By the time you read this, the legislature, if it stays on schedule, will be adjourned.
The impression you'll have is that it was a session of conflict, chaos, and one upsmanship.
You won't be wrong, but while certainly we all know that each of those are features of politics, such a characterization sells the process--and the people involved--far short.
If you haven't noticed, the people of Montana are currently polarized to the extreme, on almost every conceivable issue ranging from taxes to what measures truly support "family values."
This polarization is accurately reflected by the basic 50-50 split in the legislature between the Democrats and Republicans, with the Democrats only gaining their razor thin majority in the Senate by the defection of a long time Hi-Line Republican to their side, and House Republicans needing a lone Constitutional Party maverick to muster their equally minimal majority.
Add to the mix a swashbuckling, excellent poker and hardball playing, media-savvy and publicly popular Governor, and half a dozen key legislators jockying for runs for higher office, and no one should be surprised that the mix was explosive.
In my opinion, it's not the personalities alone that caused the conflagrations; it's the circumstances those personalities must deal with.
The pressure on them is immense, from both sides of every debate, and the consequences sizable either way they decide. Arm-twisting was a gentle tactic of an earlier age, now replaced by outright political threats and attacks by all involved.
It's an extremely tough arena to have to play in, and legislators of this era have to legislate in a time when civility is a devalued currency across our country.
Yet, a current group of legislators, all of whom had gained the seasoning to rise above the angry discourse that prevails today, are being sent packing by the absurdity of term limits.
These limits no sense whatsoever and much of today's constant bickering can be laid at the foot of this gigantic public policy abomination.
Nevertheless, term limits are for now entrenched, and some of our best leaders are being lost at the height of their effectiveness.
We owe them a real thanks for what they've done for so long, which is to try to bring forth reasonable public policy in a take-no-prisoners back alley atmosphere (fo short pay, long hours, and little thanks) that very few of us would be willing to spend five minutes in.
So, to the termed legislators, our sincere thanks and Godspeed. As they say in my hometown of Butte, "Ya done good!"