ICYMI: Montana Reads for February 28, 2016

Bankruptcy Filing Shows Arch Coal Funding for Climate Denial Legal Group | – The Energy & Environment Legal Institute (E&E Legal), a group best known for filing lawsuits seeking climate scientists’ personal emails, has secretly received funding from Arch Coal, one of the largest coal producers in the United States. The funding is revealed in documents recently filed as part of the Arch Coal bankruptcy proceedings which list the coal company’s creditors. The Arch funding is revealed just months after Alpha Natural Resources, another coal company facing bankruptcy, was identified by The Intercept as providing funding to a group closely connected to E&E Legal, the Free Market Law Clinic, as well as funding directly to E&E Legal’s lawyer, Chris Horner. The two organizations share staff and fellows, often working together to bring lawsuits. PR Watch

Montanore Mine seeks profit but squanders real treasure – Enter state politics. Rep. Ryan Zinke and Sen. Steve Daines, along with gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte, have blasted Montana DEQ for not permitting the entire project. This, despite the company’s own scientific study showing that doing so would violate Montana’s non-degradation standard. It is the height of irresponsibility to urge an agency to violate the law. And it’s wrong to turn a blind eye to such devastating impacts to our water resources. Missoulian

Mr. Koch goes to Washington | – “Evan Koch, the Montana State University student and former Americans for Prosperity-Montana employee charged with felony sexual intercourse without consent is going to a conservative political convention in Washington, D.C, according to court documents.” 406 Politics

Former Missoulian editor sues publisher, company | – “Former Missoulian editor Sherry Devlin is suing the newspaper’s publisher and parent company, Lee Enterprises, for wrongful discharge related to her resignation last fall. Devlin filed a civil suit Feb. 19 in Missoula County District Court, alleging publisher Mark Heintzelman unfairly demoted her once he took control of the paper, cut her pay in half, and then filled the editor position with a younger, less qualified male. “ Missoula Independent

Preemptive strike | Opinion | – “While it’s barring Syrian refugees, the commission should also write a letter to the State Department banning multiple symphony orchestras from operating in Ravalli County at once. The same goes for gay bathhouses, Yeshiva schools and Indian food. Obviously, an exception will be made for fry bread. Under no circumstances, however, will anyone be allowed to move to Darby and open a falafel stand. That’s exactly the kind of thing we’re trying to prevent.” Missoula Independent

GUEST POST: Hokey Pokey | – “So here we are, spending billions this year to pay two branches of government to do nothing, while the President wanders through the halls of government like the hero of some last-man-on-earth movie, waiting for the zombies to rise. Hokey theater. Pokey government. And that’s what it’s all about.” MT Cowgirl

Beware “Marsy’s Law” | – “Not everything in Marsy’s Law is objectionable, but as a whole, there are many things wrong with it, starting with the fact that it will amend the Montana Constitution. This is not a proposed statute that will be on the ballot. It’s a constitutional amendment, and many of the things it proposes could ultimately be ruled unconstitutional under the U.S. constitution or federal law. For example, the measure would allow an alleged victim of a crime to refuse to be deposed by the defense lawyer. “ MT Cowgirl

~the voice of injustice is silence – “Here’s the problem- I’m always underestimating fear. I’m always underestimating the power that potential futures have of paralyzing, shutting down, creating a reaction instead of inviting a thoughtful response. Fear drives us out of our minds and out of our hearts. It’s a powerful thing. It can take the truth and twist it. It can take love and make it insufficient. Fear can make us question the unquestionable- knowing that there is never a satisfying answer- but still, trying to do SOMETHING.” From Eternity To Here

This is Why Most Western Ranchers Won’t Support States Seizing U.S. Public Lands – – “Inflammatory rhetoric like Rep. Bishop’s encourages anti-government sentiment in the West and furthers the quixotic quest of a small minority of Westerners to seize national public lands. But it’s unlikely their message will gain significant ground among ranchers. The facts remain: if national public lands are turned over to states or private landowners, Western ranchers would come out on the bottom.” Center for Western Priorities

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