The final hours of the 2021 legislative session saw a handful of well-connected lobbyists and their favored legislators hijack the legislative process and amend what had been a simple, non-controversial bill into an attack on Montana workers, Westmoreland Mining, the community of Colstrip and ultimately, the financial underpinnings of the state’s budget.

In what is called a free conference committee, amendments to the major environmental law regulating large projects were attached in a hearing that took eight seconds. Eight seconds! Watch it for yourself online: 8 Seconds: HB 648 at 12:12:00. There was absolutely no explanation of the amendments or their potential impacts. In fact, not one word was spoken on the amendments before they were voted on and passed … absolute crickets!