LB Vol 3

The Forgotten Limits of Federal Power

By Matt Erickson

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Our divinely-inspired (and inspiring) Declaration of Independence boldly proclaims America’s founding principles to be self-evident truths—truths so fundamental, they don’t require further support. The greatest of these undeniable truths is that all men are created (equal) and accordingly endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights (among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness).

The practical application of our God-given rights in everyday life is but a minor step down in importance, thus it’s proper that the Declaration next details that men instituted American government for the express purpose of securing our rights, before informing us that legitimate governing authority is derived from the consent of the governed.

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The Colstrip Power Heist

The Biggest Energy Backroom Deal in Modern Montana History

By Lisa Bennett

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A Transfer That Changed Everything—Quietly

In late 2025, NorthWestern Energy executed a transaction that carries sweeping implications for Montana’s energy future. The company arranged for Puget Sound Energy’s 370‑megawatt share of Colstrip Units 3 and 4 to be transferred not into the regulated utility that serves Montana families, but into a newly created, unregulated affiliate: Colstrip 370Pu LLC

In a November 7 letter to the Montana Public Service Commission, NorthWestern acknowledged that assigning the acquisition contract to the unregulated subsidiary “ensures local operational control… while shielding customers from costs.” But the documents show something far more consequential: Montana ratepayers were cut out of access to 370 megawatts of power that NorthWestern acquired for free — and the company positioned that energy for sale to a single large customer, likely a data center.

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The Built-In Danger of Open Primaries

By Leslie Mills

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Open Primary Election Season is underway in Montana for 2026. The Primary Election will be held on June 2, 2026. This election will choose the candidates for the General Election in November. The information that follows describes the process for Open Primaries versus Closed Primaries.

Montana does not have Closed Primaries. It is important that voters understand them both to be able to understand the inherent problem that arises with every Open Primary held in the state.

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The Power of County Central Committees

By Rae Grulkowski

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Most people think the most important choices on the June Primary Ballot are the big races – the ones for president, governor, or legislators. But every even-numbered year, in the Montana June Primary, the most powerful positions in local politics are the Precinct Committeemen and Committeewomen.

• A Precinct Committeeman
• A Precinct Committeewoman

Yet every even-numbered year election cycle many of these positions go unnoticed on the ballot, and sometimes they go unfilled. When that happens, a small number of people end up making decisions that affect thousands.

The June 2, 2026 Primary is your chance to change that.

In Montana, each political party operates through a County Central Committee. This committee directs party activities within the county in addition to helping shape the direction of the party at the state and national level. A small appointed board helps manage the committee, and four board positions represent the county at state and national conventions where they vote on party leadership, party rules, and party platforms.

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Understanding the Rural Solid Waste District Issue in Cascade County

A Timeline of Events, Decisions, and Court Proceedings

By Rae Grulkowski

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Over the past two years, decisions involving the Cascade County Rural Solid Waste District have generated significant discussion among residents, county officials, and the courts. Many citizens have asked how the issue developed and what the courts have, thus far, said about it. Let’s summarize key events to help residents better understand what has occurred.

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Voters of Cascade County: Lynn DeRoche’s Underhanded Record Should Disqualify Her from Clerk & Recorder

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Lynn DeRoche is now running for Cascade County Clerk & Recorder. Voters deserve to know exactly who she is — and what she has already done while working inside the election office.

In the 2023 Fort Shaw Irrigation District election, DeRoche deliberately helped engineer a scheme that disenfranchised hundreds of legitimate voters and favored Commissioner Kennard Steinke. Court documents in the ongoing lawsuit (ADV-23-255) lay it out clearly:

She sent an email falsely telling the election administrator that co-owners of property “must” submit new voting designations—even though the law changed in 2019 and no such requirement existed (Mont. Code Ann. § 85-7 1710).

She and FSID secretary Charla Merja privately agreed to “bury” prior valid designations that were already on file and to tell voters they “MUST” file brand-new forms or they would not receive ballots.

They used outdated 2017 statutory language in the voter notice and refused ballots to co owners who followed the actual law.

The result: at least 3,422 legitimate votes from co-owners were blocked. The chaos directly helped Commissioner Kennard Steinke win re-election.

This wasn’t a mistake. The emails and timeline in the court brief show it was coordinated and intentional. DeRoche and others created confusion, ignored the current law, and shorted votes to favor Steinke.

Today the Clerk & Recorder no longer runs elections — but the office still handles critical public records, voter registration support, and official documents that affect every citizen. If Lynn DeRoche was willing to bury records, mislead voters, and manipulate an election to help her preferred candidate when she was just an employee, what will she do when she has the top job?

Cascade County voters have a right to know this history before they cast their ballots. Underhanded tactics have no place in public office.

On June 2nd, vote for Deserae Valentine for Cascade County Clerk & Recorder — the candidate who will actually protect our elections and our rights.

Sally Tucker Cascade County

Responses to Nikolakakos

In the gritty world of Montana politics, some play dirty to cling to power—and George Nikolakakos just proved he’s willing to stoop as low as it gets.

Forward by Marci Marceau

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George Nikolakakos has finally crawled out from under whatever rock he’s been hiding his high school behavior and hypocrisy beneath. Armed with nothing more than a handful of ancient, context-stripped social-media screenshots and the desperate hope that nobody remembers what a fraud he is.

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