Columns

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 line running down the center of two solid ones to help guide my letters as I formed them. In my hand, a small trusty yellow hexagonal writing instrument sharpened to a point bearing the number two scraped its way across the surface to form a somewhat sloppy letter. I would wager you would have similar memories. Pencils, of course, are the writing implement of choice for students, who are ...

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...

Americans have always commonly agreed that taxes are the price of a civilized society. Only relatively recently has the idea that “taxation is theft” been seriously suggested in the public discourse. People who claim not to believe in government use that belief as justification to not pay taxe...

You don’t appreciate your health - until it’s gone. Gosh this is true, and I’ve learned it the hard way a few times in my life - the most recently last Tuesday. I woke up in the middle of the night, sweating (never a good sign). My body ached and I didn’t know it yet, but the he...

Is it just me, or has life gotten more complicated? So many variables and tough decisions. So many crossroads. And it’s all happening at lightning speed.  Even on days when I don’t tune in to the cable news networks. The world feels like is spinning faster and faster on its axis. Or...

Montanans approved the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in the 2020 election. I didn’t support the initiative, but I accept the will of the people and am devoted to working within the law to benefit all citizens. Following through has not been easy. Federal law still classifies marijua...

The 68th Session of the State Legislature has ended, but the harm done by a Republican supermajority drunk on power will continue to be felt for a long time.  From the very beginning of the session, Montana Democrats made it clear that our priority was fighting for long-term solutions for our state&r...