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ELECTIONS 2016
SENATE DISTRICT 2 SENATE DISTRICT 3 SENATE DISTRICT 3
Democrat Cody Casazza did not provide responses.
NAME: Dee L. Brown
RESIDENCE: Canyon-Coram/Hungry Horse
POLITICAL PARTY: Republican
FAMILY: Married 45 years to Steve with two children: Ryan in New Hamp-
shire with two grandkids and Dedee in Arizona with two grandkids
OCCUPATION: Retired teacher and business owner EDUCATION: B.A. University of Montana, M.A. MSU Northern
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Four terms in Montana House, one term in Montana Senate
WEBSITE: None
1. Yes, but one that concentrates on sewers, water systems and roads/bridges. Infrastructure improve- ments should not include building projects. They are in a separate category. There was a big interest in infrastructure last session, but when the gover- nor put in building programs it failed. This session will concentrate on true needs for aging and new infrastructure.
2. “Demand grows for clean and renewable energy in the region?” Demand only grows when these are subsidized by taxpayer dollars, as they are presently. Let’s show the true costs and let consumers decide about their energy bills. Our state has the clean- est-burning coal in the world, yet we allow foreign countries to buy lower-grade products. Let’s push our natural resources and keep those jobs at home. Job training is a noble cause. I always wonder what comparable job these people can get when exiting extraction industries. Most do not pay the wages/ bene ts they are currently receiving.
3. We haven’t had to tighten budgets since Gov- ernor Martz was in o ce 16 years ago. We could cer- tainly start by zero-based budgeting so that taxpay- ers see the percentage growth from year to year. In reference to the previous question, will wind and solar taxes make up for those we receive as a state from our natural resources to fund programs like schools throughout the year? Our budgets have been growing at an alarming rate while income for the state is stagnating. We cannot continue to fund every program at the past rate, just like we do when our personal income declines. We need to scrutinize how we spend the taxpayers’ money to a greater degree in the next session.
4. Yes, we should. Anyone who has paid attention to our forests knows that state land is a much bet- ter managed system than the federal lands. Should we take it all at once? No. Select areas should be
the target after this summer’s wild re season. We know where they are located and should be working toward good management. Let’s use wild re mon- ies to actually put some people to work out in the woods and keep mills open like Weyerhaeuser in my district.
5. The state’s budget will be front and center. I am also concerned with the public pension systems that have over a billion dollars outstanding to pay the costs of a graying workforce. I look forward to the SAVA Committee meeting in November to hear “the state of pensions” in Montana. The money outstand- ing will be ongoing debt for taxpayers, so everyone should be paying closer attention to it.
NAME: Keith Regier
RESIDENCE: Kalispell
POLITICAL PARTY: Republican
FAMILY: Wife: Jolene; two daughters, one son, two grandsons - all living in the Flathead Valley
OCCUPATION: Retired teacher; small business owner of Stillwater Sod
EDUCATION: B.S. in Education
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: 17 years school trustee at West Valley and Flathead/Glacier; four terms in Mon- tana House of Representatives
WEBSITE: www.Regier-SD3.com
1. There are many cities across the state that
have needs to improve their water and sewer systems. Many county and school districts
have buildings that could use repair. In the last two legislative sessions, the governor has been
an obstacle to the state providing infrastruc- ture help to local governments. He has vetoed infrastructure bills and pushed for building a state museum instead of true infrastructure. If elected, I will propose a regional infrastructure bill that will spread any extra general fund money to counties, cities and school districts around the state.
2. Renewable energy is weak energy. It is unre- liable and without subsidies is more expensive. Montana coal is some of the highest quality in the world, and the world will keep burning some coal and petroleum. Montana needs to educate the populace on the high quality of energy it produces.
3. The Legislature should always be looking at trimming the pork from the state budget. If rev- enue is falling, that means the economy is not doing well, and citizens and businesses are earn- ing less. Cutting taxes will leave money in peo- ple’s pockets. They will spend that money, and that will stimulate the economy.
4. In Northwest Montana, there have been many forest res because of the buildup of fuel through the years. State lands generate a posi- tive nancial return to the state, where federal lands operate at a de cit. I think that a system- atic transfer of forest and BLM land to state con- trol would be bene cial. Any liability with land would need to stay with the federal government. Public access to federal lands has been more di - cult in recent years. Gated roads and roads being removed are common. Instead of Washington-di- rected one rule applies to all, state control would apply regulations that serve the public and lands better.
5. I think the economy and jobs need to be improved. But I am hearing from constituents that safety is a big concern. Un-vetted immi- gration and not feeling safe going to a public restroom are common responses. The Legisla- ture needs to pressure Washington, through our Congressional delegation, to address the safety issues. State regulations that are an obstacle to businesses need to be reduced and taxes cut.
NAME: Melissa Hartman
RESIDENCE: White sh
POLITICAL PARTY: Democrat
FAMILY: Husband, Dave Hartman
OCCUPATION: Licensed Clinical Social Worker EDUCATION: B.A. from Connecticut College,
Masters Degree in Social Work from New York University POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: I was a political appointee at the Depart- ment of Commerce in the O ce of Technology Policy from 1990 to 1991
WEBSITE: www.votehartmansd3.com
1. Given that Montana has been given a C-rating in this area, infrastructure is a major concern. Roads, dams and drinking water systems are among the areas in greatest need. Since there is bipartisan agreement
on this issue, the Legislature should be able to identify projects that need to be prioritized. In the most recent bill, infrastructure was combined with capital projects but failed to get the required votes. It may be necessary to separate the two so that we can at least move forward in the area of infrastructure. I would also take advan- tage of Montana’s AAA bond rating to help nance these projects.
2. We need to provide extended unemployment ben- e ts and provide retraining for employees while taking advantage of the growing market for renewable ener- gies like wind power. Montana will be facing a dramatic labor shortage due to an aging population with 130,000 people retiring from the workforce in the next decade, so the demand for labor will be high. There is already
a need for skilled laborers in the state, such as carpen- ters, welders, concrete workers, heavy equipment oper- ators and electricians. We also need to take advantage of the funding written into the EPA Clean Power Plan to assist with any transitions, similar to the TransAlta coal plant in Washington State, which received a $55 million transition package.
3. Although the ending fund balance is less than anticipated, Montana is still in a scally sound position with top rankings by JP Morgan and the Mercatus Cen- ter. Montana’s rainy-day fund can absorb this shortfall and still fall within the historical range for this fund. Looking ahead, Montana needs to focus on increasing wages through minimum-wage legislation. There is a growing body of economic research indicating that it
is not wealthy businesspeople that drive job growth and creation, it is a thriving middle class that drives
job growth and creates the environment for businesses to thrive. Raising wages for Montanans will grow the economy and increase state revenues.
4. I do not support Montana taking more control of federal land management due to the economic burden that would place on our state. However, I do believe that coordination between the federal and state govern- ments, as well as between the state and counties, could be improved.
5. The overburdened criminal justice system is our most pressing issue. We need to revise sentencing laws and nd ways to address unmet mental health and addiction treatment needs. We should also consider the recommendations of the Justice Center. This includes focusing services on re-o enders while providing more probation and parole o cers to supervise those at low risk for re-o ending. Additionally, we should close
the 26-month gap between prisoners being eligible for parole and getting a parole decision. Lastly, restorative justice practices can help with prevention. In Flathead County, the Center for Restorative Youth Justice has contributed to a 28 percent decline in youth going to detention centers.
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OCTOBER 12, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM