Last Wednesday, Gov. Greg Gianforte vetoed House Bill 479 – the only bill regarding Public Law 280 to make it through the 2023 Legislature. And this Thursday, the Lake County Commissioners vote on whether to withdraw from the law enforcement agreement that’s given the county felony criminal jurisdiction over tribal members since 1965.
More alarming is Polson Senator Greg Hertz’s bill, passed last week by the Senate, that would require the two candidates who receive the most votes in primary elections for U.S. Senate to advance to the general election, irrespective of party affiliation.