HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-17-25 Public Comment - Concerned Citizens - Resolution Defending Our Constitutional DemocracySeptember 8, 2025
To: The Honorable Terry Cunningham, Mayor
From: Patriotic Citizens of Bozeman, Montana
Re: Resolution Defending Our Constitutional Democracy
Dear Mr. Mayor,
We, the undersigned citizens of Bozeman come before you to request that the Bozeman
City Commission deliberate and adopt a Resolution Defending our Constitutional Democracy and the Separation of Powers (proposed Draft Resolution attached).
We are submitting this Resolution to declare to our community, our elected local,
state and national leaders, and our institutions that we do not support -and will not accept -any autocratic regime attempting to weaken and corrupt our representative
democratic system of government.
Similar Resolutions have passed and have been adopted and approved, or are progressing, in 75 communities in 23 states. And, this movement is growing.
Although Bozeman is the first community in Montana to propose such a Resolution, we are
following a powerful, historical American tradition. More than 250 years ago, at the dawn
of the Revolution, towns, cities and other assemblies of American colonists published
Resolutions, Declarations and Letters of Condemnation that played crucial roles in building
the case for a constitutional democracy, culminating in the Declaration of Independence.
Many of the abuses detailed in these Letters and Resolutions are happening now.
Since the presidential inauguration in 2025, Bozeman residents have attended multiple
protests, meetings, town halls and demonstrations (some numbering in the thousands)
voicing our disapproval and rejection of the Executive Branch's policies undermining the
rule of law, obliterating the separation of powers, and disregarding basic human rights and
freedoms. Offences abound. The President uses "his" Department of Justice to target his
political enemies and to bully or punish law firms and universities that he deems disloyal;
he ignores or disobeys judicial rulings including those of the Supreme Court; he covers up
his past association with convicted sex criminals; he orders U.S. military troops to occupy cities whose mayors or governors he doesn't like; he uses immigration enforcement as a pretext for a secret police force that arrests and deports residents without due process; he builds and showcases concentration camps where prisoners (including U.S. citizens, untried for any crimes) are mistreated. The list goes on. In the words of one scholar, we're not about to enter an authoritarian regime; we're there now.
The key question for us as a country is how will we respond and with what urgency?
On the positive side, there is an active and rising community of resistance to an emerging
autocracy in the United States. And, although many people rightly fear the negative
consequences of exercising their First Amendment rights, patriotic citizens are boldly speaking out and refusing to yield. Here's where our hope lies if we act quickly. Will we sink further into autocracy, or will democracy prevail?
Words matter. Just as each rally, protest, town hall meeting, and pro-democracy speech
matters, our proposed Resolution will help the Bozeman community articulate our commitment to democracy and our defense of the nation's founding principles. One Resolution in one locale might seem unimportant. But hundreds of Resolutions -and the community conversations around these public declarations -can make a difference. Elected representatives throughout our country have sworn their allegiance to the Constitution and promised to shield it against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Silence in the face of such threats to our sovereignty will be catastrophic.
Speed matters. The authoritarian takeover of the United States is moving rapidly as autocrats try to outpace the nation's capacity to mobilize. A prominent voting rights advocate described our country's march toward authoritarianism in these terms: it's 9:00 pm on a clock where midnight is full-blown autocracy. Others who study dictatorial regimes have stated that the United States has entered stage 4 of a 5-stage movement to fascism. Tyranny, like an infectious disease, gets harder to eradicate once it's entrenched. Delaying action will only hasten democracy's demise.
Bozeman citizens will be harmed, as will many Montanans. The authoritarian regime
taking root in our country will hurt people throughout our city, our state, and in this great
nation. The oppressors have levied tariffs (taxes) on the American people without our consent; stolen the private data of U.S. citizens; pardoned and released dangerous criminals from jail; cut off critical lifelines like Medicare, Medicaid and rural hospitals; fired federal
workers whose jobs are to serve and protect the public; plundered and attempted to sell off
our public lands; dismantled the U.S. healthcare system including our world class system of
vaccine development and delivery; defunded our National Parks; weakened environmental
standards; abandoned our European allies and crippled our national security; neglected
our public schools in favor of privatization; assaulted academic freedom at our colleges and universities; unraveled protections for minority communities, small businesses, seniors and veterans. We will continue to suffer such harms and abuses unless we mobilize with haste to reclaim our democracy. Like our forefathers, we must reject the authoritarian rule that is being forced upon the citizenry. It's time to act.
This month (September 17th) marks the 238th anniversary of the signing of the U.S.
Constitution in Philadelphia. In honor of this historical event, we ask that the
Bozeman City Commission place this Resolution on its agenda and invite public
comment. Review and discuss the Resolution. Revise it as you see fit. And then, with courage and love of our country, please adopt it.
From across Bozeman, sincerely and with resolve,
Signatories -Defending our Constitutional Democracy /._015 L 7),,55 10&r� RartJJ/�
DRAFT RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA,
DEFENDING OUR CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY
AND THE SEPARATION OF POWERS
OF THE UNITED STATES DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Bozeman, Montana, acknowledges that the U.S. Constitution is the basis for our democratic republic and our civil society; and
WHEREAS, the first three articles of the U.S. Constitution establish three "separate but equal" branches of the United States government. As James Madison wrote in Federalist Paper No. 47, "The accumulation of all powers legislative, executive and judiciary in the same hands, whether of one, a few or many, and whether hereditary, self appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny"; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Bozeman, Montana, acknowledges that the Trump Administration has unconstitutionally consolidated power within the Executive Branch by Executive Orders and willful misdeeds, such as, but not limited to: illegally accessing and disclosing sensitive private dataofU.S. citiz�ns; pardoning and releasing
dangerous criminals from U.S.Uails; ignoring or evading judicial mandates including those of the Supremf! Court;! t1$urpiug the duties of �he legislative bran,ch, namely 1) unilaterally imposing tariff? with9ut' Congressional apgrciva1;2Jwithho\dingrederal spending of Congressionally-approved fu11�s, 3)shutt�ring anddefunding Congressionally-created departments and agencies, a'nd 4) obstructing Congressional oversight of executive departments; violating due process rights of U.S. persons including denying foundational civil liberties such as habeas corpus; infringing on civil service protections for federal employees and replacing professionals with unqualified partisan personnel; withholding funds to coerce institution-wide censorship of world-renowned U.S. scientific, educational, and health care institutions; undermining vaccine research and vaccine access to the American public; endangering U.S. national security by abandoning our European allies and decapitating U.S. intelligence and military leadership; deploying American troops on U.S. soil to interrupt activities that are plainly protected free speech under the U.S. Constitution; threatening legal residents with deportation and/or prosecution based on political views; attempting to revoke legal birthright citizenship; and generally expressing contempt for the separation of powers, freedom of speech, and equal justice under the law; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Congress have generally acquiesced to President Trump's abuse of powers, including recent Supreme Court decisions holding that President Trump is "immune from criminal prosecution for conduct within his exclusive sphere of constitutional authority" [Trump v. United States, No. 23-939 (U.S. July 1, 2024)]; that the courts lack the authority to issue nationwide injunctions to block "blatantly unconstitutional" orders like President Trump's order ending birthright citizenship [Trump
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v.CASA, Inc., No. 24-884 (U.S. June 27, 2025)]; while Congressional Republicans havedeclined to assert Congress' constitutional authority over spending and tariffs; and
WHEREAS, more than 250 years ago, towns, cities and other assemblies of American colonists published Resolutions, Declarations and Letters of Dissent strongly disputing oppressive British laws and policies -including "no taxation without representation"-and these Resolutions and Letters played pivotal roles in building the case for a constitutional democracy, culminating in the Declaration of Independence; and
WHEREAS, the people of Bozeman, Montana, have shown repeatedly through protests, rallies, demonstrations, meetings and town halls that they reject autocracy, demand democracy and adherence to the U.S. and Montana Constitutions; and
WHEREAS, several U.S. jurisdictions have passed Resolutions calling for an end to Executive actions that trample the foundational principles of the U.S. Constitution; and
WHEREAS, each member of the City Commission of the City of Bozeman, Montana, swears an oath to the U.S. Constitution and the State of Montana Constitution, and therefore each of these elected officials has a duty to support and defend the rights of residents within their jurisdiction that are being harmed by Constitutional violations.
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NOW, THEREFORE BE lT RESOLVED that the Ctcy Comniission of the City of Bozeman, Montana, calls on the '.I'rump Administration tojrnn1ediately retµrn to the Constitutional principles that are thefoundation of the United States Democratic Republk, including the separation of powers1 laws of the United States, a�d orders of the federal courts, and where equality reigns and all people have rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Commission of the City of Bozeman, Montana, declares its support for the role of the U.S. Congress as a coequal branch of the Federal Government, and urges the Montana Congressional delegation to lead their Congressional colleagues in exercising their legislative authority to enforce the U.S. Constitution, to work with the Judicial Branch to restore the separation of powers, to ensure that illegal or unconstitutional acts, including acts of corruption, are overturned, and to demonstrate in all actions that the United States promises to keep a government of the people, by the people, for the people, i.e., that America is a Constitutional Democracy and has no king.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Clerk of the City of Bozeman, Montana, shall have this resolution submitted to U.S. Senator Steve Daines, U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy, U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke, U.S. Representative Troy Downing, Governor Greg Gianforte, and Attorney General Austin Knudsen.
PASSED, ADOPTED, AND APPROVED by the City Commission of the City of Bozeman, Montana, at a regular session thereof held on the _____ day of ____ � 2025.
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Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
City Attorney
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