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Friday's Senate session started off as normal, with a prayer, the pledge of allegiance, the introductions of visitors, and a thank you to some of the Senate staff. What was different was the announcement of committee meetings next week. Due to the Senate rules gridlock, committee meetings or hearings were prohibited.
Then reality came calling again.
There was no vote on the Senate rules because the same "nasty-9" Republicans refused to yield to the voters, instead remaining beholden to whatever promises and deals were struck that caused them to set aside their individual integrity.
Immediately after the 5-minute Senate floor session, the Senate Rules subcommittee met. In this meeting, the debate revolved around whether the courts had any right to intervene in internal Senate rules. Then, they voted 12-6 to pass the Joint Rules (SR-2) that apply to both chambers while remaining deadlocked on the Senate rules.
Pressure is mounting on the 9 GOP members who swapped parties rather than fulfill their obligation to the voters who elected them. As quoted by sources close to the situation, this is a "power play by Jason [Ellsworth]. He is trying to hold out and punish the Senate for not electing him as President of the Senate."
Other sources in the Senate informed The Sentinel that Senators Hunter and Lammers received congratulatory phone calls from Governor Gianforte thank them for holding firm against Senator Matt Regier. The Senate will reconvene next week to continue spending your tax dollars to accomplish nothing.
This is similar to what is happening in Idaho and Texas, where the voters spoke, and the majority party is instead attempting to execute a soft coup to allow the minority party to gain majority power.
The Montana Sentinel staff are all local Montanans; many have families living in Montana for generations.
