For them, it's deja vu all over again, having put Initiative 80, the Nuclear Vote Initiative of 1978, on the ballot four decades ago. In the next six months, the group will need to collect 30,000 signatures if the effort is to move ahead.
Because of HB 273, the people's desire doesn't count and the new law says that a nuclear power plant will be decided by the legislature.
"We're all too old for this, probably, but they're willing to get out there and do it again," said Carole Mackin of the People's Power League.
In the 2021 legislative session, lawmakers approved House Bill 273, which repealed provisions of the Nuclear Vote Initiative and took nuclear projects out of the Major Facility Siting Act. Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bill and it took immediate effect.
"In my opinion, an initiative passed by 65% of Montana voters deserved to be reevaluated by Montana voters again and not just trashed by this 2021 legislature," Mackin said in a statement.
The HB 273 was bulldozed through in typical 2021 Republican fashion and they didn't give a whit of concern for the people of Montana. The people voted it down four decades ago and they deserve to be heard again. That isn't how these Republicans see things, however. Whatever popped into their little pointy heads and sounded good to them was passed, put under the governor's nose, and quickly signed into law.
It's worth pointing out that several other insane Republican laws are being fought in the courts this year. They steamrolled their warped right-wing ideas with little concern for you and me!
Carole Mackin noted, "There was no need to pick a fight with the Montana voters. The law already contains an exception for nuclear facilities of less than 50 megawatts. A thorem reactor could be scaled back to 49 megawatts. Right now, a 60 megawatt is on the drawing board. If this exception is repealed, as HB 272 will do, any small nuclear reactor no matter how small will undergo full scrutiny of the Major Facility Siting Act."
Opinion by John Watson
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