Lake County Pachyderm Club

 

 

The meeting started at 12 noon on August 23, 2024 with Micah saying the invocation.

The group said the Pledge of Allegiance

 

Announcements

Candidate Forum will be held on Saturday, August 24 at 1pm at the Barn on Finley Point

September 15 is the Lincoln Reagan Trump dinner which starts at 1pm – tickets are available on the Lake County MT Republican website

September 13 Pachyderm meeting speaker will be Linda Reksten – candidate for HD13

September 27 Pachyderm meeting speaker will be David Chung who is a VietNam veteran and worked in Washington DC with the Office of Veterans Affairs

September 2 – Candidate Forum at the Shoe (has been postponed until the 8th

We need to get in gear and we all need to get involved.  We need to get out and vote!  Absentee ballots go out October 11.  It is important to take your completed ballot directly into the elections office – do not mail it.

 

Guest Speaker was David Passieri – candidate for HD91

David has been involved in Montana for 20 years.  He has been a realtor for 36 years

David was born in California but it did not feel like home to him.  In 2004 David ended up in Montana and loved it

In 2012 David jumped in and learned about the Water compact and its effects on our area.  David joined a small group who was studying Agenda 21 and the water compact was ground zero.  

In 2012 David started videotaping all of the water compact meetings.

David’s district that he is running in is diverse. 

David got involved due to Joe Read’s disqualification.

In 2013 David testified in Helena where the water compact was killed.  In 2015, Dan Solomon came up with a work around for the compact which involved 7 bills that were resurrected after being killed in committee. Senator Fitzpatrick stated that the compact cannot move forward without 2/3 vote but said it could pass due to a lawsuit.

In 2015 the compact was passed in Montana

2017 David was following the density map and began to videotape the CSKT board meetings.  The CSKT said dAvid was not allowed to videotape their meetings even though he had his press pass.  The sheriff was at the meeting and would not stand up for David’s rights.

David testified at a hearing for Rick Schoenings hunting bill.  David had a box of Elaine Wilman’s American Tribal Tyranny books when he testified and actually read from the book.

In 2021 David testified against Gianforte’s bill to remove mask mandates

David has been actively involved in politics which includes Dr. Anne’s pro-life bill

In 2023 there was a bill for digital currency – this is a control mechanism – centralized control over spending.  We want decentralized

David stands for free market enterprise

Smaller firms are not able to keep up with the DEI requirements.

David will adhere to the truth.  He has an ability to influence. As a journalist he will get the word out  – David will continue filming

You have to play nice hard ball

Amazon has a monopoly on products – if a product doesn’t have a buy button it is because they are selling it cheaper outside of Amazon.  Amazon is happy with DEI, climate change etc as they are taking market share.

David will protect and defend property rights and water rights.David feels there is a lot to record at the water court.

David would like to see the property assessments brought back to the counties and under the counties control – stop centralism.

If Tribal members speak out against the tribe they will lose their children.  The tribes claim self governance and are sovereign – the tribal members have protection under the US Constitution 

David attended the Missoula City Council meeting where discussion was around the homeless population sleeping in the city parks after 8pm.  This is a property rights issue.  The Missoula City Council only allowed 16 minutes for public comment.  Cities are running away without taking care of their citizens.

When land is in trust, the state is not able to do anything.  This affects everyone.

Look at this state as a country – we used to be an energy independent state and now we are not.

David will work full time on PL280 to get it properly funded.  Joe Read worked on this for 6 years and got it passed. Joe got $2.5 million for 2 years but Gianforte vetoed the bill

Joe is committed to mentoring David

we don’t want to see Lake County dissolved

We need to strengthen 2nd amendment rights

Our most precious resources are our mothers and children – we need to decentralize education

David supports limited government

David opposed abortions and children being mutilated with transgender surgeries/treatments

David will vote for adherence to truth.

We are at war – this is the time to stand up for our rights and our country

CSKT is not going to receive mineral rights with the land trades

Innovation is in front of us – things are happening.  We need to educate the community

David has a difficult race because of his district being so spread out

David is happy to take calls from citizens

Future speaking engagements are coming

Federal encroachment has been happening for years.

 

Kathy Recny said the invocation

Group said the Pledge of Allegiance

 

Announcements:

HQ will have a soft opening around the first of August – details for hours will be coming soon.   We will need volunteers to man HQ – email coming

Cherry festival was a huge success – July 27/28.  Thank you to everyone who volunteered to help

The annual Lincoln/Reagan/Trump event is scheduled for September 15 at 1pm.  This year we will have a live auction, raffle as well as the Dessert Dash.  We are looking for donations for the auction/raffle as well as desserts for Dessert Dash

August 9 Pachyderm meeting speaker will be Susie Hedalen who is running for Montana Superintendent of Schools

The General Election Voting Guide is published and ready for people to grab and share with their friends.  We will have copies at HQ for people to grab.  An electronic copy has already been sent out – please forward to friends and neighbors

 

Speaker for the meeting was Polson Police Chief George Simpson

The Police Chief provided his contact information:

Phone number – 406-883-8211

Email address – chief@cityofpolson.com

Chief Simpson likes to get out ant talk to the folks in Polson

The chief works Mon -Thurs 14 hour shifts each week – he stays busy

 In April 2023 he became the interim chief and in August he was promoted to permanent Chief of Police in Polson.

The Chief has a simple and different outlook for policing – he is mission centric

The mission is commitment to a partnership with members and guests of our community that inspires confidence in all to make Polson a safe and pleasant place to live, work, learn and play.  We strive to produce positive results that preserve peace, prevent crime and disorder while safeguarding the personal liberties, dignity, and individuality of all people

The Chief believes that for a society to thrive and prosper it must meet two requirements:

1 – be free from crime and disorder as reasonably possible

2 – Citizens must feel safe.  It is not enough to be told they are safe!

The Chief strives to produce harmonious results

The Chief holds Public safety forums each quarter.  The forums last anywhere from 60-90 minutes.  The forums are a listening session for the Police Chief – he cares about how the community feels.  He received feedback that the crosswalks weren’t visible which causes safety issues.  As a result of the meeting, the Chief is working with the city, county and state to get crosswalks painted.  He is working on a $80,000 grant for equipment which includes  2 speed trailers and a message board  which will notify the public about fires, air quality etc.

The next public Forum is scheduled for October 2 at 8:30am and will be held at City Hall.  Everyone is invited to attend.

There have been a lot of reports about trespass issues downtown including public intoxication, trash being dumped in alleys, vacant homes being vacated etec.

The city has started addressing the alley issues – is giving owners of the properties 30 days to clean up messes.

The Police Chief was notified that there was a lot of vagrancy in the city and that there were 12 street lights out.  The Chief worked with MVP and has all 12 lights working now.

As far as trespassing on private property within the city, there is a trespass affidavit that is available through the police department for property owners to fill out and have notarized if they are going to be going.  This alerts the police to any suspicious activity in homes that are supposed to be vacant and gives the police authority to address the issues while the property owners are away.  There is a time limit on the document though – must be specific and not open ended.  The Police Chief is a notary and is able to notarize the document on site

Drugs are a big issue in Polson.  

The Public Safety meetings have been valuable

Every shift has to do a foot patrol on main street and in the parks to help eliminate people sleeping on benches.  Homeless people are like bears – if you feed them they will come back.  People are able to go to St. Joseph’s if needed but this is not always a law enforcement issue.

There are 3 main drugs in our area that are of concern:

1 – opioids which includes fentanyl

2 – psycho stimulants which include meth, cocaine and ecstacy.

3-  methadone – used to treat substance abuse

Most of the drugs come through the southern border up the west coast and then across the country to the east coast.

Polson focuses on kids where there is drug dealing but still deals with drug dealers.  Kids will be taken away, money is taken away and houses will be destroyed.  Landlords can be charged if there are drugs being sold on their properties.

The Chief tries to publicize as much info as possible in the local newspapers – public awareness of what is going on in the community is huge.

In order for the police to seize money, it must link to the drug.  A Lot of the drugs/money comes out of Washington.

Polson tries to take everything to the federal level.  The US attorney’s office will not let you do a press release until the case is adjudicated – usually two plus years.

The drugs are all tied to the cartel.

The chief recommends we watch an NBC special on the Blackfoot Reservation on UTube which highlights the cartel being embedded on the reservation.  

Polson and Lake County partners with the tribal police on drug enforcement – knows who they work with.  The Cartel does come through Lake County but not a lot in Polson.

The Cartel is integrated in the Blackfoot reservation – has tribal children.

Citizens must participate in their government.  

If you see something, you must say something.

It takes a lot to get a search warrant – takes time and the pieces of the puzzle need to be matched and put together to complete it.  The police are unable to use old information.

There is a War on Drugs program which works across the county, focusing on children in the home where there are drugs, DUI arrests where kids are in the car.

Handle with Care Program – back door to principal of school.  The program ensures that counselors are available for the kids, food is readily available for the child etc

Across Montana there have been over 2000 suspected overdoses and nearly a dozen overdose fatalities which includes drugs and alcohol

In 2024 Lake County, there have been  12 drug overdoses and no fatalities

In polson there has been 1 drug overdose and zero fatalities

Most of the issues are in the bigger cities.  Idaho and w Ashington are worse.

The number 1 drug in Lake county is Meth and #2 is Fentanyl

The police are seeing a shift in drugs – switching to cocaine and heroin because they are cheaper drugs.

Xylazine is a newer drug. Narcan does not work on the newer drugs but is good for other overdoses.  There is a 20 minute period to get the person to the hospital for treatment before they get agitated when given Narcan. Police find Narcan in drug house busts.  They find that the drug abusers do more drugs since Narcan is so readily available.

Lake County is in the top 10 in Montana for drug arrests

Marijuana is bad but we must remember it is not Grandpa’s pot – much stronger.  Agriscience has developed THC in marijuana and it is getting more potent.

There is no way today to significantly test for POT in a UI stop – requires a blood test which requires a warrant.

The State Department of Health controls the licensing for dispensaries.  The marijuana legal age is 21 but it is hard to find a prosecutor who cares about Pot.

Polson police have a good relationship with the tribe and the Kwataqnuk – previous issues have been resolved.

There are drug issues at casinos – people gather there the same way they gather at high school parking lots – issues are where there are vulnerable populations

The Chief would like more staff.

The Chief wants the new casino along with the new community center and housing units.  This will take the crowd out of town and moving everything to the outskirts of town is good.  The Polson police will get part of the PILT money.  A police officer costs about $100,000 per year per police officer.

Other crimes:

Summer is horrible!  The population of Polson jumps from 8000 to about 14,000 in the summer which means it almost doubles in size with the same amount of law enforcement officers.  There are more accidents, more DUI’s, more domestic violence calls, property crime jumps up since there is no school.

2024 so far had been mild

Polson growth is about 2% a year

In 2020 there were about 6000 calls that police responded too

in 2022 there were 9000 calls

in 2023 there were almost 14,000 calls and we are on track for high volume in 2024

Polson has 13 full time officers

1 volunteer chaplain

1 civilian staff

A police captain

2 Police Sergeants

1 detective and the Police Chief

Currently in process of hiring one more office so there will be 14 officers

The Polson Police budget is about 1.3 million per year and the majority of this goes to payroll, healthcare, retirement etc.

There are 2.5 cars out on the street.  The officers all work 14 hour shifts

The Chief is always looking for alternative funding – grants!  Grants are used for equipment

The department conducts lots of officer training as well as other training within the businesses and nonprofits.  The training sessions provided are free for the community.

Polson has the best officers in the state.

The starting pay for the officers is $25.55 an hour

Status of PL280 – it does affect the Chief/police as we are still in PL280.  The County is still working through issues – currently no changes for law enforcement. The County is tracking all tribal charges related to the jail

There is a sunset clause on PL280 in 2027 so it will go away then.

 

 

The Group said the Pledge of Allegiance

 

Announcements

4th of July parade – everyone who wants to walk/ride in the parade needs to meet in front of Cherry Valley Elementary School at 11:30 on the 4th

Our next Pachyderm meeting will be July 12 and our speaker will be Lake County Commissioner Gale Decker

 

[Picture: Micah Robertson, Chairman of the Pachyderm Club, introducing the speaker]

 

Speaker for the meeting was Charles Garner – author

Charles opened up by stating “If every county would do what Lake County is doing, the world would be a better place!

People need to be engaged!

In 1865 Lewis Carroll wrote Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  The first chapter is titled Down the Rabbit Hole.  Down the rabbit hole means going down deep into a subject.

Charles has been writing since 1978

Charles has written, edited, designed over 50 books.  Charles writes all winter – hunkers down.  

Charles and his writing partner wrote the book A Canary in a Coal Mine over a period of 4 months.  The last material submitted by JOhn – his partner was on September 9.  One month later John died.

They wrote the book about the nation reaching a tipping point – does not know where the country is going – it is so sad for our country.

The Democrats are saying we need to give everything away.

The Golden Rule is to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

We are in a precarious state right now.

Biden is the man who has his finger on the button – the world was watching last night

In 2020 4.1 million evangelical Christians who voted in 2016 did not vote in 2020.

IF YOU DON’T VOTE You OWN THE DESTRUCTION TODAY!

We must do something this year – we need to get out to vote.

When our founders founded America, they did not form a tyranny!

Christians do not have the option to pull back and do nothing.

Republic is a fragile form of government – The government (senate and congress etc) are our employees.  We are the authority – we did not establish a monarchy or a tyranny.

We are a Republic.

We have an obligation under God to participate – the people are the authority.

We have a responsibility to engage.

The American system is of, by and for the people – quote by Abe Lincoln.

We are getting hit with a pack of lies!

We need to remove Tester from office.

Charles makes knives as a hobby – Montana knives.com

The border is injustice and invasion.

Charles went to a border agent presentation- Chris Clem was the speaker and Chrles met Tim Sheehy.

We need to determine what is “Your line of country”!  What can we do?

We all need to figure out how we participate!

Charles recommends that we take his book and mark it up and give the book to your pastor to read.

Our country is off the charts today.

When inflation gets loose it is a mess.

Hard times may be on their way.

Everyone needs to identify their line and pursue it on the battlefield.

Charles wrote the book as an obedient citizen of the US

We must all engage

The book was written based on the historical rise and falls of empires.  19 empires have fallen due to inflation

We , the US citizens, are becoming numb to what is going on – this is dangerous.

If we do what the liberals want, then we are all guilty

We need to tip the scale

Charles is worried about the cheating side of things

We need to turn out the vote

We can have an affect on what is going on  but we have to move and participate.

 

Linda opened up the meeting with the invocation at 12:04

The group said the pledge

 

Announcements:

The next Pachyderm meeting will be May 24.  The speaker will be Montana Supreme Court Candidate for seat #3 Dan Wilson from Kalispell

The LCRCC is putting on a barbecue/movie viewing event at the Polson Rural Fire station on May 11.  Set up will be from 11-1 if you would like to come and help.  The food will be served at 1pm.  The movie will be “What is a Woman”

Please pick up the voter cards for the June 4 primary at the front table and share with your friends.  Electronic copy is being sent out so the card is able to be shared via email as well.

There are Pachyderm pins at the front table – please pick one up 

Attendance for the Pachyderm meetings has been light – any suggestions on how to get more people involved?

 

Guest Speaker – Montana Senator John Fuller

John is a historian and a constitutional conservative

John’s nickname in the senate is “legislator most likely to give a history lessor with every speech”

John ran for house seat in 2019 and 2021 and then was elected to the senate seat in 2022 where he will serve until 2025

John was the author of two controversial bills in the last 10 years.

John served in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war for two years.

After he got out of the military he abandoned his dream of a corporate career and went into education.

John did build a business – a safari business.  He loves to hunt and fish.  This was a perfect business for him since safaris take place in the summer and he was still able to teach the remainder of the year.

John has a lifelong commitment to young people.

John is working to improve how Montana treats their veterans.  Other states exempt VA pensions from their state income taxes.  John believes they have served their country and deserve this.  This is unpopular with upper government officials.  Every bill must go through the Department of Revenue – if it is not approved, it will come back with a big note on why it was not approved.  In 2023 with a financial surplus in Montana’s budget, John reintroduced the bill with the help of a fellow Senator, the bill successfully went through the taxation committee and then through the senate.  It originally did not make it through the house but after being amended, it successfully made it through the house.  There are approximately 8000 retired military personnel in Montana.  Retired Military are generally young and start businesses etc. A lot moved to Montana after 2022 and receive a 50% tax break on their pensions annually.

John has had to deal with his fellow state legislators and has learned their interests to help pass bills

Voting for the right candidates for the Supreme Court is critical in this election.  There have been 51 bills that have been declared unconstitutional by the MT Supreme Court in the last 4 years after passing through the state legislature and being signed into law.

HB112 outlawed public money being spent on athletic events with transgenders.  If any portion of the bill is found to be unconstitutional, that portion does not go into effect but the remainder of the bill proceeds.  HB112 applies to K-12 grades.  Any school district that allows transgenders to compete is in violation of the Montana law.HB104 made Montana a constitutional carry state.  The Montana Board of regents fought HB104 and stopped constitutional carry on campus.

In order to practice law in Montana, the lawyers must be a member of the Montana Bar Association.  John is working to introduce a bill to eliminate this.  Commercials are being aired about this and they are lies.

SB99 – Dan Salomon voted against this bill which prohibits the physical alteration of minors under the age of 18.  Montana requires the informed consent of minors.  There is a clinic providing gender transition care in Billings.

John will be introducing a bill in the 2025 session that states if a bill is passed and then challenged in court, there will be venue requirements that state the challenge must be in the venue of the sponsor of the bill.

There were 5 state senators that voted against the bill

Lessons learned

In Montana ther judiciary claims it is superior and exercises its power accordingly.  The judiciary has no police power – relies on the public to enforce the laws.  The judiciary acts as monarchs in black robes – they think they are better then everyone else.

For the judiciary – no matter what level they are running for, we need to make sure we know who they are and what they believe.  The judiciary has stopped bills passed by the 150 legislators that have been signed into law by the governor 51 times! The court of original jurisdiction is in the power of the state legislature.

The people are sovereign in the state of Montana.

Cory Swanson is running for Montana Supreme Court Justice!  John likes Cory.  Cory is coming under fire about the water compact.  John explained that Cory was representing a client acting as an attorney in the case.  He believes the compact was passed unconstitutionally.

John sponsored a bill titled “Defend the guard.”  As a veteran who sees what happens when presidents conduct military action by activating the National Guard.  The National Guard is a support function and can not be utilized without a National Declaration of War.  The NG is too often used incorrectly in war.  If Congress appropriates money for something, the President is not allowed to change it. John has a family history going back to the Revolutionary war serving in the military.  John would not recommend his grandsons to join the military today.

There was a study completed on the Montana Supreme Court over a ten year period.  There were 50 decisions that were agenda driven decisions and not legal decisions based on precedence or law.

In the Montana Legislature out of the 68 “Republicans” in the house only 48 were true conservatives.  in the Senate of the 34 Senators who were “Republicans” only 9 were true conservative.

Charlie Kirk says sometimes you have to purify before you can accomplish

Remember Democrats are not democratic.

According to Thomas Jefferson, the purpose of government is to “secure the rights of man – each and everyone of us!”

 

 

Linda Sauer (Vice President) opened the meeting with the invocation

The group said the Pledge of Allegiance

 

Announcements

LCRW is sponsoring a Tanner Smith for governor event on April1 at the Polson Boys and Girls Club 11:30 – everyone is invited

April 7 the LCRW is sponsoring the 2024 Election Kick off event at the Ronan Community Center from 3pm-6pm.  If you plan on attending, please RSVP by March 31st to Dorothy Ashcraft:  dashcraft49@gmail.com

April 12 will be our next Pachyderm Meeting – the Polson Rural Fire Chief will be our guest speaker and he will be speaking about fire prevention around our homes

May 11 is the LCRCC annual clay shoot – will need volunteers for the event.  If able to volunteer, please contact Marcia Amrine

April 21 there will be a 2024 candidate forum at the Ronan Community Center from 4pm-7pm – public is invited

There are sign up sheets for the various events that the LCRCC will be hosting/participating in this year – please sign up where your schedule will allow.  We need to get everyone involved this year to protect our country

There are raffle tickets for sale for a custom engraved 22 Henry rifle – tickets are $10 each or 12 for $100.  Drawing will be held at the Clay shoot event on May 11.

 

Guest speakers for the meeting are Public Services Commission Vice President Jennifer Fielder and Public Service Commissioner Dr. Anne Bukacek

Jennifer was the first speaker.  I have not yet received Jennifer’s presentation.  I will send it out in a seperate email when I receive it.

The US Constitution is near and dear to Jennifer

PSC regulates privately owned monopolistic industries within Montana

The PSC is funded by State Special Revenue which is authorized by the legislature

PSC has 33 employees and 5 commissioners

Northwestern energy submitted a 10,000 page document to request rate increase justification.  Companies must submit projected plans of increasing resources to meet demands

Residents are able to email the PSC at pschelp@mt.gov

Jennifer is running for re-election for District 4 PSC.

 

Dr Anne Bukacek was the second speaker.

Anne’s presentation was about the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative – presentation is attached

Foreign entities are funding wind and solar and funding environmental agencies. 

PSC is the battleground for what is going on with energy

Environmentalists are putting pressure on the PSC

PSC is not able to regulate Mission Valley Power as it is a privately owned company

 

Click to view presentation by Commissioner Bukacek:

The group said the Pledge of Allegiance

 

Announcements:

Please make sure to sign the petitions that are on the front table:  One for President Trump to be on the ballot for Montana’s primary and the either to allow hunting on private property within the boundaries of the reservations in Montana.  

Our next Pachyderm Meeting will be on February 23 and the speaker will be Linda Sauer.  LInda’s presentation will be titled “Islam – Gaining Power and Momentum in the United States”

Linda Sauer asked the group to send letters to FERC and our government officials about the low lake levels and the damages incurred as a result of the lake levels.  The government officials contact information is available at:

Jean Rigg spoke about her appeal letter to Tim Sheehy – he has not responded to any of her correspondence and let him know she will not provide financial support to him at this time.  We need more people to stand up to the politicians and let them know what we expect from our government officials if they want our support going forward.

 

Guest Speaker – Lake County Commissioner Gale Decker

Commissioner Decker is running for his 3rd term as Lake County Commissioner

He was born and raised in Ronan.  The Commissioner taught middle school math in Ronan for 33 years and has coached sports.  He was Superintendent of Schools for 6 years.

The Commissioner is still learning about Lake County and learns a lot everyday.

He is asking for our support during his re-election campaign

 

PL280 update – The Commissioners have notified the Governor that the County is withdrawing from PL280 and has until May 20th to put plans in place for the transition.  May 20th is the date that the County stops paying for and supporting PL280.  The County will stop housing criminals after May 20th including criminals that are in process that are in jail waiting for trial.  The County does not expect the Governor to do anything – we will see.  If Lake County was not a PL280 County, the felon who started the Boulder Fire would not have been identified and prosecuted.  The County had one officer who put in 800 hours investigating the case and the criminal has been in our jail for a year and will be for at least 6 more months.  All of this at the taxpayers expense.  The judge who handled the Lake County withdrawing from PL280 case stated that Montana will pick up what the County is no longer doing.

 

Property Tax update – The Department of Revenue stated that 77 mills is all that was needed to cover the budget for upcoming years expenses.  Governor Gianforte sued the 49 counties who were only collecting 77 mills and won the case so now all of the counties have to go back and send out updated property tax bills for the remainder of the 95 mills even though the state had sufficient funds.

 

Inmate Lawsuit – The lawsuit has been settled.  As a result the County will be building an outside exercise area for the inmates costing Lake County anywhere between $750,000 and $1 million dollars.

 

Lake Shore Regulations – The County just simplified the regulations which had not been revisited for years.  The County eliminated a lot of the unnecessary permitting processes

 

Flathead Lake Levels – Lake County sent a letter to Ferc last fall about the lake levels.  EKI sent factual miss information to FERC so the County sent factual information to educate FERC.  The county will send another letter to FERC soon.  Safety is a major concern around the lake.  If there is a fire, the lake is an alternate evacuation route for the people who live on the lake.  Last summer the water was not an accessible escape route due to the low water levels and boats not being able to be used.  The County in their next letter will be emphasizing the lake as an escape route and the role Hungry Horse Dam plays in the water levels of Flathead Lake.  In the 1940’s there were discussions about turning Flathead Lake into a reservoir.  After about 10 years, the discussion stopped and a decision was made to build Hungry Horse Dam and use it as a reservoir.  The County had a commitment from Hungry Horse to send water to fill the lake but EKI said the water would flow through the dam and would not be used to fill the lake.

 

Land Exchange – this is part of the MWRPA water compact.  The first part of this bill gave the Bison Range back to CSKT.  In addition, there is supposed to be another 36,000 plus acres on the reservation that will be given to the tribe in exchange for land off of the reservation.The MWRPA bill passed through Congress and took effect September 2021. The land trade was supposed to be completed within 5 years of the bill passing. In March 2022 Governor Gianforte sent a letter to the Secretary of the Interior requiring meetings be set up about the land trades.  The tribe will be receiving school trust lands which will have a negative impact on the funding of our schools.  The Lake County Commissioners told the Governor that some lands within the County were not eligible for exchange.  The County has not heard back from the Governor.  Only property that is managed by the sTate of Montana should be part of the land swap. When lands were removed from the reservation, the tribe did not agree in the early 1900’s.  The US still owns the National Bison Range  but the tribe manages it.  The state must solicit public comment  (this did not happen) during the land exchange process.  Lands must be equal in acreage or value.  It seems as if the process was doomed from the start.  Water Court claims are not close to being adjudicated.  The County Commissioners wrote a letter to the land board asking for status but have heard nothing back.

 

The County has little interaction with Montana State Officials – never get responses back from letters.

 

Commissioner Decker quoted a phrase from a famous football coach “Don’t Ever Ever Ever Give Up”

 

Question – Given what our Governor has shown us in Lake County, he ignores us.  Would the commissioners consider formally endorsing someone other than Gianforte?

Answer – Gianforte told the County if they were to get funding through the legislature for PL280 he would sign the bill but Gianforte vetoed the bill – broken promise.  Commissioner Decker did state that he will not support Gianforte.  The Commissioners will discuss formally not supporting Governor Gianforte for re-election.

 

Statement from audience – In the 1960’s there was a water law professor who said the water judge who would be solving the water claims in Flathead and Mission Valleys will not be born for decades. The water here is such a big issue with moving parts that will require an event to bring it together.  Water Rights are a large issue and there are not many water rights lawyers

 

 

The guest speakers for the meeting were Doug Averill, Carol James and Rey Johnson from the National Organization to Save Flathead Lake Group (NOSFL)

NOSFL started in 1985.  They are a 501c4 group- a non-profit organization.  They are also interveners

The group’s focus is to bring agencies together to resolve the lake issues.

The group was quiet for about 15 years and activated when the Flathead Lake dropped in 2023.

What went wrong in 2023?

FERC – Federal Energy Regulatory Commission – falls under the Secretary of Interior and controls the license of Kerr Dam.

The bureau of Reclamation runs Hungry Horse Fisheries

The tribe took over Kerr Dam in 2015.

The FERC license states it must honor the stakeholders of the area and the CSKT did not follow this.

EKI – Energy Keepers- controls the flow of the dam.

The tribe is in the business of making money off of the Dam

The tribe dropped the lake level anticipating heavy rains which never happened in the summer of 2023.

The Drought Management Plan, which is documented, was never implemented.  The plan had successfully been used historically – never had issues.

The drought Management Plan for Keer Dam was never finalized, approved or followed.

NOSFL is pushing to get the drought plan approved and implemented

NOSFL is working with the government to keep the lake at full pool during the summer months.

NOSFL has met with various officials – can’t get the ear of the governor.  

Are government officials scared of not getting the tribal vote for this year’s election?

 

2024 weather forecast – the lake has the potential to be 10-14 feet low if the drought management plan is not implemented.  If the drought plan gets followed the lake could be at 1 foot of full pool!

The SAVE Flathead Lake group is a partner!

NOSFL met with Lipscomb who wants everyone to get floating docks but that will not work on Flathead Lake. Floating Docs are not suitable for the Lake.

NOSFL hired an attorney who filed a 19 page petition to FERC

Congressman Rosendale sent a letter to FERC 5 month ago and only recently received a response.

The tribe is not going to use the Drought Management Plan

We need the PEOPLE to bombard the government agencies asking the the government is going to do about the Lake levels

24 individuals contacted FERC last year about the water levels

NOSFL will be putting advertisements out soon

NOSFL is accepting donations – they need support financially to continue the fight

The environmental damage has been extensive

The drought plan worked fine until the tribe took over!

Who owns the water?  The State of Montana legally owns the water according to the Montana Constitution but has given it to the tribe

Why did the tribe drop the water 3 feet in a very short time?  This has never happened before!

FERC has been told to stand down!

Tribes across the US are buying up land

Governor Gianforte is not going to do anything about the lake.

The press is only publishing what the tribe wants published.

Everyone should read ” The Chronicles of the Columbia River Basin. This is the history of the biological data and what happened to the Basin.  Since 1970’s there have been billions of dollars spent to save the slamon but only 1 million salmon have made it back.  Of the 1 million that made it back, sea lions have eaten 30% of the salmon and another 40% are eaten by birds!

Tribes are claiming all of OUR water.

 

Linda Sauer made two comments:

1 – Tribes resist any input from anyone other than their own people!

2 – cannot be extracted from the water compact – Governor Gianforte gave the water to the tribe!

 

The tribal government plays off of the ignorance of our state and federal governments

The KERR Dam FERC license, article 62, requires consideration to recreation and agriculture 

 

Rey Johnson who is a member of the NOSFL Board and a rancher spoke.  He has been negatively impacted by the lake levels.  In 2023 he had his first cut of alfalfa and his second cut was only 30 bales – should have been 1200 bales.  Rey has a water right from 1954!  The tribe has reduced his flow on his well – requires the lake to have high water to water his crops.

The Lake levels have finally started to hit the real estate market!

 

NOSFL is asking everyone to write FERC.  A sample letter with mailing address is available at the following link:  https://fillthelake.com/flathead-lake-news/f/nosfl-petitionsupport-letter-sample

 

 

 

 

The group said the Pledge of Allegiance

 

The guest speaker for the meeting was Lake County Superintendent of Schools.  

The two documents Carolyn referenced in the meeting are attached.

 

First bill discussed now allows prayers in public schools!  The teachers are allowed to pray if they choose now!

The last legislative session heard 213 Education related bills and passed 109 bills (see attached list of bills passed).

Carolyn said this was the most difficult legislative session that she had seen – the Representatives did a really good job!

HB117 – Generally revised working retiree lws under TRS.  Covid pushed people away from teaching.  The bill allows more earnings if they keep teaching (up to 49% – up from the 33% before).  Allows a retiring teacher to return to teaching after 120 days instead of 150 days – part time teachers are now able to fill teacher gaps that we have in our schools.

HB203 – Enhance Educational Opportunities – open enrollment bill requires district of residence to pay tuition to receiving schools districts if students are not attending the “designated school”. This bill requires schools to accept out of district students with some exceptions.  Effective date is July 2024.  The students must be in good standing.  Small school home districts such as Dayton and Valley View will pay out of district tuition for 7-8 grades.  This bill may be the end of rural schools. 

HR214 – Remote Instruction Revision for Ed Opportunities – enables enrollment in online classes at neighboring schools if their home school does not offer the course.

HB234 – obscene materials to minors:  did not change much but calls attention to what already existed and holds people accountable.  School districts must follow aht is in policy.

The family structure is breaking down and as a result laws are in place to help!

We are moving towards a socialist country – providing for all!

HB338 – all teachers and students are required to learn about tribal history etc.  Individuals must take Indian Education for all to become a licensed teacher.  Every school district gets funding based on the Native American Population.  New law says the schools must report how the funds are being used.

HB203 – open borders law – enroll in any district – will cause extra work for the school

Attached are details of the laws passed – please take a few minutes to read.

CArolyn recommends that we all need to get involved in our schools to protect our children!  Parents specifically need to be actively involved.

One last note – no marijuana allowed on school grounds or on the school buses!

 

Next Pachyderm meeting will be January 12.  The speakers will be Polson city Police Chief George Simpson, Lake County Sheriff Don Bell and possibly the Tribal Police Chief.

Reminder – the annual dues of $40 are now due and payable.

 

 

* * *

 

Micah opened the meeting with the invocation

The group said the Pledge of Allegiance

 

Announcements:

2024 Pachyderm annual dues are now due

Tracy spoke about the movie night on the 10th showing the movie Police State at the Polson Rural Fire Station.  Movie will begin at 6:30 – there will be food for dinner/snacks

Tracy announced that Lake County lost PL280 lawsuit – the County Commissioners are  discussing with the attorneys what next steps to take.  We need to support the commissioners as they work through the next steps.

Next meeting will be December 8 – Carolyn Hall, Lake County Superintendent of Schools will be the speaker.  This will be the last Pachyderm meeting for 2023.  Our first meeting in 2024 will be on January 12 and will will have the Polson Police Chief, Sheriff Don Bell and hopefully the Tribal Police Chief as speakers.

 

Guest speaker for the meeting was Gubernatorial candidate Tanner Smith

Tanner was born and raised in Stevensville.  He played football in high school as well as the bass clarinet.  Tanner graduated from high school in 1993 – he was born in 1975.

Tanner is a Ronald Reagan conservative.  He did not plan on being in politics but when the government decided to mask the children he changed his mind and got involved.

Tanner is an excavation contractor and snowplow business owner.  He is a member of the Lakeside School Board.  As a school board member they successfully removed teachers with rainbow flags in their classrooms and successfully removed furries.  There is a conservative shift on the school board.

Tanner ran for the Montana House District 12 seat and is now a State Legislator who is running on the defense.

Tanner worked to remove dispensaries and homelessness.  Montana has 4 times the dispensaries as Colorado and we know what is happening to Colorado.  The dispensaries are what prompted Tanner to run for governor.

The homeless issues stem from our governor – bad policies. 

Our state is unsafe now – homelessness and illegals.  People are getting hurt.  If you do not live here – then leave.  Tanner says Montana is our home and we need to maintain it and keep it like it is your house.

We have high crime and drug issues.

The mother of Tanner’s first three children died from alcohol abuse – his wife died at the age of 45.

Montana needs to get serious about punishment for crimes – double down on conservatism

We are in line with California, Oregon and Washington

No Means NO!

We have property tax issues – we live in the Treasure State and we will use our natural resources to support our state.  WEmake revenue from logging and mining – we must use our resources.

Cleaning/thinning the forest helps maintain a healthy forest and supports our wildlife

We need to break the backs of liberals – continue fighting the fight

Gianforte is suing counties over the mills for cutting the taxes in their counties

The Water Compact is a concern – we need to say no to tribal governments!  They need to get over their victimhood.  We all need to get on the same page to be successful

Under Tanner’s watch, no one will be flying a drone over us – the balloon would not have happened.

Tanner does not ask attorneys for permission.  The attorneys can deal with the aftermath.

Montana is the #1 state for out of state license plates.  People purchase RV’s and come here to get them licensed due to the limited regulations and inexpensive licensing fees.  Before any  out of state vehicle is able to be registered here, the owner must create an LLC to license the vehicle.  There were 31,000 LLC’s set up as a result and 31,000 single jobs specifically tied to the licensing/LLC process.  

The dispensaries have also created a lot of jobs in the drug industry in Montana.

There is a dual justice system in Montana!  Gianforte will not stand up for us.  Zoe Zephyr received $80 in fines for breaking the legislature rules and raised $37,000 within hours to cover her legal fees.  All cases involving the Zoe incident were dismissed.  We must prosecute the little stuff to stop the big stuff.

Tanner supports Rosendale and Trump

Courageousness is contagious – he has the message!

Montana is decaying

The Convention of States could address the issues we are seeing.  He attended the meeting in Kalispell – supports the Convention of States.

Currently Montana is a Shit show!

We are dealing with good vs evil.

Tribal housing is a great example of what government housing looks like

The Reservation system needs to be disbanded – we are all Americans and we need to be of service to others!

We need to get back to our American Values.

Teachers unions are running the state

Tanner has more experience than Gianforte.

We must continue what we have been doing to fight the compact.  We have had draughts historically and never experienced the low lake levels we saw this year – we need to sue!

We need to be lucky to be alive and be Americans!

Tanner does not feel we should be trying to be on the world stage – need to find a balance without becoming another Silicon Valley!  Tanner voted no on the data center

We should not be using existing water/energy grids for technology – this changes the dynamic of Montana!

Tanner wants to be sane and live in a safe place.  

Tanner would sign a bill that would stop lawyers from buying their way into the system

Lawyers are needed to write the LLC’s sp lawyers are getting rich off of the LLC’s.

Tanner does not listen to the EPA.

He will double down on conservative principles

Everything can be fixed but we need true conservatives.  The Governor needs to represent the people

Austin Knudsen is upset with Tanner Smith because he is running for Governor.

Most politicians have been in politics too long and have become part of the swamp

He says he would be governor with love, humility, compassion but firm.

We must support law enforcement  – let them do their job

Tanner is independant – does not need the government.

Tanner is 100% in love with Montana and will fight for us – take the high road while telling the truth.

He will start his grassroots movement in January – is a straight shooter.

Tanner believes he has been called to  run for governor for his kids

He is not afraid of any skeletons in his closet!

Tanner calls into the Aaron Flint show every couple of weeks.

People do not fall in love with the person  – they fall in love with their politics