LETTER: Representatives deserve respect

Have you ever been to the capitol in

Helena during a legislative session? Have you watched the

legislators going from one committee meeting to another, and sat in

on a committee meeting to observe the process? Have you sat in the

gallery of the House of Representatives and been introduced from

the floor of the House, as all visitors are, and watched as bills

are voted on? I have.

The Montana Legislature is there to

serve the people. They spend four months every other year, and

often return in the interim, to deal with the needs and desires of

Montanans.

They work long hours from early morning

until late at night sometimes, and live on snacks snatched here and

there. They openly invite input from their constituents and

carefully, sometimes agonizingly, consider every aspect of bills

that are presented.

They leave families and businesses and

occupations to serve Montana. They are not paid politicians. They

only receive enough money to pay for gas, food and lodging while

they serve.

They come from many different life

circumstances. Let me just tell you about one of them who comes

from Bigfork. He left his home, wife and nine children, driving

home through winter weather every weekend for just a day or two

with them.

His wife was very ill the first month,

“morning sickness” they call it, but it was all day sickness. She’s

the one who writes the Jill’s Jabber column. I know the family

well. I’m Jill’s mother and Scott Reichner’s mother-in-law.

I know why Scott Reichner chose to

serve in the legislature. He didn’t serve in the Armed Forces but

he had a deep desire to serve his country. So he ran for

representative for our district.

He has served for two terms now and his

greatest accomplishment during this session was a reform of

workers’ compensation. Montana is no longer owner of the

distinction of having the highest workman’s compensation rates in

the U.S. businesses can breathe easier and new businesses will be

more likely to consider bringing their business to Montana.

Scott gave eight years of public

service prior to the legislature, on the Bigfork School board,

serving as chairman for two years. The school board was, we could

say, the school of hard knocks, but it helped prepare him for

dealing with conflict and controversy.

There are other important bills that he

has worked on, as have the six legislators from Lake County that

are being welcomed home and honored for their hard work for all of

us. A brunch is being held in Polson at the VFW on Saturday, May

14, at 10 a.m. and the guest speaker is former Gov. Judy Martz.

The legislators we owe our thanks to

are Sen. Verdell Jackson, Sen. Carmine Mowbray, Rep. Janna Taylor,

Rep. Scott Reichner, Rep. Joe Read and Rep. Dan Salomon. Call

Kathryn Johnson at 883-9367 or Ginny Reed at 982-3113 for tickets.

Deadline for tickets is May 10.

— Ginny Reed, Bigfork