Late nights, light-hearted pranks mark a legislative staffer's life

HELENA — Jared Yates spent 11 hours in the Capitol's windowless basement last Thursday, printing hundreds of copies of bills and amendments hours after the legislator parking lots cleared.

"It's down and dirty, copies in and copies out," he said while squaring up a stack of papers hot off the press. "If it comes in here in the evening, it has to be ready for the next morning. That's just the way it is."

Community News Service/Amy Sisk

Kathy Baird, left, and Sandy Bradford work on the House rostrum keeping track of bills.

His office printed nearly 3 million sheets of paper during the 2011 Legis...