Pledge debate taken up by planning board

A proposal to start every Columbia Falls City-County Planning Board meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance created some awkward moments for several board members at their June 10 meeting.

Steve Duffy, the member-at-large appointed by the board on Feb. 11, made the proposal during the planning board’s May 14 meeting.

Duffy noted at the time that he had signed an oath to uphold the U.S. and Montana constitutions when he joined the planning board, as did all members.

Board member Lee Schlesinger responded at the time by agreeing that the idea was appropriate but noting that boards he had served on typically had busy agendas and the pledge created another layer of work. He asked that a decision be set aside until absent members could weigh in on the matter.

One of those absent board members was Courtney Nolan. She said she was surprised to see the proposal on the June 10 agenda and wondered where the idea came from. She also noted that it might make her look bad if she voted against it.

“I understand your intent, but I don’t feel like I need to do it,” she said. “But I’ll do it if asked.”

“I’m not the slightest bit embarrassed to stand up and say the pledge,” Duffy responded to Nolan.

Schlesinger noted that the board was already quite busy — it had just spent several hours reviewing a preliminary plat request for the Timber Ridge subdivision — and he wondered where the idea came from, or if someone had complained. He also wondered if the pledge might offend Canadians who might attend.

“They’ll have to get used to it,” Duffy answered.

Several board members pointed out that some city, county or state boards and committees recite the pledge before a meeting and others don’t.

“We’re not a governing board,” board member Steve Hughes pointed out.

“I sit on lots of boards and none of them recite the pledge,” board member Mike Shepard said.

Shepard added that with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 May ruling in Town of Greece v. Galloway, the board could start a meeting with a prayer — if they so chose. He also recalled a city council meeting when members of a Jehovah’s Witnesses church refused to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance for religious reasons.

“I wasn’t too happy about that,” he said.

Board member Sue Haverfield commented that the oath she took to sit on the board should be enough.

Board chairman Russ Vukonich pointed out that reciting the pledge could become a “tradition.”

“I doubt that future boards will vote to no longer do it,” he said.

Following board, Shepard made a motion to approve Duffy’s proposal, and Duffy seconded it. The vote was 5-2 in favor, with Duffy, Haverfield, Hughes, Shepard and Vukonich in favor and Nolan and Schlesinger opposed. Planning board member Jason Bryan was absent.