Letter to the Editor:

A hearty and uproarious congratulations goes to Sen. Chas Vincent with his victory regarding SB262, which establishes federal jurisdiction across western Montana. This legislation affects all future appropriations of private water rights and immediately affects 11 counties.

A recent newspaper poll reflected 80 percent of the Lincoln County voters oppose the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Water Rights Compact, as well as the attending audience in Libby.

Vincent made it clear, with multiple references to jurisprudence, that he not only favored SB262 but sponsored it as well.

The Libby meeting was held March 3, 2015. Political suicide is usually the result for such selfish betrayal.

One quote was chimed from the audience which summed it up nicely, “this Compact is too complex for you to sell it and it is too complex for us to buy it.” 

And when asked, “Can I go out and drill a well and get a water right in the future if this gets passed,” the sponsor’s one word reply was a matter-of-fact, “Yes.”

Balderdash, there is zero guarantee of any future water rights appropriation within the 1,400-plus pages which specifically define all water named to be the ownership of the United States.

Existing valid water rights are supposedly protected. Irrigators and future users are clearly the target.

Another nice quote from the March 3 meeting summed it up nicely, “Next time you run should be as a Democrat”.

Lincoln County is known for its staunch conservative constituency and God bless the Lincoln County residents because Montana’s future sovereignty may be at risk. Montanans both conservative and not so conservative have been awakened. Montanans will never quit and will never forget. SB262 is bad law and is bad precedent. May Sen. Vincent reap the dubious rewards for such selfish betrayal. 

— David Passieri, 

St. Ignatius