Win some, lose some

Montanans must have spent a lot of time in the voting booth on election day. In addition to constitutional offices and local ballot measures, voters had to decide on several statewide constitutional and initiative measures, including:

• A controversial proposal to study whether the state should buy and operate private hydroelectric dams (failed).
• Repealing a law passed by the 2001 Legislature dealing with deregulation of the electricity industry (passed). >/
• Two measures that would have allowed investment of public funds in private corporate capital stock (failed).
• A measure that would dedicate 49 percent of Montana's yearly tobacco settlement funds to tobacco disease prevention and expanding access to health insurance programs (passed).

Somewhat ironically, two measures also passed that would make it more difficult for initiatives to be placed on future ballots.

—Kathy Cobb