After a two-week break, Erik and Bill are back to talk aboutthe ongoing shenanigans at the Montana Legislature.

They ring the alarm bell to illustrate how we need to be aware as the deals are speeding up as the 2025 session races toward a closure. They talk about the need to hold our legislators accountable for their deals that will have long-term ramifications on the people who can least afford it.

In this episode, Erik says “I told you so” to the Democratswho fell for the property tax and spending trap that they walked right into. He talks about how that will result in property taxes going up drastically for many; and the Democrats could take the fall according to GOP messaging. Of course, that news will hit home just after the primary elections.

Listen as they talk about the bipartisan effort to changethe Public Service Commission. Instead of having five commissioners elected by the people, three would be appointed by the governor and two would be elected.That would give a constant majority to a governor who, like Gov. Greg Gianforte, might care more about his millionaire and billionaire friends and he does about the people.

Finally, listen in as Erik talks about how he almost died ashe did a cartwheel to impress his granddaughter, and how Bill calls Bravo Sierra until he sees some video proof.

In the eighth episode of the Mad About Montana Podcast, Erik Nylund and Bill Foley discuss “Bulls for Billionaires” and how House Bill 645 from the 2023 Montana Legislative session created an unfair hunting advantage for wealthy non-resident landowners.

John Sullivan III of the Montana chapter of BackcountryHunters & Anglers joins the conversation to talk about how House Bill 907, which will go to committee in the Montana Senate on Tuesday, could be a possible fix to that bill. He encourages Montanans to contact their senators to tell them to pass the bill to ensure fairness.

Wealthy people should not be treated better because of their money, and Montana should not be turned into a billionaire’s playground.

Erik and Bill also discuss the important effort to save Holland Lake, look at the dishonesty that is behind Sen. Steve Daines’ coal bill and Montana’s House Bill and revisit the secrecy behind Montana’s House Bill 547.

In the seventh episode of the Mad About Montana Podcast,Erik Nylund and Bill Foley once again welcome Trudy Healy, who represents Butte’s District 8 on the Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners.

In this episode, they talk with Commissioner Healy about thebullying and retribution that she, like many others, has experienced for asking tough questions of our local government. They discuss how the secrecy behind HouseBill 547 will likely bring anything but healing to the rift between our volunteer firefighters and the Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department.

Also, Trudy exposes non-disclosure agreements and,basically, a loyalty pledges Butte-Silver Bow is forcing members of government boards to sign. So much for transparency in our local government.

Whitefish’s Mike Jopek is a garlic farmer and a former member of the Montana House of Representatives.

In addition to his dislike of the lobbyist takeover of the Montana Legislature, Mike is a fierce advocate of property tax fairness in Montana. While Gov. Greg Gianforte and many in the Legislature want us to believe that the property tax system in Montana is a complex matter, Mike tells us that it is far from rocket science.

He is a proponent for House Bill 528, minus a Rep. Lew Jones amendment. He urges you ring that Liberty Bell and call (406) 444-4800 to leave messages for your senators. If they are like Mike when he served in Helena, you can call them on their cell phones, too.

To have your voice heard on the Mad About Montana Podcast, contact Nylund at [email protected] or Foley at [email protected].

Brian Schweitzer was the 23rd governor of the great State of Montana. But don’t call him “Governor.” He does not want to be associated with what that word has become over the last four years.

Brian hasn’t been in office since early 2013, but he hasbeen paying attention to the political scene in the state that he still loves. He is also fired up and ready to call out the lobbyists who are running the state.

When Brian was in charge, Montana was governed by common sense and fiscal responsibility. He was honest and transparent. He didn’t eat the thick steaks or sip the old whiskey of the lobbyists who do not always have thebest interest of the people at heart.

With Erik developing a case of the Mondays and worrying more and more about the political crisis our state is facing, we thought we would give Brian a call to try to wake some people up and send out a call to action to get us back on track.

To have your voice heard on the Mad About Montana Podcast, contact Nylund at [email protected] or Foley at [email protected].

In the fourth episode of the Mad About Montana Podcast, Erik Nylund and Bill Foley dive into the lack of transparency at all levels of government.They discuss the Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners letting the chief executive off the hook over House Bill 547, and they talk about the Montana Senate doing the same with its former leader over ethics violations.

Then, the Man on the Street knocks on the Playhouse door and talks about where we went wrong and how we can possibly get back on track.

To have your voice heard on the Mad About Montana Podcast, contact Nylund at [email protected]or Foley at [email protected].

In the third episode of the Mad About Montana Podcast, Erik Nylund and Bill Foley welcome Trudy Healy, who represents Butte’s District 8 on the Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners.

In this episode, they discuss the overuse of the word “emergency” by our local leaders, Trudy’s work to clean up her neighborhood with the assist of a sidearm and bear spray, and how the process behind House Bill 547 might not have been the best way to try to “solve” the escalating friction between Butte-Silver Bow’s paid and volunteer firefighters.

In second episode of the Mad About Montana Podcast, Erik Nylund and Bill Foley discuss how lobbyists are running the Montana Legislature.

They talk about how that is not always the case and wonder what can be done to combat the growing influence of people who were not elected.

In the first episode of the Mad About Montana Podcast, Erik Nylund and Bill Foley dive into the issues between Butte's volunteer firefighters and the career firefighters.

There has long been an undercurrent of resentment between the two sides, who work together so well when it comes to battling fires. But that is not why there is friction over House Bill 547.

Contact Erik and Bill if you have issues you would like to see tackled or would like to be a guest. Email Erik at [email protected], and contact Bill at [email protected].