In what one lawmaker called examples of racism and prejudice, the House used party-line votes Friday to kill a pair of bills that would have reserved a seat on each of two state boards for an American Indian. Voting as a bloc, all 50 Republicans opposed both measures, and 49 of 50 Democrats supported the pair. One of the bills required an American Indian on the state Board of Pardons and Parole, and the other imposed the same mandate on the Montana Coal Board. Rep. Veronica Small-Eastman, a Lodge Grass Democrat and sponsor of the bills, said the votes showed the strength of GOP opposition to ensuring American Indian representation in government. "They don't want them," she said. "It's hard to define prejudice. They don't want Native Americans on any boards." But those objecting to her proposals said an American Indian on each of the boards is either unjustified or unnecessary. Rep. Ed Butcher, R-Winifred, argued that American Indian tribes pay none of the coal severance tax used by the coal board to award grants to local governments for handling effects of coal development, so an Americna Indian does not deserve a seat on the board. In debate on the other measure Thursday, Rep. Dee Brown, R-Hungry Horse, said the parole board already adequately considers Indian interests without a mandate for a member of that minority. [more]