One of the most important issues facing the 2013 Montana Legislature is whether to take advantage of the opportunity to expand health insurance coverage to low-income Montanans who fall in the gap between those eligible for Medicaid and those who typically can afford private insurance. The Administration and Board of Directors of North Valley Hospital […]

Last week the Democratic-leaning firm, Public Policy Polling, released a survey of potential matchups in Montana’s 2014 U.S. Senate race. Right now, one Republican has declared he is running and another has said he is considering running for the seat currently held by Sen. Max Baucus. But PPP also polled hypothetical matchups, which were far […]

Does your community talk about the flight of youth? The shrinkage and simultaneous aging of communities is a critical issue for rural places. Young people graduate and move away for good jobs or for college and they may not come back for a decade or more, if at all. Recently, a high-achieving, hard-working college student […]

Because I abuse my Second Amendment rights just as enthusiastically as I abuse my First Amendment rights, the post-Newtown “sensible gun control” kabuki dance in Washington, DC has my rapt attention. Trouble is, when it comes to Congressional hearings or press events, “news” organizations almost never cover the really important stuff. Thank God for C-Span […]

Sen. Jim Peterson, R-Buffalo, is gathering bipartisan support for a bill that will close a loophole that adversely impacts Montana politics. Currently PACs calling themselves “educational” need not disclose their source of money. We’ve seen the result: Outside “dark money” influences are undermining the spirit of local representative government. Campaigns are shifting from grassroots efforts […]

The recent guest editorial in the Beacon (Feb. 20: “Whitefish’s Identity Crisis”) accuses Heart of Whitefish of being anti-business. The letter was both inaccurate and false. Many readers are familiar with our organization and the good work that we do, but for those of you who are not, please take a minute to read this […]

I envy the architects and engineers who are asked to produce renderings of what the future could look like, especially when they are allowed the freedom to present their vision with few limitations. Especially when they go big. Often these drawings of new landscapes and grand structures are altogether improbable. The Kalispell Core Area Revitalization […]

By John Fuller The first example of support for public education in America was in Plymouth Colony in 1642. Massachusetts’ Bay Colony citizens deemed it necessary to provide for the education of its children so they would be able “to read and understand the principles of religion and the capital laws of this country.” Two […]

What do an eating disorder clinic, the Zinke Inn and brewery, the new DePratu VW business locating in Kalispell, impact fees, and Whitefish High School all have in common? They all illustrate Whitefish’s identity crisis that makes us, in my opinion, too much of a resort/retirement community, at the expense of our families, our businesses […]

Montana Senate President Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, and Speaker of the House Mark Blasdel, R-Somers, worked and voted for the 2009 property tax reappraisal law. This policy established property tax mitigation policies for homes, small businesses, farmers and timberland owners. Reappraisal interlaced property tax policy to the real estate boom years of 2002 to 2008. Both […]

Imagine for a moment that the Montana Legislature is considering legislation that will place additional limits on the production or sale of locally grown meat, including the meat of wild animals. Backing this legislation is the Corporate Grocers Association, which serves the interests of corporate grocery chains across America. The proposed law also places strict […]

I hate the word “poverty.” Does anyone want to be “poor?” I didn’t. The term “poverty level” is used as a marker identifying individuals without sufficient income to sustain their lives. I had hardworking parents and married a man with a good income. But after 12 years as stay-at-home wife/mother, I became a single mom […]

I am writing in response to Mr. Lyle Olsen’s letter (Feb. 6 Beacon: “Assault Weapons a Menace to Society”). Mr. Olsen states that society does not need military pattern rifles (aka “assault weapons”), “…because our shotgun or handgun or pepper spray will stop a criminal in our home…” I agree, however, what will Mr. Olsen […]

In 1947, Montana officials enacted a quota system that allowed one tavern with a liquor license for every 1,500 people. I wish I could travel back in time and tell them what a dumb idea that was. Since their implementation, the state’s alcohol rules have been unfair. For one, established taverns were grandfathered in, so […]

By John Fuller Those of you readers who have managed to start reading this column after seeing the title must be commended. Sequestration on its surface may be a sure-fire cure for insomnia, but it is a looming nightmare for American national security. Unless Congress acts, March 1 will trigger cuts in government spending, many […]