Little Flower Parish at 204 1st St. N.W., Browning, MT 59417 US - Eight Students Testify!

 De la Salle Blackfeet school seventh and eighth graders testified before the House Judiciary committee of the Montana state Legislature in Helena on February 19th.

 This report is taken from the DLSB news bulletin.

 The students appeared there to speak on HB653, a bill that would prohibit smoking in any vehicle containing a minor. A fifty-dollar fine would be levied on anyone smoking in a car that had children inside regardless of whether the vehicle was on private property or a public thoroughfare. Eight De La Salle students testified: four were proponents who supported the bill and four were opponents who thought the bill should not pass. One student, a proponent, suggested an amendment that removed the provision which stated that vehicles parked on private property be included in the bill. He distributed the amendment to the committee for its consideration.

Three major Montana newspapers, the Helena Independent Record, the Missoulian, and the Billings Gazette carried the story on their front pages. It was the headline of the Missoulian. It was great for or students to realize that their opinions mattered.

 The students capped off the day with a very special meeting with Lieutenant Governor John Bollinger. What a great learning experience this day afforded the students at DLSB