HELENA -- Forty-nine employees of the Department of Livestock signed petitions in opposition to the appointment of Ingomar rancher Stan Boone to the Board of Livestock during a confirmation hearing Wednesday afternoon.

The petitions were presented to the Senate Administration Committee by Sen. Keith Bales, R-Otter, during a very pointed hearing for one of Gov. Brian Schweitzer's latest appointments to the state Board of Livestock, which serves as the director of the Department of Livestock.

"This brings a message," Bales told the 11-member committee that begins the confirmation process for appointees. "This shows the serious concerns of the brand inspectors and others, too" about the appointment. Democrats control the panel 6-5.

Bales said the petition "sets off an alarm and it took courage of the brand inspection employees to sign it.

Steve Gallus, D-Butte, vice chair of the panel, indicated his desire for the committee to take action on Boone's appointment Wednesday, but put off executive action until Friday. Wednesday's hearing lasted two hours.

The opposition to Boones' appointment focused on an alleged run in with a brand inspector in 1997 following Boones moving several hundred head of cattle from Montana to Idaho without a brand inspection and a civil suit filed by a Texas financial group and cattle company against Boone, his son, Mark, and another partner.

Gallus interrupted questioning from Sen. Jim Shockley, R-Victor, an attorney, warning him he would not allow the civil case to be tried in front of the committee. "You are trying to set this up," Gallus said. "This hearing is about Mr. Boone's qualifications."

The Texas companies have alleged fraud and conversion of funds. Boone's attorney, Bill O'Connor of Billings, informed the panel that Boone had initiated the suit, which was dismissed. The current case, filed in Forsyth in 2006, is in the early phases of discovery.

Boone presented himself to committee and outlined the problems he encountered in 1996 and 1997 in moving the cattle without the legal papers required. He said it was a mistake and that it did not happen again.

He denied he threatened to kill a brand inspector who served him with four citations in shipping the 14 loads of cattle over a period of four days to Idaho Falls.

Pat Anderson, the brand inspector in question, Wednesday told the committee that he had several dealings with Boone, both before and after the incident in January 1997.

"I walked away concerned about my back," Anderson said. "It was frightening."

Anderson said he has worked as a brand inspector for 31 years and could retire, but a "number of other individuals are uncomfortable to work under these conditions."

Boone has denied that he threatened Anderson. "It simply did not occur," he told a reporter Tuesday. Wednesday, he expressed his respect.

"Montana has the best brand inspection laws and inspectors," he said. "Other states could use them."

Under questioning from Sen. Dave Lewis, R-Helena, who suggested Boone was "being treated to a rough introduction to the Legislature," said in his 30 plus years in state government he had never seen that many department employees "put their jobs on the line," Boone responded, "This is very distressing to me. And I don't know why" the employees would oppose him. He said that threatening a peace officer is a felony and that if he did that he should have been arrested by Anderson or the county sheriff. No charges were ever filed.

Boone's nomination was supported in person and by letter. District Judge Douglas Harkin of Lolo, Craig Britton, of Butte and manager of the livestock auction there, Dr. Richard Cunningham, DVM of Hysham sent letters of support. Former Gov. Ted Schwinden sent verbal support through Patti Keebler, who coordinates appointments for Schweitzer.

Sen. Ken Hansen, D-Harlem; Melville rancher Dennis McDonald, chairman of the Montana Democratic Party and former president of the Montana Cattlemen's Association; Boone's son, Mark; and Paul Ringling, a former state senator and former president of the MCA spoke in favor of the nomination.

Mark Boone accused the opponents to the nomination of hiding behind a political agenda and of spreading lies. "Not one of them has bothered to talk to my father," he said. He suggested that DOL employees were "railroaded into signing the letter."

He said Steve Roth, the president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, did have an hour-long phone conversation with Stan Boone and expressed his looking forward to working with Boone. Roth, a Big Sandy rancher, did not appear at the hearing.

Four of the five Republican senators who requested the segregated hearing for Boone's appointment all opposed. In addition to Bales, Sens. Jim Peterson, Don Steinbeisser, and Bill Tash voiced their opposition. Shockley is on the panel.

Peterson asked the committee members if they would be comfortable in approving an appointee to the board of medical examiners who was charged with malpractice or a member of the Fish and Game Commission who had a history of poaching violations.

"We can do better," he said.

Also opposed were the Montana Stockgrowers Association, the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, and Billings cattleman Jack McGuinness, who related his confrontation with Boone over a lien on cattle sold in Billings. McGuinness formerly owned the Billings Livestock Commission Co. Jack Wiseman, former head of the Brand Enforcement Division of the DOL, also spoke against Boone.

"We can do better," he said.

Also opposed were the Montana Stockgrowers Association, the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, and Billings cattleman Jack McGuinness, who related his confrontation with Boone over a lien on cattle sold in Billings. McGuinness formerly owned the Billings Livestock Commission Co. Jack Wiseman, former head of the Brand Enforcement Division of the DOL, also spoke against Boone.