June 11 Ceremony to Honor Authors of State Constitution

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 4, 2009

Contact:
Gayle Shirley, Legislative Information Officer, 406-444-2957
Sheryl Olson, Department of Administration, 406-444-3307

(HELENA) - Montanans who drafted the current state constitution will be honored at a public ceremony June 11 in Helena.

The event, which will include the unveiling of a bronze plaque listing all 100 members of the 1972 Constitutional Convention, will be at 2 p.m. in the Capitol Rotunda.

Sponsors are the Capitol Complex Advisory Council, Legislative Services Division, Montana Historical Society, and State Bar Association.

The 1972 state constitution has been characterized as one of the most progressive in the nation. It advocates single-member legislative districts, open-meeting requirements, and the care and protection of the environment.

Fritz Snyder, law professor at the University of Montana, will deliver a keynote address explaining the role the new constitution has played in transitioning Montana to the 21st century. Mike McGrath, chief justice of the Montana Supreme Court, will serve as moderator.

Other speakers and their topics will be:

  • Arlyne Reichert, constitutional convention delegate from Great Falls, “Remembrances of a Delegate”
  • Charles S. Johnson, Lee Newspapers State Bureau Chief, “How the Constitution Changed Public and Media Access to State Government”
  • Mike Jetty, Indian education specialist for the state Office of Public Instruction, “Implementing Article X: Indian Education in Montana”

Convention delegates Dorothy Eck and Bob Campbell will unveil the new bronze plaque, which will hang outside the Senate Chamber on the third floor of the Capitol.

Refreshments will be served and music will be provided by the Helena Youth Choir, under the direction of Carol Waniata.

Free showings of a one-hour documentary on the 1972 Constitutional Convention will be offered in conjunction with the event. “For This and Future Generations,” produced in 2004 for Montana PBS, will air at noon and again at 4 p.m. in Room 102 of the Capitol.

For more information, contact Gayle Shirley, legislative information officer, at 406-444-2957 or gshirley@mt.gov.

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