Ends don't justify means in House rules panel votes

Many on the left and in the media are praising Senate Bill 405 as a “bipartisan” health care solution. However, one thing is clear to the conservative legislators I serve with: SB 405 is an all-or-nothing expansion of Obamacare for Montana. There was no compromise in the drafting of this bill after it was rubber-stamped by the governor and the sponsor shot down all amendments in committee.

Make no mistake about it, this bill is a massive expansion of Obamacare in our state and will add tens of thousands of new participants into a medical welfare program that was originally intended to provide medical care for the disabled and truly needy.

To be clear, I think that everyone should have access to health care, but increasing Medicaid enrollment by such a large number is not a good way to go about getting that access. Members of a working group looked at this problem over the last two years and developed the Big Sky Health plan. This plan targeted the most needy populations and ensured that they get adequate medical coverage first. Most of the Big Sky Health plan — which were actual compromise proposals — were killed in the process.

Every Montanan should know three things about SB 405: it is more federal government intrusion in the form of Obamacare by accepting $700 million from Washington, it dramatically expands the number of Montanans on medical welfare, and it will add more bureaucracy to our health care system that will cost the state millions of dollars in administration fees every year.

I respect legislators who make decisions on policy for their constituents — that’s why they sent us here. But I am extremely disappointed that the Democratic caucus and a handful of Republicans would vote to throw out the legislative rulebook that we all voted on in January.

In my law practice I work to uphold the rule of law. At home I teach my children the rules they should abide by, and here in Helena we are all expected to follow the rules that we adopt. Once we throw the legislative rules out the window we lose the ability to responsibly govern this state.

A group of representatives who were upset that they weren’t getting their way used procedural maneuvering to sidestep the rules, rendering them basically meaningless. This group has decided that they will use any means necessary to get what they want even if it means breaking the rules. A civilized body should never resort to an “ends justifies the means” mentality. I have tremendous respect for the Montana Legislature and for the position of Speaker and refuse to play games that dishonor those who helped me get here. I, and the majority of the conservative Republican caucus of the Montana House of Representatives will continue to uphold, follow and respect the rules of the Montana Legislature.

(Rep. Austin Knudsen, a Republican from Culbertson, is speaker of the Montana House.)