1. Should the state of Montana expand Medicaid to Montanans earning less than 138 percent of poverty, as allowed under the Affordable Care Act? Why or why not?
2. Should the state encourage or discourage the production of coal, oil and gas? How?
3. The state of Montana has had budget surpluses in recent years. Should
this money be invested in public services, returned to taxpayers in some form, or both? Please be specific.
4. Do you support freezing tuition for in-state students attending state colleges and universities for two more years, as the 2013 Legislature did? Why or why not?
5. Montana schools are implementing new math and English standards and testing known as the Common Core standards. Do you support these? Why or why not?
Mike Cuffe (Incumbent)
Age: 67
Occupation: Retired businessman, former owner of advertising-publication business; plywood and lumber mill foreman-manager-owner; news reporter-editor
Political experience: House District 2 Representative, two terms; Republican Whip; Chair of Appropriations Joint Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Transportation
Political affiliation: Republican
Place of residence: Eureka
1. I voted against Medicaid expansion last session because it would create such a future financial burden that it would bankrupt state government. I expect variations will be presented in the coming session. I will consider each as they are presented.
2. A good job is the best social welfare program. I believe in using our natural resources. That is the source of our wealth, our real economy and basic jobs. But let’s go a little further and include logging and mining.
3. Both. In 2013 we paid cash for college buildings instead of bonding for future debt. I also pushed the idea of sending a check back to taxpayers who paid the tax money, not redistribution to those who didn’t – as the governor proposed. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I helped create those surplus funds by being frugal with expenditures.
4. The easy answer is yes, and that is where my heart lies. But the governor-appointed Board of Regents is proposing a budget increase of $100 million. Pay raises are demanded. More campus buildings are needed. My head says we can’t do it all, but I will look for ways to hold down tuition. Example: In the 2011 session, I successfully carried a bill to allow colleges to reduce costs by purchasing expensive high tech equipment through a co-op purchasing program. This helps.
5. I don’t like Common Core standards. This is another unnecessary federal control, and a veiled move toward social engineering. I have issues with student privacy, and especially in new curricula coming from those who produced Common Core standards.
Steven Benson
Age: 66
Occupation: Retired pastor
Political experience: None.
Political affiliation: Democrat
Place of residence: Fortine
1. Yes. We cannot afford NOT to expand. Bringing more people into health care coverage will cost far less than keeping them out. Refusing to participate hurts Montanans in order to make a symbolic protest against the President.
2. We need to cautiously and slowly move away from fossil fuel production while preserving much-needed jobs. The costs of global warming will be much higher than the cost of addressing the issue. A good place to start would be to stop subsidizing with tax dollars an industry which is recording record profits. Those subsidies could be shifted toward development of renewable sources and related jobs.
3. Given the general discontent over taxes, a modest return might help ease the mood. High priority should be given, however, to infrastructure needs and a set-aside for potential temporary costs of Medicaid expansion.
4. Yes. We need to address the student debt crisis on several different levels. A tuition freeze is a short-term temporary “band-aid” which can help while we work toward more complete solutions.
5. Yes, with caution. I would work with teachers to address legitimate concerns about the standards (such as over-reliance on standardized tests) while taking advantage of the opportunity to better prepare Montana students for the real-life challenges which face them.