Columns
This month Montana’s Fish and Wildlife Commission moved to sharply increase the kill of mountain lions in the state, up to 40 percent of the population in many areas. The move came over the objections of mountain lion hound hunters, sporting groups, and conservation interests. FWP Biologists did not support this increase. The Commission’s justification was that mountain lions are killing too many big game species and action is needed to recover these populations. If this sounds familiar, it is. For over two years the Gianforte administration has waged war on carnivore species, wolves, bears, and now mountain lions, under the facade of caring about public hunter...
We would wager that nearly every Montana family has struggled in some way with mental health, diabetes, or postpartum health care. The 2023 Legislature made unprecedented investments in all three of those areas that together will positively impact families in every corner of our state. Not only did ...
In a book I’m reading, the author relates a lesson taught by one of his teachers, who told him, “You can’t shut other people’s mouths.” I found this thought to be genius. It’s a simple, but profound statement. You can’t control what other people say. You phy...
The Montana Legislature enacted a bipartisan solution in the form of House Bill 819 to make historic investments in workforce housing. The State of Montana is in a workforce housing crisis and the negative effects of this crisis have hit every county in the State. The Montana Community Reinve...
Construction continues on our library building. You can check out progress photos on our website. The crew is doing an amazing job and we are so happy to see progress on the new entrance, reading areas and windows for the new children’s area. Please remember that you absolutely cannot enter the buildin...
The ability to transcribe and share information has impacted the progression of technology and society immeasurably. So much of our daily lives revolve around reading and writing, thus most of us learn these skills from a very early age. I still vividly remember the practice sheets of paper with the dotted l...
The United States’s health care system is a mess of complex regulations and layers of bureaucracy. It’s also expensive. But Republicans in the Montana Legislature have made great strides in recent years to address what problems we can at the state level. We’ve emphasized improving ...
In a recent op-ed published in several newspapers, Montana Democrat minority leaders claimed, “the harm done by a Republican supermajority drunk on power will continue to be felt for a long time.” The Democrat leaders should remember that it was Montana voters who gave Republicans a supermajority...
With the weather finally warming up here for spring time, I’ve been spending a lot of time out on my tractor finishing up planting. Every year, I plant my fields with crops like wheat, barley, peas, and millet. The days are long – Sharla and I start early in the morning and work late unt...
As our more than 9,000 students prepare to receive that honorable Montana diploma from our 173 high schools, I reflect on this past year and look forward to the next. Future graduating classes will have an increase in innovative educational opportunities. I am grateful that the 68th legislature focused on pa...
