  Go to our Bill Watch-List   to see the status of these bills. Please use the links provided there to learn more about the legislation and to contact the legislators.

The Montana Legislature is now in recess until January 2011 unless the governor calls a special session.

FEDERAL LEGISLATION 

We are also tracking federal legislation on the Watch-List.  The worst bill of all in this and any other recent congressional session is the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA).  It was re-introduced in the House on April 20, 2007.  This is the 8th consecutive session this bill has been introduced.  NREPA did not pass in the 110th Congress but it will probably be reintroduced in the 111th. It now has the best ever chance of passing.  It would be catastrophic for the economies and culture of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. Go to our Watch-List or HERE  for more information.

Every two years Americans go to the polls to elect a government.  
This is a very precious right of citizenship.
It is also a responsibility that must be taken seriously.  

Montanans For Multiple Use has assembled on this page a variety of tools to help you become an informed voter.  

Please use these tools and don't forget to register and vote on 
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4th

MONTANA LEGISLATOR SCORECARDS

In order to inform the public about the voting patterns of Montana legislators, we have compiled scorecards which indicate how a particular representative might vote on legislation involving multiple use and access to public lands

Use these scorecards in your discussions with your representative.  Refer to them when considering your choices at election time.

>> 2007 SCORECARD<< 

Feel free to download the 2007 Scorecard and share with your family and friends.

>>>  2005 SCORECARD   <<<

>>GO HERE<< to look up your Montana Legislative district. 

If you live in or near one of the larger Montana towns, you may need to
 >> GO HERE << to find the right district

MFMU has joined Citizens for Balanced Use, Montanans for Mutliple Use, Montana Snowmobile Association, Montana 4x4 Association, Montana Trail Vehicle Riders Association, and Families for Outdoor Recreation to create a multiple use issue survey that has been sent to every candidate in Montana.  This survey has over 20 questions covering motorized recreation, timber harvest, fire management, global warming and more.  As we get the completed surveys back we will post the candidate responses >>2008 Candidate Survey<< 

If you do not see your candidates response, contact them and ask them to complete the questionnaire and return it.  

MONTANA LEGISLATION

We saw some trends in the 2007 Montana session.  The democrats introduced  a large number of global warming related bills - under the headings of energy and carbon sequestration as well as bills that address global warming directly.  MFMU does not believe that human activities are a significant cause of global warming.  These bills did not pass but we can expect to see them back again in the next session. 

 Democrats  and Republicans introduced a lot of land use legislation that will limit private property rights.  Some of these bills passed.   Dept. of Natural Resources was very active in this legislature.  The DNRC agenda included a number of  wildfire related bills along with other bills like SB 51 that increased the power and impact of DNRC on private property.  On the other hand two bills passed that reduce the ability of local government to use eminent domain to take private property for resale.    

Republicans  introduced some bills that would have had long range impacts on how we govern ourselves in Montana such as bills requiring a balance of experience and viewpoints on the Board of Environmental Review and Fish and Game Commission, election law changes and regulations to limit state employees lobbying at taxpayer expense.  However, none of these bills passed.  

Several bills that we followed addressed the issue of state's rights versus federal power.   HB 287, which will not allow the federal Real ID bill to be implemented in Montana, and HJ 25, which tells Congress to  reject the South American Union and the super highway, were both passed by large margins.   HJ 31 informed Congress that Montana does not want the giant, federal  wilderness bill, NREPA (see below). HJ 31 barely passed just before adjournment after an arduous battle in the Senate led by Senator Aubyn Curtiss.

> GO HERE <  to see a list, indexed by subject, of all the bills introduced in the 2007 Montana session whether they passed or not.

> GO HERE <  to search for info on individual bills.  You will need a bill number which you can get from the list above.  

This document is for informational use only and is not intended to be an endorsement for any candidate or party