Our Montana

We believe decisions related to pregnancy should be a matter of personal choice. Further, we believe in a women’s right to be free from regulations that dictate how she manages her own body, including decisions associated with pregnancy and healthcare.

Flathead County has many wonderful resources which are at the center of our economic growth, such as, Flathead Lake (the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi), the Flathead River System, Blacktail and Whitefish Mountain Resort areas, Glacier Park, State Parks and National Forests. Our abundant fish and wildlife populations drive our economy and are instrumental in attracting new businesses and residents. We need to protect this natural wonderland to ensure our economic well-being. The economic driver provided by use and enjoyment of our natural areas can and should be balanced with the needs of a working landscape that supports, farming, forestry, and industry. Striking this balance requires creative solutions that promote economic activities that protect and enhance our natural areas, such as providing incentives for small logging operations, enabling the timber industry to better support wildfire risk reduction, promoting value added products and supporting clean industries such as renewable energy.

The Montana Constitution guarantees the right of every citizen to a clean and healthful environment for present and future generations. We support regulations that protect our environment and ensure this basic right. We also support finding solutions to human-caused climate change and the devastating consequences that are already affecting our communities.

Too many Flathead residents are being priced out of home ownership and the home rental market. We must provide the opportunity for working families and individuals to live in quality affordable housing that does not threaten their economic freedom and standard of living.

Law abiding citizens must be allowed to own and use firearms, whether for sport, personal protection or simply the pleasure of ownership. We, in Montana, have a long tradition of responsible gun ownership. Given the proliferation of gun violence, mass shootings and the ever-increasing destructive power of new weapons, however, we believe in reasonable firearms control measures including universal background checks that protect our communities and still respect our constitutional right to bear arms.

We support the state legislative efforts to expand Medicaid coverage across Montana. Our overall goal is a single-payer, Medicare-for-all system that provides universal access to healthcare, including mental health services, in every community. Toward that priority we support an ongoing, incremental decrease in the eligibility age for Medicare coverage until all people are covered by Medicare. We support an individual’s right to make all personal medical and palliative healthcare decisions throughout their life, and we support the expansion and availability of associated healthcare options.

The Democratic Party and labor unions should work together to improve the working conditions, wages, economic freedom and job benefits for all Montana workers. We must continue to ensure and encourage that Montana workers having the right to organize is the best path forward toward economic equality.

We believe that the best approach to reducing crime is providing the education, opportunities, and social services that prevent crime. When crime does occur, we believe in a fair, balanced approach that seeks to restore the victim, safeguard the public, and rehabilitate the offender.

Flathead Valley is at the crossroads of major change in its water and land-use. We need a strong Comprehensive Plan that guides development in a responsible way, in particular in protecting our clean and healthful environment as well as our precious water resources. We need to create incentives at the local level that will promote growth adjacent to existing infrastructure while preserving open space and both surface and groundwater. We recognize that under the Montana Constitution the ownership of property is listed as an inalienable right; we also recognize that with all rights come responsibility. We recognize the right of people to use their property in accordance with all laws and regulations placed upon them by the governing authority, as well as the rights of neighboring property owners to have the health, safety, value, and enjoyment of their property protected.

We support taxation based upon the ability to pay that tax. This is the best way to raise revenue to support government services, and progressive taxation best ensures economic fairness and economic equality. Going forward, tax reform must rebalance the tax system in favor of low- and middle-income taxpayers rather than the top tax brackets and big business.

Our abundant public lands are a priceless treasure. We support keeping our public lands in public hands and oppose any attempt to sell or give-away these lands to industries, individuals, or other governmental entities. We also oppose any attempt at top-down decisions to remove protection for our last remaining wild lands. These public lands are used by our citizens, and millions of visitors to our state, for recreation, hunting and fishing, solitude, and inspiration and are an important part of our lifestyle, heritage, and economy. In addition, our public lands provide natural habitat that supports a flourishing wildlife population.

We support raising the minimum wage to a living wage level as that will improve economic conditions across the Flathead and Montana by putting more dollars into the hands of working families and individuals who need those dollars to build a better life in our community.

Deregulation has had a negative impact on Montana’s economy, creating unnecessary rate increases. To protect the economic well-being of our community, we believe the citizens, through the Public Service Commission, should regulate electricity rates for Montanans. We encourage the development and use of renewable energy sources whenever possible. We demand the PSC exercise its authority in the best interest of the citizens of Montana.

Public Education is a cornerstone of our economic freedom, economic fairness and prosperity. We need a strong public education system to prepare our children and general population for the opportunities we face in an ever-changing economy. The State must resume greater responsibility to fund education by eliminating the cycle of regressive mill levy taxation on property owners, and fund education by raising revenue through taxation based upon the ability to pay.