My New Job In Leadership

 Krayton Kerns
1.24.07

Because I am the only Veterinarian on the House Agriculture Committee, Vice-Chair Carol Lambert of Broadus has symbolically appointed me to a newly formed position of leadership in our meetings.  Public hearings sometimes begin to wander and, if committee members are willing participants, the same ideas are repeated over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over and over! 

Rep. Diane Rice introduced HB 269 an Act Revising Laws Relating to Weeds, on Thursday afternoon.  “This is just a housekeeping bill that abolishes out-dated statutes.  It should take five minutes, tops,” She explained.  One hour and 37 minutes later, after debating by-the-way- issues that did in fact have the word “weed” in them, Chairman Butcher finally closed the hearing.   

My new job, for when the above occurs, is to stand up and proclaim, “Mr. Chairman, by the powers vested in me by 24 years of practice I do hereby officially declare that the horse we are beating is dead!”  Man, I wish I would have had that power on Thursday afternoon. 

We have yet to take executive action on HB 47 an Act Generally Revising Disposal of Household and Agricultural Waste.  Harold Blattie, an old friend and the Executive Director of the Montana Association of Counties (MACO) has passed around a statement admitting the bill is confusing but maintaining it is still needing to be passed. 

Steve Pilcher, representative of the Montana Stockgrowers Association has passed around a statement admitting the bill is confusing but maintaining it is still a bad idea and needs to fail. 

I have read both statements and admit the bill is confusing but maintain I will use the power of my new leadership position if the debate in executive action drags on longer than thirty minutes.  Can you believe we are still debating manure?   

There is an old saying that a dim witted person “doesn’t know sh_ _ from Shinola.”  I always thought I did.  After HB47, I’m not so sure I do…nor does anyone else.  So, the debate rages on.