Forum aimed at exploring the state Constitution coming to Kalispell

Former Gov. Marc Racicot is coming to Kalispell on Sunday to take part in a forum aimed at highlighting the uniqueness and inclusiveness of the Montana Constitution.

Billed as a bipartisan event, the forum will feature three members from Friends of the Montana Constitution, a nonprofit group dedicated to promoting and enhancing the public’s understanding and appreciation of the Constitution, and is hosted by the Flathead Democrats.

“I hope this is just the beginning of other things we can do to help our Constitution,” said JoLynn Yenne, who organized the event.

Yenne’s father, Henry Siderius, served as one of six Flathead County delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1972. After attending a similar forum earlier this year, Yenne felt inspired to host an event in Kalispell.

“I want people to be ready in future elections to really consider what needs to be changed [in the Constitution], if it even does need to be changed,” Yenne said.

The forum will consist of three speakers: Mae Nan Ellingson, a lawyer and the youngest delegate at the 1972 Constitutional Convention; Racicot, former state attorney general and two-term governor; and Daniel Kemmis, former speaker of the Montana House and previous mayor of Missoula.

Ellingson is looking forward to Sunday’s event, excited to recount her experience at the 1972 convention. She will discuss why Montanans decided to hold a constitutional convention, how they went about it, the kinds of people who got elected and pinpoint some of the key provisions in the text.

“I am just truly jumping at any opportunity I get to speak about the Constitution. I'm proud of it,” Ellingson said. “There's only nine of the delegates left of the 100 who wrote it.”

Ellingson has done three of these forums recently. She highlighted the importance of state and local government, which enact most of the laws and regulations people live under as opposed to federal laws.

She also mentioned the timeliness of the forum in light of Held v. Montana, a youth-led climate change lawsuit against the state. The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare that the state’s energy policies — specifically regarding fossil fuels — are unconstitutional based on a constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment.

“I just hope that anybody who wants to learn more about the government of our state and how it affects them and how they can affect it would come to the forum,” Ellingson said.

Racicot, the former attorney general and governor, has also participated in a few Constitutional forums. His focus on Sunday will be on his journey with the Constitution and the provisions he sees in action day to day.

Considering the current political climate, public knowledge about the state Constitution is important to ensure the health and welfare of our democracy, according to Racicot. It is important to preserve the Constitutional provisions that were appropriate back in 1972, he said.

In the recent 2023 Legislative session, there were 68 requests submitted for amending the Constitution. Of those, 15 were introduced. And of those, none passed, Racicot said. If they were passed by the Legislature, they would be referred to the public for a vote before implementation.

In the 50 years since the Constitution was adopted, 34 amendments have been successfully implemented.

With a fair assessment of the document, he said, people can look at what goes on at the state level with the knowledge of if it is constitutional or not. It’s important for all Montanans to be familiar with the state Constitution, he said.

Kemmis, the third speaker, plans on speaking less to the history or legislative battles and more on a few specific aspects of the document. One of those, according to Kemmis, is the various ways in which the Constitution encourages and facilitates the search for common ground on difficult issues. The other is the importance of thinking about and caring for the welfare of future generations.

“In order to serve its function, it depends on a broad range of Montanans knowing what is in the Constitution and knowing why it matters,” Kemmis said, linking the Constitution to events like the forum in Kalispell.

The forum is free and open to the public and will take place Sunday, June 25, from 2-4 p.m. at the Northwest Montana History Museum at 124 Second Ave. E., Kalispell. Copies of the Montana Constitution will be available, Yenne said.

Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.