Seen over at Instapundit: “President Barack Obama on Thursday interviewed federal appeals court Judge Sidney Thomas of Montana for an opening on the Supreme Court, a person familiar with the conversation told The Associated Press.”

I could be wrong…but I think that this marks the first time that Instapundit has linked to the Great Falls Tribune.

And the NYT reports that Judge Thomas lives in Billings, got his bachelor’s degree from Montana State University, and his law degree from the University of Montana…which raises a very important question: does Thomas root for the Cats or the Griz? ]]> http://www.bigskyblog.com/index.php/2010/04/30/montanan-on-supco-short-list/feed/ 0 http://www.bigskyblog.com/index.php/2010/04/15/tea-parties-in-montana/ http://www.bigskyblog.com/index.php/2010/04/15/tea-parties-in-montana/#comments Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:03:32 +0000 mtcritic http://www.bigskyblog.com/?p=1124 There are Tea Parties going on today all across Montana – if you attend one and want to share your pictures and/or video, go to: community.mymtnews.com and register, and then upload your pictures or videos to share with everyone!

Here’s some news from around the state via Montana’s News Station: Bozeman, Missoula, Billings.

More from Missoula courtesy of the Missoulian.

Here’s a report from the Montana Policy Institute; more coming soon.

Well, it’s obvious that Max is not totally three sheets to the wind – but he definitely doesn’t seem to be 100% sober. Does he appear normal, tipsy, drunk, or perhaps ill to you?

“HB 246 declares that any firearms, ammunition and firearm accessories made and retained in Montana are not subject to any federal regulation or control under the power given to Congress in the U.S. Constitution to ‘regulate commerce … among the states’.”

Of course I think it’s a pretty good idea – if something is completely made and used solely in Montana, then it shouldn’t be subject to Federal laws, etc. It sounds reasonable.
But then I thought: if this is such a good idea, shouldn’t it apply to other things, too? For example, beef: if a cow is raised in Montana, sold in Montana, slaughtered in Montana, and consumed completely in Montana by Montanans, then shouldn’t that cow and beef be exempt from any Federal laws or rules – such as the USDA or FDA, etc?
In other words: if the state sovereignty legislation for firearms is the right thing to do, then shouldn’t Montana apply the same standard to other products? Or is there an aspect of this legislation that I don’t understand?

Since May 1, the C$ has increased 7.72¢ from 84.51¢ to a current quote (as of mid- morning) of 92.23¢.

Since April 1, the C$ has increased 12.75¢ from 79.48¢ to a current quote (as of mid- morning) of 92.23¢.

From: Gary Marbut-MSSA
To: mssa@mtssa.org

Dear MSSA Friends,

I have been invited to be on the Glenn Beck Show this Friday to talk about MSSA’s Montana-made guns bill. This Tenth Amendment assertion idea is going viral. Clones of our Montana HB 246 have been introduced in Alaska, Texas and Tennessee. I have information that clones are being prepared for introduction in Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arizona, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and Washington, and maybe some places I haven’t heard about.

Just in case you’ve been living in a cave, HB 246 declares that any firearms, ammunition and firearm accessories made and retained in Montana are not subject to any federal regulation or control under the power given to Congress in the U.S. Constitution to “regulate commerce … among the states.”

The message I will carry is that since the states created the federal government, it is the states which must get their creature on a leash and enforce the literal terms of the Tenth Amendment, and that state-made and retained guns are a fine vehicle for beginning that Tenth Amendment assertion.

If plans work out as laid, I will be on the Beck Show Friday, 5 to 6PM, Eastern time. I am told that this show is on from 3 to 4 PM in Montana. HB 246 sponsor, Rep. Joel Boniek (R-Livingston) is scheduled to be on the show also.

FYI, I’ve done interviews with the Associated Press, USA Today and Newsmax about HB 246 and the state-made guns movement. MSSA is definitely in the news! Also, somebody is building a “Montana Firearms Freedom Act” page on Wikipedia. Way cool!

Best wishes.

Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com

The following is a list of CONFIRMED Tea Party Tax Revolts planned within the state of Montana. Please note that we ONLY list events happening on April 15th.

————-
City: Billings
When: April 15, 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Where: US POST OFFICE on 27th Street, Just off of I 90
Contact: EMAIL
————-
City: Bozeman
When: April 15, 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Where: Downtown Bozeman, TBA
Phone: 406.579.1496
————-
City: Kalispell
When: April 15, TBA
Where: Downtown Kalispell, TBA
————-
City: Missoula
When: April 15, 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Where: The Streets of Missoula, TBA
Other Info:http://www.just-citizens.com/taxdayteaparty

I’m sure that there will be other Tea Parties after April 15th…

MORE: news stories about Montana Tea Parties are gaining steam…

A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA PUBLICLY CENSURING THE BURLINGTON NORTHERN SANTA FE RAILWAY COMPANY FOR INDEFINITELY STORING RAILROAD CARS ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER; AND URGING CONGRESS TO ENACT LEGISLATION PROHIBITING THIS STORAGE.

Come on – Blewett is a smart guy, so why is he wasting (and I do mean wasting) his time and that of other legislators on something so trivial, so unnecessary, and so pointless? And did you ever have someone tell you to “not make a federal case out of” something? As in, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill? Well, in the full text of the proposed resolution, he literally does try to make it a federal case out of the matter:

“(4) That the Secretary of State send copies of this resolution to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company, the Montana Congressional Delegation, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, and the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.”

http://www.SchoolsOpenMT.org

The Montana Policy Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit policy research center whose mission is to equip Montana citizens and decision makers to better evaluate state public policy options with a respect for individual freedom, an expectation of individual responsibility, and a belief that government intervention should be viewed as a last rather than a first resort.