Letters to the editor Jan. 5

Legislation should be based on fact

I read the Inter Lake article on draft legislation regarding gender affirming care (State senators from the Flathead Valley looking to restrict gender affirming care, Dec. 31).

It appears that we have two state legislators, Sen. Keith Regier from Kalispell and Sen. John Fuller from Whitefish, who have strong opinions on gender identity and what should or should not be legally allowed in the state of Montana as appropriate care for minors and their families struggling with these difficult problems.

However the article also states that many of the facts they present for the basis of their proposed gender affirming legislation are inaccurate. Their facts are challenged by legitimate professional medical organizations and doctors and also by university studies in this field. If the state of Montana is going to legally limit the rights of families to be the decision makers for their children, let’s make sure the legislation is based on facts and not opinions.

— Marcia Peck Bigfork

Social Security tax follow up

As a follow up to my letter regarding eliminating the income tax on Social Security taxes since the state has such a large surplus. Here are the responses to the emails/letters sent to Sen. Bob Keenen, Rep. Mark Nolan and Gov. Greg Gianforte.

Keenan stated that he would indeed support any bill eliminating the tax but he was not sure Gianforte would sign it and the legislature might have to try and override a veto.

Representative Noland called and said he would also support any bill. When I asked about the governor vetoing it he said he would call a see what the governor’s office had to say. His understanding is that the governor has a .2 percent cut to the tax planned and over several years would get it down to 5 percent. If my math is correct that would be 20 cent on ever $100.00. He also let me know that there are two bills in the works and while one or both might pass it takes 75 percent of the legislature to override a veto and that that is highly unlikely.

Gianforte’s office responded with a nice letter telling me about all the tax cuts that had been, or would be made, but did not answer the question on the Social Security tax. A second request on whether or not the governor would support eliminating the tax resulted in a second response with a more detailed description of all the tax cuts that had or would be made, but did not answer the question on the Social Security tax.

My assumption at this time that should legislation pass eliminating the tax on Social Security benefits Governor Gianforte plans to veto it.

— Jay Thompson, Bigfork

How bad is it?

The one significant article I found in last Monday’s edition was Byron York’s article titled “Most Americans don’t know how bad the border crisis is.”

Byron states that there was an estimated 3 million illegal border crossings in the past year and that the mainstream media does not report any of this and that Americans are totally ignorant of this. In the opinion poll cited once respondents were given the correct numbers, 67% of those polled favored stricter policies for immigration.

This shows how out of touch most Americans are and how well the mainstream media has lied to us. Our current administration is not enforcing the immigration laws that have been passed by Congress, and not protecting our borders. President Biden is not upholding his oath of office.

This is a danger to our national security (terrorists), our very lives (drugs and criminals) and well being (extra ordinary expenses to support and feed illegal immigrants). Thank you Byron York for bringing this to attention.

— William Fry, Kalispell