The current Republican reign of terror in Montana calls to mind the classic abusive partnership. At the outset, the husband works for his father-in-law, so he has to conceal his contempt for and cruelty toward his wife. Once his father-in-law passes and the business is his, though, Katie, bar the door. Literally.
For the first time in many decades, Republicans now have not only majorities but super-majorities in both houses – and no Democratic father-in-law in the governor’s office. “Katie” is toast – occasionally trotted out for the show of working across the aisle, but otherwise sidelined, sidestepped, or sidewiped. She and Big Daddy stay together “for the kids” – that would be us – but their perspectives on what’s best for us differ wildly.
The house we call Montana needs work – housing, childcare, access to affordable healthcare and one basic system of free quality public education, for starters. The business of government needs TLC too – Warm Springs, the prison, ideological hires in agency after agency and the resulting lack of expertise, yada yada. But Big Daddy is focusing only on impressing his friends and winning over the kids.
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Impressing his friends is easy. Just show all these people “fleeing from ‘woke’ extremism’” how stone-cold comatose he is: Persecute LGBTQ+ relentlessly. Batter women’s right to privacy. Leave environmental urgencies twisting in the wind. Throw courts under the bus. Steal what belongs to school boards, local governments, advisory boards, the Board of Regents, and the Board of Public Education, forcing them to ask the kids – that would be us – to foot the bill for legal redress.
And to win over us kids? Before attending to household and business needs, before he’s even nailed down the household budget, Big Daddy’s handing out candy like there’s no such thing as tomorrow or dentists. Using the surplus made possible by COVID-prompted federal funding he fervently opposed, he’s giving us income tax rebates ($480 million total) and property tax relief ($284,000 million total). That’s one-time-only (OTO) money, but there’s an election before the next bills are due. Give out ye gumdrops while ye may.
Using the same surplus, he’s making permanent cuts in business equipment taxes ($9 million annually) and capital gains taxes ($16 million) and proposing an income tax reduction for the wealthiest “kids” totaling $150 million; for low-income working families, $11 million. All tolled, this year’s OTO Big Hunk will pull $185 million annually out of the household budget for the foreseeable future.
Katie had an alternative plan. Big Daddy could still dole out some instant gratification, but the lion’s share of the surplus would be invested in long-term sustainability. SB 346 proposed pumping $2 billion into a proven vehicle: Montana’s Coal Severance Tax Trust Fund.
For over four decades, Katie reasoned, that fund has used the interest on what is now over $1 billion in principal to stimulate $1.6 billion in ongoing investments throughout Montana. SB 346 would more than double the fund’s principal and generate an additional $80,000,000 in annual interest to meet Montana’s future needs. OK, it’s not Hershey Kisses right now. But it’s meat and potatoes for a long, long time.
That blasted Katie, Big Daddy fumed when he heard of her proposal. She’s gotta go…and so does SB 346. He sat on the bill till the last minute and finally sent it to a committee with absolutely no oversight of state finance or the trust fund. To ensure the bill’s demise, he had his top bully join the committee “ex officio.” The bully failed miserably at intimidating the bill sponsor, Sen. Ryan Lynch, but the committee members certainly got the message.
Gosh, one member observed as the committee prepared to wield the ax. “I like this idea, but it’s such a big number and there are so many big numbers right now.” (Tomorrow Big Daddy’s gonna buy him some big-boy pants – and maybe even a calculator!)
Lynch had assured the committee the number could be adjusted after transmittal, when the total budget picture became clear. Just keep the bill in play, he urged them. We can do this, we should do this – for today’s kids and tomorrow’s too. But WHACK – the ax fell.
Let them eat Snickers.
