Hello everyone, One of our own ROOTWALKER family members contacted me several days ago about a problem of records being destroyed in the wonderful state of Montana. There is a bill before the state legislature of Montana that, if passed, would help prevent these records from being destroyed before they are copied. Many of the county records in various counties have been trashed before they were ever copied or microfilmed. I contacted the person that terriethad@home.com , our ROOTWALKER clansman, said was broadcasting information about this bill before the Montana Legislature, and below is her reply to me. Vanessa and I have a policy of not announcing things to the ROOTWALKER family without first verifying them. After receiving the letter shown below, I went to the State of Montana web site and read the bill. To see it for yourself, simply go to the follwing address: <A HREF="http://data.opi.state.mt.us/bills/2001/billhtml/SB0443.htm">Montana SB SB0443</A> http://data.opi.state.mt.us/bills/2001/billhtml/SB0443.htm If any of you have interests in the State of Montana, or simply wish to help others preserve their ancestral records, please contact one or more of the State Representatives in Montana and ask them for their help on this matter. Thanks. Stan Magnesen ROOTWALKER site/list coordinator **************** Subj: RE: House Bill 443 Date: 3/20/01 7:08:56 AM Pacific Standard Time From: Mluther@state.mt.us (Luther, Marcia) To: Yelowstone@aol.com ('Yelowstone@aol.com') Dear Stan: What you have heard is probably correct. House Bill 443 is a BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REQUIRING THAT STATE PUBLIC DOCUMENTS AND LOCAL PUBLIC RECORDS BE OFFERED TO CERTAIN ENTITIES AND TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC BEFORE BEING DESTROYED; EXEMPTING PUBLIC DOCUMENTS AND RECORDS CONTAINING PERSONAL INFORMATION SUBJECT TO A RIGHT OF PRIVACY; AUTHORIZING THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO ADOPT RULES." The following is a letter that I have sent to numerous people. Any help you can give will be appreciated. Senate Bill 443 passed the Senate 48-2. It has been tabled in the House. This Bill is an act requiring that State Public Documents and Local Public Records be offered to certain entities and to the general public before being destroyed; Protection of our old records is critical to family and history research. Although there are currently administration rules regarding record preservation, they are being ignored by county officials who are hauling records out to land fills which are irreplaceable. The county officials lobbied heavily against this as well as some attorneys claiming it infringed upon privacy laws (which it did not). If this bill is to be revived and passed, the following committee members must be contacted in the next few days. Bill supporters are: (who politely might be asked to work to revive.) Representative Holly Raser (D-Missoula 70) Representative Clarice Schrumpf (R-Billings 12) Representative Donald Hedges (R-Antelope 97) Representative Larry Jent (D-Bozeman 29) Bill opponents are: (who might politely be urged to reconsider.) Representative Allen Walters (R-Hamilton 60) Representative Debby Barrett (R-Dillon 34) Representative Tom Dell (D-Billings 19) Representative Norma Bixby (D-Lame Deer 5) (concerned about Indian heritage - would she be also concerned about the rest of history) Representative Dee Brown (R-Hungry Horse 83) Representative Hal Jacobson (D-Helena 54) Representative Michelle Lee (D-Livingston 26) Representative Larry Rehman (R-Power 87) Representative Ralph Lenhart (D-Glendive 2) Representative Gay Ann Masolo (R-Townsend 40) Representative Doug Mood (R-Seeley Lake 58) Representative Alan Olson (R-Roundup 8) (made motion to table) Representative Frank Smith (D-Popular 98) Thanks, Marcia Luther 3838 Beechnut #1 East Helena, MT 59635 mbluther1@home.com To e-mail legislators you can go on the web to http://leg.state.mt.us/leg_msg.htm