Meyers' Capitol experience

G. Bruce Meyers said he was exhilarated and terrified when he took his seat in the Montana House.

At 66, this political newcomer is the most unlikely of state lawmakers. A Native American Republican with no political experience, he was elected from the most Democratic district in the state by defeating a respected opponent.

But in a western version of “Mr. Meyers Goes to Helena,” he went to the state Capitol and made his mark in his first session.

He reflected on the recently completed session Friday at the Hill County Pachyderm Club meeting.

“Two years ago, I didn’t know what a Pachyderm was,” he said. “I thought it was something you smoked.”

But he said he has learned a lot, and today he feels a real sense of accomplishment about the work he did in the last four months.

Yet, he said, he was saddened by what he couldn’t get done.

“There was a bittersweet feeling because of all the vetoes,” he said, pointing to the 32 pieces of legislation that were vetoed by Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock so far.

Meyers said he was surprised by the “intense pressure” placed on lawmakers by lobbyists, party leaders and others on just about every bill.

Walking from a committee meeting to the House floor, he said, lawmakers are inundated by requests from lobbyists to vote for or against a certain bill.

He laughed when he said that fellow House member Stephanie Hess, R-Havre, taught him some “shortcuts” to get around the Capitol, places where lobbyists might ignore.

“You have to walk downstairs, across the building and upstairs to avoid them,” he said, laughing.

Meyers made history in November when as a Republican he was elected to the House in the district that includes Rocky Boy, Fort Belknap and the city of Harlem — all Democratic strongholds, and some adjacent ranch farmlands. Republicans in the farms and ranches helped Meyers squeak out a win in a close race.

It was the farmers and ranchers who put Meyers over the top in a close race on election night.

As a Republican, he said, he has been shunned by the Native American Caucus, which for decades has been all-Democratic.

Early on in the session, putting the outside pressures aisle, he said he would weigh three things when deciding how to vote: 1. Conscience, 2. constituents, 3. party.

Sometimes, he said, that means splitting with the party he holds in such high regard.

While he voted with Republicans most of the time, he split with the party leadership on two major issues — the governor’s Medicaid expansion proposal and approval of the CSKT water compact.

He realizes the importance of every vote several times during the session, he said.

“Every vote counts,” he said, looking back on several close votes on key issues.

The repeal of the death penalty lost on a tie vote in the house, he said.

Once during a committee meeting, he said, he accidentally voted the wrong way, and a bill supported by his committee chair went down to defeat by a 4-3 vote.

He was later allowed to change his vote.

But for all the trauma, and despite his feeling of exhaustion, he’s delighted with the experience.

“It was the experience of a lifetime,” he said.

“I think I’ll do it again,” he said.

He said he has made lifelong friends. He can go into every corner of the state and have a hunting partner.

Other people would also like to enjoy the experience.

Jonathan Windy Boy, who termed out of the state Senate, says he plans to run for Meyers seat, and reportedly others are looking at the idea, too.

Windy Boy has a long, long history in state and tribal politics. Anyone who discounts him does so at their own peril. He is as crafty as a politician as there can be, and he has accomplished a lot of every important projects for his district.

But last election there was snickering among the Democrats when Meyers, this community activist with no political experience, came up with the zany idea he would run as a Republican from Rocky Boy.

There will be no snickering this time.

Those of us who enjoy sitting back and watching good, old-fashioned political donnybrooks are licking our chops at the coming race.

(John Kelleher is managing editor of the Havre Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected], 406-265-6795, ext. 17, or 406-390-0798.)