Montana Libertarian Party Chair opposes SB 565 re-vote

Monday morning, the Republicans on the House State Administrations Committee voted yet again on SB 565, designed to limit voters’ choices on the ballot in November. To use the heavy and oppressive hand of the government, politicians and DC lobbyists worked together to try and make it harder for average, hard-working Montanans to run for office in our state. This affects all third parties and especially independent candidates.

Even though the courts have repeatedly struck down this obvious and corrupt action designed to limit power to the connected elites, the politicians in Helena have decided to openly use the government to protect themselves and make it harder to run against them.

The Montana Libertarian Party plans to file suit immediately and reverse this politically motivated and corrupt decision. In 2018, in the federal lawsuit South Dakota Libertarian Party et al. v Krebs, the federal judge sided with the people and ruled actions designed to limit voter choice violate the First and Fourteenth amendments to the United States Constitution.

Federal Judge Lawrence Piersol’s ruling says “… the ballot access law at issue disadvantages one group over another so as to result in an unequal treatment which is not justified by a compelling interest …”

The Montana Libertarian Party will also ensure that every committee member who votes for this corrupt bill knows precisely how much it matters for voters to have choices by recruiting and actively supporting candidates to challenge the legislators who voted yes to SB 565 on Monday.

Those legislators who want to use the government, through legislation, to protect their power will be at the top of our list to challenge in the upcoming elections.

If it is unclear to you that this bill is a politically motivated attack on voter choice and political independence, simply ask your legislator what problem this bill solves? Just as in the South Dakota court case, there is no justifiable reason to use the government to clamp down on competition in elections.

So much for the Republican cry for Election Integrity.

Sid Daoud

Kalispell

Chair, Montana Libertarian Party