News
Montana House leadership asks lawmaker to resign
Published
4 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Amy Beth Hanson ASSOCIATED PRESS
HELENA — A Montana lawmaker on Monday rejected legislative leaders’ call for his resignation over his assertion that the U.S. Constitution allows socialists to be jailed or shot.
Republican Rep. Rodney Garcia of Billings, responding to the letter by the three leaders of his own political party, said the “only way I would give my resignation is if God asked me to.”
Garcia made his original comments at a Republican gathering in Helena on Friday, saying he was worried about socialists entering the government, according to Lee Newspapers of Montana.
He stood by those comments on Saturday and again Monday, saying socialism–which he called “pretty much communism”–is dangerous. He could not cite which part of the Constitution supports his claims.
“They have to be tried, and if they’re found guilty,” they can be jailed or shot, Garcia said. “But more than likely they would never be shot because we just don’t do that in today’s society. We’re supposed to be civilized.”
Speaker of the House Greg Hertz, Speaker Pro Tempore E. Wylie Galt and House Majority Leader Brad Tschida wrote to Garcia on Monday calling the “inflammatory remarks” he made Friday “deeply disturbing” and stating he refused a request from Hertz to retract the comments.
“Your reckless and un-American remarks are beneath that of a public official and do not represent the values of the Republican Party, Montana House of Representatives or the people of our great state,” the leadership wrote. “Your actions have irreparably undermined the body in which you serve and irrevocably broken the trust of those you were elected to represent. We believe it is clear that you can no longer effectively discharge the duties of the office you hold; therefore, it is our request that you submit your resignation with immediate effect.”
Garcia told The Associated Press that he won’t resign. But he won’t be returning to the state House next year, either. He said he filed to run for the state Senate on Friday, a decision that had nothing to do with the response to his comments.
“They can ask me to step down, but, no, I don’t think so,” Garcia told The Associated Press. “I’m going to run for the Senate and I’m going to win. People are going to have to eat their words.”
Hertz, Galt and Tschida were at the Republican gathering on Friday and they didn’t say anything to him, Garcia alleged, nor did Spenser Merwin, the executive director of the Montana Republican Party who condemned his comments on Saturday.
“I’m getting my head so big from people saying, ‘Thank you, Rodney, for bringing this up,'” he said. “f people don’t want me in the Senate they can say: `Well, I’m not going to vote for ya.’ That’s their prerogative.”
Garcia said he’s also received some threats.
“They can’t come up to me and talk to me, but they want to shoot me,” Garcia said. “That’s fine, but if you miss, I won’t.”
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
more
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Time
(Wednesday) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location
The Waypoint
50 Ousel Falls Rd