A recently killed bill preventing legislators from holding a job with the state had been sparked by last year's hiring of two lawmakers, but its effect would have been to turn all state employees into second-class citizens.

Sens. Mike Cooney of Helena and Sam Kitzenberg of Glasgow were hired without competition as temporary employees who can apply for permanent positions this year. Supporters of the bill warned that working for the administration put them in a potential conflict of interest, although both have said there is no conflict and that they are working solely for their constituents.

Conflict or not, any citizen-legislator is bound to be voting on matters of private interest. Lawmakers from the tourist industry have a say in how much Montana should spend on attracting tourists. Accountants vote on tax matters affecting large clients. Those in agriculture, housing development, mining - you name it, the potential for a conflict is rife in a session that can touch practically everything that goes on in the state.

But nobody is talking about forcing people in those professions to quit their jobs if they want to run for office.

State employees across Montana, as well as the thousands who work in Helena, deserve the same basic rights as every other citizen. That includes running for office if they're so inclined.