Keeping in Touch
With contact from constituents regarding the lack of the presence of the State Highway Patrol in Sanders County, I wanted to relate some information I recently received in case some of our residents, themselves, might want to be a part of the solution for returning State Highway Patrol coverage to Sanders County.
From January 12 – 26, 2011, the Montana Highway Patrol is accepting applications from lateral applicants. A lateral applicant is someone who has graduated from the Montana Law Enforcement Academy’s Law Enforcement Officer Basic Course or someone who possesses a Basic POST Certificate from Montana or another state.
From February 11 – 25, 2011, the Montana Highway Patrol will be accepting applications from entry-level applicants. These are applicants who have not attended the Basic Course and do not have any law enforcement experience.
The best source of information regarding the requirements, selection process overview, written test study guide, and physical fitness testing information can be obtained from the Montana Highway Patrol website. The link is: http://www.doj.mt.gov/enforcement/highwaypatrol/
Potential applicants who may have any questions regarding the application process can contact either Kristi Skaalure, Human Resources Assistant at (406) 444-3259 or Captain Greg Watson, District I Commander in Missoula, whose area of responsibility covers the Sanders County area. If applicants have any specific questions about specific duties required of a Highway Patrolman, they are encouraged to contact Captain Watson at (406) 329-1510, who is willing to discuss patrol duties with the applicant.
Now a bit about current legislative activities. On Friday, January 14th, we completed our 11th legislative day. It was a conclusion for what was an especially busy week for me. As Chairman of the State Administration Committee, in addition to scheduling committee hearings, I oversaw the hearings of 17 house bills this week and the committee took executive action on several of them. Of those 17 house bills, I presented three of them before the committee. They were House bill (HB) 45 regarding stale-dated warrants; HB 89 concerning disclosure filing for State candidates; and, HB 91 which revised election laws. This coming week, we will be hearing 13 house bills including two regarding elections: HB 139, the mail ballot elections bill; and, HB 99, a bill to revise absentee and current mail ballot laws.
We heard three house bills in the Local Government Committee and three in the Human Services Committees, committees on which I am a member. While this represents a slower start to bill hearings than my State Administration Committee, it looks like this week’s activities are picking up. One of the bills we’ll be hearing in the Local Government Committee on Thursday, January 20th, which might be of interest to you is HB 20, a bill authorizing county social host liability ordinances. In the Human Services Committee, we currently have seven bills scheduled for the week. HB 185, a bill banning synthetic marijuana, will be heard on Wednesday, January 19th while HB 68, a bill revising the medical marijuana act and creating a regulatory structure for the industry will be heard on Friday, January 21st.
If interested, in being able to track legislative bills and committee meetings, you can do so by going to the Montana Legislative Website. The link is: www.leg.mt.gov .
I can be reached during the session by leaving a message for me at (406) 444-4800, or by e-mailing me at pathd13@blackfoot.net , or by visiting the legislative branch website at www.leg.mt.gov and clicking on the Contact a Legislator link. Instructions are given there on how to send electronic messages. You also may mail your comments to me at Representative Pat Ingraham, Capitol Building, P. O. Box 200400, Helena, MT 59620-0400.