In the coming months, Great Falls Rising will be devoting part of each newsletter to an educational part of Montana’s unique state Constitution. Crafted by 100 delegates, then enacted through a statewide ratification in 1972, this document enshrines some of the unique qualities which Montanans hold most dear; many of its provisions serve to distinguish Montana from the other 49 states of the Union.
This month we begin with a look at the Preamble, which reads, in its entirety:
“We the people of Montana grateful to God for the quiet beauty of our state, the grandeur of our mountains, the vastness of our rolling plains, and desiring to improve the quality of life, equality of opportunity and to secure the blessings of liberty for this and future generations do ordain and establish this constitution.”
With its emphasis on things like Montana’s “quiet beauty”, its “grandeur”, its “quality of life”, and its concern for “future generations”, Montana’s 1972 State Constitution ushered in over half a century of citizen participation, government transparency, individual privacy rights, and a clean and healthful environment which have withstood the test of time and several attacks on its individual provisions.
Four years from now, in 2030, Montanans will have the opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to our Constitution and its provisions for the good citizens of Montana.
Categories: Education
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