Legislature Levity

I've reported on the pranks and fun in the Montana Legislature before, and here's the latest installment.

Mike Jopek, a legislator from Whitefish and a farmer, carried a bill in the House of Representatives this week proposing to revise the milk control laws and transfer certain functions from the Department of Livestock to the Board of Milk Control. The bill was contentious, pitting smaller local producers against larger corporations that operate in nearby states and ship milk to Montana stores. Country Classic, a producer in Gallatin County, emailed a bunch of us to relate how the bill would hurt their good operation, and many legislators opposed the bill after hearing from Country Classic and other Montana milk producers.

When Jopek stood on the floor to present the bill, he was serenaded by gentle mooing. Today, his desk was adorned with Country Classic milk cartons, out of love.

And if there's Lesson One that anyone learns in the legislature, it's this: don't be absent. If you're absent, your compatriots punish you. In Shannon Augare's case, his desk was the receiving site of all of the recycling from a day's floor session, hundreds of bills piled on his chair and desk and taped into place. Again, just out of love for our fellow representative.

Lastly, it's the little things in life that one must appreciate. Hopefully, you've seen in previous posts how enamored I am of goldfish crackers--good and so good for me. But this week, I discovered Bunny Grahams, possibly the cutest food ever. Just look at the ears!