Scobey soil also dominates local legislative conference

The key issues of education, economic development and taxes have taken a back seat in Helena in recent days to the issue of whether the state should designate Scobey Soil at the official state soil.

The same was true at the video conference held weekly at Havre Public School’s Robins Administration Building Tuesday.

Scobey soil dominates the landscape in the Golden Triangle part of the state, the area bounded by Conrad, Havre and Great Falls.

It is the best soil, its supporters say, for growing wheat.

Fourth-graders at Bozeman’s Longfellow School proposed making the Scobey the state soil and went to their state senator, JP Pomnichowski, a Bozeman Democrat.

They came to Helena to see how their proposal would work its way through the system. They created a firestorm.

Sen. Taylor Brown, R-Huntley, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, argued on the Senate floor that the Legislature has much more important issues to dig into.

Brown said he himself has taught students about the importance of soil, but he reluctantly opposed the bill because voters didn't send him to Helena to get the warm feeling that comes from seeing little kids' eyes light up.

The measure passed the Agriculture Committee and the Senate, but with great controversy.

The Montana Democratic Party has taken up the students’ cause via Twitter.

Sen. Kris Hansen, R-Havre, speaking from Helena, asked people attending the video conference Tuesday when they thought.

Gail Rader, a longtime Republican activist, said she thorough Brown’s actions gave Republicans a black eye. Her nephew is among the students advocating for the Scoby Soil.

But fellow Republican Brad Loton said he thought lawmakers should spend their limited time in Helena more important issues.

Hansen, who voted against the Scobey Soil bill, noted that lawmakers are limited to a 90-day legislative session, and there are many issues facing the state that deserve their attention. They, in effect, should separate the wheat from the chaff when deciding what issues to take up

After talking to the students, spending time in a hearing and taking part in debate on the floor, “that’s three hours of your legislative career that you will never get back,” she said.

“The other side of it is that these kids are awesome, she said. “They researched this.”

She said she was considering introducing legislation that would allow the governor to designate officials state items. Now, only the legislature has that authority.

The governor is not limited to 90 days, she said. The governor could spend more time with the students and a have a big, formal signing ceremony, she said.

The Hi-Line delegation to the state Senate split on the issue when it passed the Senate 26-22. Hansen voted no. Senators Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, and John Brenden, a Republican from, of all places, Scobey, voted yes.