Compact not good for Montana

It seems interesting that past public officials are speaking out stating their approval of the water compact with the Salish and Kootenai tribes. All have the same line of reasoning followed by the threat of dire consequences if not passed by the Montana Legislature. 

The Montana Water Court should have been used in the first place to settle the tribes’ claims. By using the Legislature, we have legislators who have coerced fellow legislators to approve this compact. Many Montanans have expressed there disapproval of this compact as their water rights under the Montana Constitution are being ignored.

Our attorney general and our governor are promoting the compact. Meanwhile, there is plenty of stonewalling and failure to answer specific questions or concerns.

The millions of dollars being spent by the “Farmers and Ranchers of Montana” to flood the airways in support of this compact leads to the question, where is all of this money coming from?

Can anyone explain how and why the state of Montana cedes water rights now held by the state to another sovereign nation, the tribes living within Montana? This is ceding or surrendering Montanans’ water right under the Montana Constitution. This compact is a forever compact, and cannot be changed.

This compact is not good for Montana. —Lavonne Larson, Kalispell