You’ve got to hand it to some young Montana Republicans. They’re both environmentally conscious and fiscally conservative. They’re trying to draft a GOP gubernatorial candidate with the same last name as two previous nominees in order to recycle leftover campaign literature.

Of course, I’m only joking about the recent news that some University of Montana-Western students want State Sen. (and broadcaster) Taylor Brown, R-Huntley, to run for governor in 2012. They sound pretty serious about their effort to get 25,000 signatures on such a petition and have set up a Web site at www.drafttaylorbrown.com to explain why.

The two most recent Republican nominees for governor were State Sen. Roy Brown, R-Billings, and former Secretary of State Bob Brown, both of whom were beaten by current Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who is term-limited out in 2012.

Despite the UM-Western students’ obvious enthusiasm for his candidacy, Sen. Brown doesn’t seem too keen on the idea so far. He recently called the draft effort “uncomfortable” for him and said that he’s “not interested ... in changing careers at this point.”

There will no doubt be a slew of candidates trying for Montana’s top statewide post this next go-round. Six teams of governor/lieutenant governor candidates made the 2008 primary (three were Democrats, two were Republicans, and one was Libertarian).

By the numbers

Maneuvering in the U.S. Senate on health care reform legislation is getting hot and heavy. The public-option approach (not to be confused with single-payer) is still on the table, and some senators are trying to keep it alive in whatever final bill gets passed.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told “Meet the Press” on Sunday that his party is approaching the magic 60 votes for a “compromise public option,” whatever that means. Knowing that crew, such a bill could also include funding for a “surge” in American troops headed to Afghanistan. They obviously need a sensible rule like the Montana Legislature’s forbidding more than one subject per piece of legislation.

Apparently the idea behind this compromise is to let the individual states opt out of a public-option arrangement if they chose, which appeals to some senators.
It will be interesting to see how U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., comes down on the matter, given that he has previously said that he personally likes a public option but has voted against it. Maybe if 60 senators go for it and it’s looking like a sure thing, he’ll vote his conscience.

Speaking of …

… Including more than one issue in a bill, the U.S. Senate finally passed an expansion to the federal hate crimes statute last week, but it was included as an amendment to a $680-billion Department of Defense appropriations bill.

The Senate action means that federal offenses in the hate crimes law are expanded to include crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability, provisions which had already been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives in April. President Obama is expected to sign the bill.

Saving grace

After my last column, in which I criticized U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., for not seeing the big picture by acting on issues of concern to the largest number of voters, I heard from his communications director, Jed Link.

Mr. Link wanted me to know that Rep. Rehberg has done quite a bit along those lines, including just introducing a bill to encourage retirement savings even in today’s economy.

The Securing Tomorrow by Saving Today Act would, among other provisions, exclude up to $500 per person ($1,000 per married couple) of interest income from gross income each year, increase the IRA (individual retirement account) contribution limit for employer-sponsored plans from $5,000 to $16,500 per year, and temporarily double the contribution limit to employee IRAs and employer-sponsored plans to $33,000.

Savings is always a good idea. However, lots of people don’t have any interest income, especially now, and some employees have had to cut down on their contributions to IRAs and other savings plans because of layoffs or cutbacks at work.

Get HAPPY

Noting that some pet owners are having to give up their four-legged friends because of foreclosure and other economic troubles, U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich., wants to allow taxpayers to deduct up to $3,500 per year for vet and other animal-care expenses. He calls it the HAPPY Act, for “Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years.”

According to press reports, it’s tough to tell how much support his proposal has, but it’s estimated that more than half of Americans own pets.

“Obviously, health care is on the front burner,” Rep. McCotter has reportedly said. “But when the time comes, if people are letting their members know they like it, they’d like to see them get behind it, I think that will be helpful in this instance.”

Quote of the week

“I never say never. I don’t believe a person should ever say never. I certainly appreciate their enthusiasm, and I appreciate their confidence in me. I’m flattered.”
– State Sen. Taylor Brown, R-Huntley, on news that a group of students is trying to draft him to run for governor in 2012, reported by Chuck Johnson of the Lee State Bureau on Oct. 24.