HELENA — The last three times Sen. President Jon Tester, D-Big Sandy, served in the Legislature, his wife, Sharla Tester, had to stay home and tend to their organic farm and assorted animals.

This time around, she's in Helena and enjoying (almost) every minute of it.

"I said, ‘If you think I'm staying home to take care of two dogs and a horse, you've

got another thing coming,' " Sharla Tester said this week.

Sharla Tester is, by dint of her husband's elected position, a member of the unofficial First Wives Club of the Legislature. The "club," made up of legislative spouses, certainly isn't limited to women. Sen. Carolyn Squires, D-Missoula, is accompanied this session by her husband, Harold.

Like many legislative "wives," Harold Squires serves as a sounding board for his spouse.

"He's what I call John Q. Public or Joe Lunchbox," Carolyn Squires said of her husband, who is decidedly not hooked into the political world. "He's kind of my weathervane."

Jon Tester also bounces thoughts off his wife after his 15-hour days at the Capitol.

"What she allows to have happen is that I can go home and vent, and know it won't go anywhere," Jon Tester said with his characteristic grin.

The Testers are staying at their daughter and son-in-law's house in the Sunhaven neighborhood of Helena. It's there that Tester gets a little reprieve before his daily 5:30 a.m. wake up.

"The important thing is he gets his back rub every night," Sharla Tester said.

While Sharla Tester spends her off-time hanging out with their 5-month-old granddaughter, other spouses from around the state like to spend their Helena time together.

The official club

"We're well-organized and we have a lot of fun," said Arlene Hawk, wife of Rep. Ray Hawk, R-Florence.

Arlene Hawk is a member of the official Legislative Spouses Club, which is bipartisan and gender-neutral but mostly consists of Republican women. The group spends one day a week touring a Helena site of interest, and spends a lot of time commiserating about the unique duties of the legislative spouse.

"Ironing shirts that's our main job," laughed Faithe Lake, wife of Rep. Bob Lake, R-Hamilton.

Aside from cooking and organizing the loads of invitations their spouses receives, these wives handle the problems inherent with rental houses. Marla Wagman, wife of Rep. Pat Wagman, R-Livingston, said she's working with their landlord to remedy the un-insulated attic and pipes in their rented upper East Side home.

"It is difficult to move into somebody's house," Hawk said. "And we are the trouble shooters."

The Hawks are pet-sitting for their Montana City friends who headed south for the winter. Amidst the receptions and the domestic duties, Hawk also has to tend to the needs of their friends' dog and cat.

But, as she joked, she's getting a "big screen TV" and very nice digs in the deal.

While the women admit they start to miss home around the end of March, they say they would never think of staying home. Bob Lake said he appreciates the efforts of his wife. The pair worked alongside each other in their family business, Lake Milling, for 25 years before they retired, and he said that a four-month separation during the Legislature would be unnatural.

"She is a good sounding board," Bob Lake said. "You get the frustration of the session and you need someone to listen to that."

New recruits

While returning legislative spouses know what they're in for when they head off to Helena, the spouses of freshman lawmakers have no idea.

Freshman Sen. Robert Hawks, D-Bozeman, is accompanied in his first session by his wife, Jane. The pair say they're finding it quite difficult to stick to their work-out schedule amidst the duties of the Legislature

"We're going to start working out next week," Jane Hawks said. "We're in a vegetative state."

Jane Hawks, a retired elementary school teacher, is also sitting in on the House Select Education Funding Committee so her husband who is on the Senate Education Committee can keep tabs on its progress.

But Jane Hawks seems to be enjoying the change of pace.

"There's a certain simplicity that comes with living in someone else's home," she said. "It's kind of refreshing."

Robert Hawks isn't convinced.

"I miss the comforts of home," he said with a smile.