Daniel Kemmis Interview, July 17, 1981

Daniel Kemmis begins by talking about making time for his family despite his responsibilities as a Montana politician. He describes the major events of the 1980-1981 Montana legislative session and his role as Montana House of Representatives Minority Leader. Kemmis discusses the challenges Montana Democrats faced in a Republican-held House, and he mentions the “spirit of cooperation” that he felt characterized his Democratic colleagues. He also describes his political philosophy of exuding self-control and how important a sense of humor is in the legislative process. Kemmis discusses what he considered the successes of the session including “sagebrush rebellion,” and tax reform. He explains the differences between a Democratic-held legislature and a Republican-held legislature. Kemmis ends the interview by recounting how Democratic legislators used the “call to house” tactic to prolong a debate that Republican legislators tried to cut short.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/danielkemmis_oralhistory/1006/thumbnail.jp