Let’s Talk, Lola: An In-Depth Look at Lola Sheldon Galloway
Do you know Lola Sheldon Galloway? She’s a representative of local House District 22 running for re-election. Lola Sheldon Galloway certainly counts as a person in power but does she serve the People? If not, who is she serving? Let’s take a look at some of Lola’s most outrageous claims to see if we can determine who exactly she’s serving.
Let’s start with those who have been victims of crime. Rape is heinous act that traumatizes and devastates the victims, often for lifetimes. Most people involved in civic positions empathize with the victims and pursue protections and rehabilitation for them. Lola, on the other hand, is deeply misinformed on the subject. She believes that roughly 98% of victims miscarry due to that trauma, and seeks to ban abortion, even due to life threatening health issues, stating without a proper source beyond “reading this once”
In defense of her rather indefensible position on abortion, Lola once stated,
“Never once has a human ever delivered a platypus or any other kind of animal. We deliver human beings.”
Yeah, Lola, you’re right. Under no circumstances has a human woman given birth to a platypus. Perhaps in the future some kind of nightmarish clone hybrid, but right now, just human babies. I was taught around 6th grade to research and cite things before I declare them fact. A quick Google search proves that Lola’s “statistics” are in now way factual. The number of miscarriages experienced by sexual assault survivors, not platypi. Roughly 39% get carried to full term. Lola is also known to protest right outside Planned Parenthood. Rape victims, people with health issues regarding your reproduction system, people wishing to get tested and have info and resources for safe sexual health; Lola is for Lola. Not for you.
Next up, let’s look at the unhoused population in Great Falls. There’s no denying Great Falls is facing a housing crisis, and as such, there has been an increased presence of homeless people in Great Falls. She is on record for both complaining about the homeless presence at First United Methodist Church earlier this year,( a number of them using her nearby Dairy Queen restroom for basic essential hygiene) yet also stateing she does not want to provide further shelters and housing in the city because she believes it will attract further homeless people. Lola, in her selfishness, has created her own paradox. She wants the homelessness to be less visible, but she also does not want to create shelters or work against the current statewide rent increases or housing availability. Are you disabled or homeless, or know and love someone like that? Lola is not for you.
Are you an Indigenous person of Montana? Both Lola and her husband have loudly protested the incorporation of the Big Sky Country National Heritage Area, continuing a colonialist tradition of erasing the history of our indigenous people. Lola doesn’t care, Lola is not for you. Like fire for Frankenstein’s monster, Lola seems to retain a deep seated fear for people of color.
Finally, let’s get to the meat of the issue. Lola Sheldon Galloway has no shame about where her interests lie, and is using her position of power for her own financial gain. In 2022 alone, during the August 2nd and September 2nd meetings, Lola used her position to make requests of “personal favors” to ensure her business alone did not lose any money. If I tried that during a session, I’d be told to shut up, told I was a greedy idiot, and barred from the commission meeting. Check out Lola’s comments at previous meetings confirming that she is only out for herself, not our community.
If a President is not supposed to utilize their own properties and business for profit in relation to their position, why do Lola and her husband get away with it… perhaps they think they’re more important than the POTUS?
At the end of the day; Lola is for Lola and her bank account, not for us the people. If you haven’t already voted, I urge you to vote this next Tuesday, and remember this: at the end of the day; Lola is for Lola and her bank account, not for us, the people.
Wondering which political party will benefit from the inclement weather we are likely to see election day? Of course no one really knows but a quick cruise on the internet finds plenty of opinions. As most of us know, the media pundit class has been predicting a Republican victory nationally and here in Montana. As usual, their speculation is not based on much but their own bloviated opinion, verbal vehemence and continued reliance on polling which has proven to be inaccurate. . . particularly in the Trump Election of 2020.
But still the human desire to know the unknowable drives most of us to speculate on the many factors that create an electoral victory. Did the candidate work hard enough? Raise enough money? Did the candidate have a compelling message? Was the candidate’s “profile” appealing to some imagined voter? Some of these things can be based on facts but most of it is conjecture and speculation.
And that brings us to the weather. Most of us agree that you don’t really know what the weather is going to be. . . until a day or two before it happens. Unlike prognosticators and politicos the people who predict the weather have a fairly good record when it comes to short term forecasts. The question is, will inclement weather affect the election?
First, it’s important to remember that a lot of people have already voted by mail. The political site FiveThirtyEight (ABC News) says about a third of all voters vote by mail and that Democrats are far more likely to vote by mail. If true, then a big storm on election day would work to the advantage of Democrats.
But remember, in the 2020 Montana election all voting was done by mail (with return postage included) because of the pandemic. The result was a lot of low information voters, and people who rarely voted in the past cast a ballot because it was so easy. . .and they voted for Trump and voted for a straight Republican ticket. So much for the idea that Democrats do better with mail ballots. One could argue that because these voters aren’t likely to vote if they have to sign up for absentee ballots and buy a stamp they won’t show up again. Who knows?
Another interesting factor is that the election denier crowd is extremely distrustful of mail ballots. They are almost universally hard-core conservatives and Trump supporters. If they vote at all (they may not because they believe the whole system is corrupt) they will do it on election day. If the weather is bad they may just stay home. Problem is we don’t know how many of these folks there really are and by most accounts they are a very small vocal minority.
If you are reading this blog we hope you already voted by mail. If you haven’t, get out your winter boots and go vote. Here’s a link to polling places https://www.voteinmt.org/cascade
One of the most important races in Montana right now is the Supreme Court race between longtime judge Ingrid Gustafson and her entirely inexperienced challenger, James Brown. If the name “James Brown” sounds familiar, you’re probably aware of the Public Service Commission. As head of the PSC, Brown has continually voted in favor of letting Northwest Energy price-gouge us into oblivion. That upcoming 25% rate hike? You can thank James Brown for that.
Apparently bolstering energy monopolies isn’t enough for Brown. Now, despite his lack of judicial experience, he’s seeking a seat on Montana’s highest court. And he’s breaking the Code of Judicial Ethics to do it.
Unfortunately, it seems the Judicial Ethics Committee lacks either the teeth or the drive to investigate these flagrant violations. For those who’ve never had cause to file an ethics complaints, here’s the quick version:
You write a letter outlining your complaints, what you think has been violated, and the evidence you have to support your claim. The Judicial Ethics Committee mails you a letter saying, “Hey girl! Got your complaint, But you have to promise not to talk about it publicly until we decide if we’re gonna investigate.” That final part is a confidentiality agreement, and it’s a vital part of the complaint process.
By doing so, they not only violate the complaint process, but clearly show us that their complaint was merely a political tactic, rather than a good-faith concern of an ethics violation.
How does your intrepid author know all this? Because I filed a complaint this summer against one James Brown for clear and obvious violations of the ethical code. Unsurprisingly, the committee dismissed the complaint without investigating. Although I don’t agree with that decision, I followed the rules by not writing this piece until the complaint was dismissed. And now, I think we can leave my complaint to the ever-popular Court Of Public Opinion. Below is my complaint, with a few redactions. (Namely, I have removed the names and addresses of individuals named in the complaint.)
“August 25, 2022
[Redacted]
Judicial Standards Complaint James Brown
Dear Ms. Smith:
Enclosed please find a complaint against James Brown for violations of Canon 4.1 of the Montana Code of Judicial Conduct.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with further questions regarding these complaints.
Sincerely,
Jasmine Taylor
COMPLAINT
The undersigned being first duly sworn, upon oath, state the following facts showing misconduct on the part of the following named judicial candidate:
Name of Judicial Candidate: James E. Brown [Redacted] [Redacted]
Mr. Brown has violated subsections of Canon 4.1 of the Montana Code of Judicial Conduct (MCJC), as indicated below. Under Section 4.1(A)(7) of the MCJC, “a judge of or a candidate for judicial office […] shall not […] seek, accept, or use endorsements from a political organization, or partisan or independent non-judicial office-holder of candidate.” From July 29, 2022 – August 6, 2022, at the Montana State Fair, in Great Falls, Cascade County, Mr. Brown accepted an endorsement of the Cascade County Republican Party, as shown in the photo below.
The placement of this poster also violates Section 4.1(A)(6) of the MCJC, which states “a judge or a candidate for office shall not […] publicly identify himself or herself as a candidate of a political organization.” By allowing his campaign sign to be displayed at the Republican booth at the State Fair, Mr. Brown is identifying himself as a candidate of a political organization.
Further, I believe Mr. Brown was fully aware of this display, as he was present at the Montana State Fair on the evening of August 5, 2022. Mr. Brown identified himself to me as a judicial candidate at that time. I spoke with Mr. Brown inside the building where the Republican fair booth was located. Brown appeared to be visiting multiple booths to speak with constituents. Therefore, a reasonable person would believe that Mr. Brown was fully aware that his sign was being displayed at the Republican booth.
Additionally, the attached May 5 article [updated on May 25, 2022] published in the Montana Free Press by Mara Silvers, shows Brown’s violations of Section 4.1(A)(7) and (6) of the MCJC. Major statewide partisans, including the Republican Governor, Greg Gianforte; Republican Attorney General, Austin Knudsen; Republican U.S. Senator, Steven Daines; Republican House Speaker, Wylie Galt; Republican President, Mark Blasdel; and 83 other Republican legislators, have endorsed Brown. While this cadre of endorsements themselves do not violate MCJC, Brown’s acceptance of these endorsements does violate Section 4.1(A)(7).
Further, in violation of section 4.1(a)(6) of MCJC, Brown has publicly identified himself as a candidate of a political party. Finally, on August 11, 2022, Brown gave a speech at the Great Falls Pachyderm Club, a partisan political organization, in violation of section 4.1(2). The below screenshot details the advertisement of Brown’s appearance at the meeting.
The names and addresses of other persons who are witnesses to or have information as to the misconduct of the above judicial candidate include:
[Redacted]
[Redacted]
I have not contacted this judicial candidate in regard to this complaint.
I will furnish additional information to your Commission if requested. If this complaint is investigated, I will cooperate with your Commission and furnish the evidence I may have, and I will testify at any hearing on this complaint. [Redacted]”
The article referenced in the complaint can be found here: https://montanafreepress.org/2022/05/25/republican-support-stacks-up-in-montana-supreme-court-race/
So what do you think, dear readers? Should this complaint have been investigated by the Judicial Ethics Committee? Let us know in the comments.
There aren’t anywhere near enough homes for the children who are here
One of my prior and greatest purposes, while working in various roles across the landscape of human services, was coordinating the licensing for people wanting to be therapeutic foster parents. The purpose of my role was to recruit, train, and support people willing to foster children who came with all the trauma heaped on them from physical and sexual abuse, abandonment, and neglect. Let’s talk about the number of children in foster care, the number of licensed foster homes, and how taking away reproductive rights is only throwing gas on a fire that is already out of control.
It is no easy feat to step into the role of fostering children who have been put through the things I have seen children put through. I have seen children who had been locked in a closet while the parents used drugs, sometimes for days at a time, eating their own feces and left with minimal language or motor skills due to severe neglect. I’ve seen children who have been sexually harmed at ages so young they were permanently physically scarred. I’ve seen children who have been tied up for not properly pimping their mother. I have witnessed infants who have had their legs broken because of parents who were struggling with addiction and dropped them. I could honestly tell horror stories for days on the things I have seen children put through. Needless to say, these children don’t enter foster care as a blank slate. The people willing to become foster parents are often tested to the core of their being by the behaviors and needs that come with such deep trauma.
According to the data reported in “Who Cares: A National Count of Foster Homes and Families,” as of 2021, Montana had 1,674 licesed foster homes and only 697 of those foster homes were willing to foster children who are not a friend or family member, (https://www.fostercarecapacity.com/data/non-relative-homes). However, there was a staggering number of 3,223 children in foster care, in Montana as of 2021. The national numbers are just as bad. Per the federal data for 2021, there were roughly 212,045 licensed foster homes and 402,140 children in foster care in the U.S., (https://www.fostercarecapacity.com/data/total-licensed-foster-homes).
With numbers like this, the first question that comes to mind is. “Why the funk are reproductive rights being taken away?” There is no apparent strategy in forcing women into child-bearing when we can’t take care of the children who are already here.
There are many reasons a woman would need an abortion. Some examples are addiction, severe mental illness, taking medications that affect fetal development, cancer, septic uterus, ectopic pregnancy, fibroids, HIV and other diseases, pregnancy from rape or incest, a dead fetus, a fetus not developing correctly, too old, too young, or too unstable to be responsible for a life are all excellent reasons to make a decision for abortion. If the government forces every pregnancy to be a birth, what will the numbers of children in foster care look like then? Who will be responsible for them?
Shouldn’t this massive responsibility fall to those who are so concerned with a heartbeat that they could care less about the woman and her circumstances? Yet it doesn’t. During my time of recruiting foster parents, I asked many of the pro-life sign holders standing outside a medical facility harrassing people going in, if they would like to make an appointment with me to become foster parents. I quoted the statistics of children who need foster homes. I figured they would be the most interested.
My effort was futile. I was given loads of excuses like, “I’ve heard horror stories, it’s not for me,” and, “I have my own children. I can’t risk something happening to them by taking in a child who might hurt my own kids.” Then why the funk would you stick a sign in someone’s face when you are unwilling or unable to help with this massive social issue?
I suppose if we lived in a perfect world, with perfect pregnancies and perfect health and no social issues, we wouldn’t need abortion. That is the irresponsible fantasy of every person raising a pro-life sign. Not all women are alike, not all wombs are alike, not all bodies are alike. The uterus is a complicated place, as is the entire body.
It’s deplorable that pro-life advocates and the govorment have turned their back on all the social, mental health, and health crises that have caused the high numbers of children who are in foster care. Instead they jumped on a fantastical soapbox that a heartbeat should negate all issues the woman, children, and society are facing.
What do you say about a husband and wife team serving in the legislature and representing your community? We thought we did away with the concept of royalty long ago. Of course this is different, but it still feels so. . .feudal. And in the tradition of a feudal system, Steven Galloway and Lola Sheldon-Galloway seem to be in lockstep with each other when it comes to their politics.
Steven Galloway is currently running for House District 24. He was swept into the position in the 2020 Trump wave. He defeated Barbara Bessette, who is currently running against him to regain her seat.
Steven and Lola Galloways have six children and are active in the Mormon Church. Politically, both are on the far right of the Republican Party. They have hosted local militia meetings (See our post https://wtf406.com/2022/09/galloways-host-militia-fundraiser/) and participated in the efforts to undermine our election system by advocating Donald Trump’s Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen, despite the fact that Republicans won every race in Cascade County, (https://wtf406.com/2022/09/the-big-lie-in-cascade-county/)
Steven calls himself a businessman. He and his wife, Lola, own 23 apartments, six rental houses, and six commercial properties. Those commercial properties include the local Dairy Queens, Do It Best Hardware, and Great Falls Lumber. All in all, he has built quite the little kingdom. Galloways’ real estate investments alone are worth almost $2.5 million.
Politically, he is ultra conservative. He also introduces legislation that affects his business interests. He’s sponsored five bills dealing with property valuation and/or landlord tenant relations. He’s endorsed by the NRA, The Montana Family Foundation, and the Montana Shooting Sports Association (if the NRA is too liberal for you, MSSA is for you)
Lola is loopy, agitated, and angry. She was elected in 2017 to represent House District 22. You might wonder how she and her husband both serve in the House of Representatives from different districts when they live in the same house. Well, Steve doesn’t live in the district he represents. This seems to be common among Great Falls Republicans (See our previous post about Representative Steve Gist’s residency issues (https://wtf406.com/2022/10/where-in-the-world-does-steve-gist-really-live/ )
Lola consistently shows up at far-right gatherings in Great Falls. She protests abortion at Planned Parenthood, pushing a baby carriage with a doll in it. She helps the militia raise money. She pushes election conspiracy theories. She helped organize efforts to stop legal marijuana sales in Great Falls.
The bills she carries in the legislature are consistent with her activism in town with a pinch of Trump conspiracy theories as well. In the last session, she brought bills to limit marijuana sales (died), prohibit censorship by social media (died), revise election laws related to absentee ballots (died), and to establish a “pain capable” unborn child protection act (passed. . . unfortunately).
The House of Galloway has thrown its support behind the efforts of far-right takeover of the local and state Republican Parties. The hard right in Great Falls is now centered in the local Pachyderm Club after losing a long and acrimonious battle with moderates for control of the Republican Central Committee. Lola received The Pachyderm Club’s highest award, the Golden Tusk in 2020. She is currently on the State Republican Party Executive Board, which took a dramatic turn to the right at its last convention. She was also a Montana Delegate to the last National Republican Convention.
