After observing the latest round of in-fighting at the state Capitol (also known as the state Sandbox), it is apparent that Helena is as much in need of a political catharsis as is D.C.

Elsewhere in this issue, you can read about this session’s second full-scale battle over Medicaid expansion, which took place this week in the Montana House of Representatives.

To begin with, let’s state categorically that we understand both sides of this issue. Some people, with the best of intentions, want to take part in a generous federal program to entice states to expand eligibility for Medicare. They argue that opting out of the program will hurt Montanans who are most vulnerable — the disabled and the poor. Other Montanans perceive the federal program as a bribe that will eventually have Montana taxpayers on the hook for services they can’t afford to provide.

Frankly, there are good arguments on both sides, and if legislators were able to vote their conscience in an “up or down” vote, we could live with either outcome, but what is hugely distasteful is watching both sides, Republicans and Democrats, trying to game the system to win through manipulation and intimidation.

Tuesday the Republican majority on the House Human Services Committee voted 10-7 to send Senate Bill 405 to the House floor with an adverse report, in essence a recommendation that the full House vote against the bill. Committee chairman Rep. Art Wittich contended that meant Democrats would have to muster an impossible 60 votes in the House to pass the bill.

House Minority Leader Chuck Hunter was outraged because he had declared last week that Democrats intended to use one of their six so-called “silver bullets” on SB 405. By common agreement earlier in the session, a silver bullet is available to be used by either party to bring a bill out of committee with a simple majority vote of the House (51 votes). Therefore, Democrats wanted their bill to be sent to the full House, and likely passage. (It had already been passed by the Senate.)

Republicans, not to be outdone however, contended that the silver bullets do not apply to bills that have a “do not pass” recommendation attached to them. By Wednesday, it was unclear to anyone what rules applied or didn’t apply, but somehow the full House voted the bill out of committee on a vote of 52-48. Apparently, the silver bullet worked, and with the help of 11 Republicans, Democrats now appear likely to pass Medicaid expansion.

But is this any way to run a Legislature? Frankly, it reminds us too much of the TV series “House of Cards” and its cast of power-crazed politicos.

We would like to recommend that our “citizen legislators” put more emphasis on the “citizen” and less on the “legislator.” We certainly don’t need Helena to mimic the chicanery of Washington politics. Let’s worry less about manipulating the rules to crush the opposing side and more about representing the people. 

Here’s a suggestion: Bills go to committee for study. If a majority of the members of the committee like the bill, they pass it on to the full House or Senate, where it can try to muster whatever kind of majority is required for that particular type of bill. If the committee doesn’t like the bill, they vote it down. No six silver bullets. No golden parachutes. No nonsense. Every bill treated the same. If the Legislature wants to allow a bill to be “blasted” out of committee, pick a method and stick to it. No exceptions. Fifty-one votes. Sixty votes. Whatever it takes.

The main thing is this: Everyone plays by the same rules. Some years it would benefit Republicans. Some years it would benefit Democrats. Sometimes it would benefit conservatives. Sometimes it would benefit liberals.

That kind of straight-forward government where everyone knows what to expect would sure be refreshing, wouldn’t it? It’s also only slightly less unlikely than Congress balancing a budget.