Montana Bill Would Limit Rulemaking by Local Health Boards

[TexasTowelie]

HELENA — The Montana House is considering a bill that would make decisions by local health boards in response to crises subject to approval by elected officials.

Under existing Montana law, the boards, which are appointed by elected officials, have the authority to issue rules to address public health crises, including the pandemic. The bill would give county and city commissioners the power to amend or rescind those rules.

Proponents of the bill said during a committee hearing Thursday that it would restore confidence in public health edicts. Opponents said allowing elected officials to intervene in health board decisions could allow politics to overpower science in decisions regarding urgent health concerns.

The bill comes after months of angst among some Montana residents over what they have called arbitrary and unfair health mandates that have led some business to close. Some local health officials in Montana have resigned after encountering a lack of support from elected officials for their efforts to curb the virus.

Read more: https://flatheadbeacon.com/2021/01/15/montana-bill-limit-rulemaking-local-health-boards/

[Laffy Kat]

1. Yes, because who knows better?

Health care professionals or politicians?

[SheltieLover]

2. TN was talking about similar law

Not sure of the outcome. Of course this started when covid #s sky rocketed & health depts. began rolling back reopening privileges.

Why not leave decisions to a bunch of repuke science deniers? What could possibly go wrong?

[Laffy Kat]

3. Right?

Montana is on an anti-science, anti-worker, gun-humping binge right now. Hopefully, logical minds will prevail in both states.

[SheltieLover]

4. I sure hope so!

[Delmette2.0]

5. This is reminiscent of Michigan and the take over of Flint.

Let's start with the most important bit of information, this is House Bill 121, now in the House Local Government Committee. Look up the members of this committwe and start sending emails.

Montana is so wide spread it is hard to imagine. I once saw a true to scale map of Montana on superimposed on the eastern part of the U.S. Kalispell was close to Chicago and Billings was close to Washington DC. There are so many different counties, towns and cities that no one from a county more than 100 miles away can understand the details of what is going on in another. We trust our local Health Departments. If we don't we would be all over them and the County Commissions.