Kill Bill

By: Jordan Minnick
An honorable mention to those bills that met opposition on the floor and were voted down.
SB #125: One Nation Under God
A bill to ban atheism in Montana, this piece of legislature easily passed committee (probably mostly on the grounds that it should be discussed on the senate floor) but found opposition from both the right and left in the senate. Opponent arguments included religious freedom under First Amendment rights and the harsh punishments (up to $5000 in fines and two years jail time) for exercising this right of passage. Proponent points included the definitions of religion versus atheism. Case in point: if you need a dictionary to back your bill, you’ve obviously reached a last resort.

SB #123: An Act to Lower the Voting Age to Sixteen
Is it a surprise that teens of Youth and Government would oppose such a bill? I’d think so. The majority agreed that 16-years-old is too young to vote. As Senator Alex Esteves said in committee, “It’s allowing young people to vote for what they want at the time, not what they actually believe,” point being that at 16 you’re more influenced by the people that surround you, while at 18 you’re more apt to have developed your own beliefs. In support of the bill, it was pointed out that if a 16-year-old can pass a government course, they should in fact have the right to vote. Case in point: 18-year-olds are substantially more mature than 16-year-olds. Period.