Below is a list of my concerns and experiences relevant to the State House.
- I believe that experience is important for this position. I have had the opportunity to serve in two of the three Branches of Government. I was a member of the Dillon City Council which is the legislative branch and served two four year terms as Mayor or the executive branch. These two positions showed me how the system works and what I need to do to get things done. As Mayor of Dillon, I fought for the citizens and businesses of Dillon during the COVID-19 pandemic as a member of the City-County Health Board. I did the independent research and tried to “follow the science” while others went with “feelings and faith of the government”. I worked with the City Council to decrease the City of Dillon’s water and sewer bills by eliminating some of the debt and allowing the City of Dillon to have one of the lowest utility payments in the state. During my term we started going through the ordinances and cleaning up ones that were duplicates, out of date or no longer needed. Zoning regulations were also reviewed and some of them were updated. My experience in writing ordinances will be beneficial in the preparation of the text of proposed laws on subjects that would benefit Beaverhead County, Butte-Silver Bow County, municipalities within HD70, and the State of Montana.
- I am conservative in both fiscal and life matters. I believe in protecting and preserving the fundamental rights of individuals in Montana. I grew up in Montana and want it to remain a place where you can enjoy the outdoors, make a living, and raise a family. Following these beliefs, we must either repair the property tax system or remove it completely and not just recalculate the appraisals. Yours and our property is part of our unalienable Rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”. People on fixed incomes should not lose their homes because of property taxes.
- We need to limit the amount of taxes assessed and spent by the State. Each Department of the State should be reviewed to see if there are duplication of Services and if the Department is an asset to the way of life for the Citizens of Montana. I am against some of the new regulations proposed by Washington DC that are used to force individuals to get rid of natural gas appliances, electric vehicles (which our infrastructure cannot support), or eliminate livestock due to flatulence. These are some examples of proposals that are too expensive and not realistic or good for Montana.
- At the last session, the legislature was working on a central bank digital currency bill by having multiple changes to the Montana’s Uniform Commercial Code. I am opposed to this idea. At the beginning the bill was a pro position but later the bill was revised to a stronger and better position against central bank digital currency and against changing the definition of “money” but at the final votes, this bill failed. For the protection of the citizens of Montana, this subject should again be placed for votes at this session.