Local lawmakers miss their scheduled video conference

None of north-central Montana state lawmakers showed up for their weekly legislative video conference Tuesday, with each saying they had other matters to attend to.

Each week, Havre Public Schools and the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce host weekly video conferences with state lawmakers Tuesdays at noon in the Robins Administration Building during the state legislative session. The conferences allow lawmakers to update area residents about the latest developments in Helena and field questions from constituents.

K’lynn Sloan Harris, audio and video coordinator with the Montana Legislative Service Division, said over the screen that she could not find any lawmakers from the Havre area.

Sloan Harris did say she thought that she saw state Rep. Jacob Bachmeier, D-Havre, earlier and at one point went to go look for him, but when she returned said that she couldn’t find him.

State Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, said in an email later that he was not present because the video conference coincides with the time that the American Indian Caucus meets.

“For the past sessions, including this one the scheduling of the Indian Caucus is always at the same time: Tuesday at noon, “ he said.

Newly appointed state Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester, who sits on the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, said in an email that two bills were coming before that committee and he during the time the video conference was scheduled he had to meet with the lawmaker who is carrying those bills.

Sen. Mike Lang, R-Malta, said in an email he had four meetings at that time and elected to go to one of those instead of the video conference.

“I  apologize I missed the meeting,” he said. “It’s been busy down here.”

Bachmeier, state Rep. Jim O’Hara, R-Fort Benton and Sen. Frank Smith, D-Poplar. did not respond to emails asking about their whereabouts during the conference before print deadline.