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Having been elected to the Montana Senate, I wanted to give you a few updates. Even though there’s not a super majority this time, I’m encouraged to say we’ll have a conservative coalition this session and my hope is that we will stick together on the contentious bills we face. I anticipate another busy year with bills. The committees aren’t finalized yet, but the possibilities for me at this time appear to be Business & Labor, State Administration, Fish, Wildlife & Parks, or Energy & Technology. We’ll see whether different possibili...
Bullying has become a pervasive issue in schools and communities, often leading to severe emotional and psychological consequences. One of the most tragic outcomes of bullying is an increased risk of suicide. By understanding the connection between bullying and suicide, we can take proactive steps to reduce both. The Link Between Bullying and Suicide * Emotional Distress: Bullying can cause significant emotional distress, including depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. These negative emotions can contribute to suicidal thoughts and...
As a longtime rancher and legislator, protecting rural Montanans from legislation that infringes upon economic liberties and promotes government interference is my top priority. This is why I vehemently oppose the Biden administration’s new tailpipe emissions rule. The rule dictates that by 2032, at least 56% of new vehicle sales must be Electric Vehicles (EVs). This will severely hurt Montana ranchers, farmers, and workers by increasing personal expenditures to comply with the EPA mandate. Requiring Montana families to purchase electric c...
My main concern is regarding CI 128. This is worded in such a way that it sounds so concerning about women and their health and reproductive rights. It is attempting to change the Montana Constitution to forever state that Abortion is OK with absolutely NO limits. Also, there cannot be any charges brought against anyone for any reason for doing the abortion-no matter what the outcome may be. It also allows minors to get abortions without their parents even knowing anything about it. We absolutely do NOT want ANY of that in our Montana...
Dear Editor, Voting season is here again. It is a little bit like voting in the Legislature—you have to sort a few things out. Let me give you some tips I use when deciding how to vote on a bill. The first thing I do is see who is sponsoring the bill. Then I look at who supports or who opposes the bill. These two principles tell me a lot. Let’s take a look at what is on the ballot. First, let’s talk about Constitutional Initiatives 126 and 127. Both of these initiatives are being pushed by liberal Republicans and a Democrat. Most of the money...
As a candidate for State Auditor, I know very well how challenging it is to raise the profile of the office. It is an important office that has a direct impact on all Montanans, but a lot of folks don’t know much about it. Per Montana law, the purpose of the office is to ‘protect Montana insurance consumers.’ My campaign is focused on that role and my qualification for the position based on four decades of ethical business experience. Unfortunately, my opponent is running on lies and issues unrelated to the Montana State Auditor’s office....
It is my honor and pleasure to write this unsolicited endorsement of Susie Hedalen to be elected as the next State Superintendent of Public Instruction. I have known Susie her entire administrative career having worked with her going all the way back to her first administrative position in Grass Range. Since that time, we have worked together on a wide range of activities. Specifically, we served together in leadership at the Office of Public Instruction and now serve as chair and vice-chair of the Montana Board of Public Education. I...
Dear Editor, District Court Judge Katherine Bidegaray is the right choice to be the next justice on the Montana Supreme Court. Having appeared in front of her in court and gotten to know her over the years, I have seen her be impartial, fair, and respectful to each party in all cases she has. She was born and raised on a Richland County farm and ranch, and she knows the importance of preparation, hard work, and self-discipline. Judge Bidegaray cares deeply about the state of Montana, the rule of law and fundamental fairness, and the...
CI-126 Will Put More Power In The Hands Of “We the People.” When something is no longer working for the benefit of our state and country, “we the people” have a duty to lawfully and peacefully work to reform our government. Not long ago, Montana had a proud tradition of being a purple state. We valued the character and competence of a person running for office, over their party label. A person may be a Republican or Democrat because that’s the political philosophy they generally agreed with, but both the candidate and voters cared more abou...
For Christians, forgiveness and letting go of resentment and anger toward someone who has wronged is central to the Lord’s Prayer. In the Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad said, “Whoever forgives a Muslim, Allah will forgive him.” The holiest day in Judaism, the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur, is a time for seeking forgiveness. Yom Kippur will begin at sunset on Oct. 11 and will end with the night of Oct. 12. This year in Montana, Oct. 11 is the day by which all ballots will be mailed to voters on the absentee list, and the bulk of votin...
I was elected seven times and served more than 30 years as a Justice of the Peace in Richland County before my retirement in 2016. During my long career on the bench, I worked with both of the district court judges who are now running for a seat on the Montana Supreme Court. They are Judge Katherine Bidegaray of Sidney and Judge Dan Wilson of Kalispell. I got to know Judge Bidegaray very well in the nearly 15 years we spent working in the same judicial district. I also got to know Judge Dan Wilson very well over the six years that he served as...
Dear Editor, Montanans cannot afford to continue Elsie Arntzen’s bumbling leadership of the Montana Office of Public Instruction by voting in her deputy superintendent. Remember, auditors of THEIR OPI found that Elsie and her staff were unable to account for $ 67.5 million dollars of federal funding. In addition, the current leaders at OPI have supported “school choice” which means your tax dollars will go to private schools not toward providing your children a quality education we all expect from Montana schools. It does not make sense to ta...
Dr. Kessler offered some opinions on Montana’s current Senatorial race between incumbent Tester and Republican Sheehy. While my wife and I are grateful for the excellent and compassionate care we receive in Sidney, we live in Watford City, so Montana’s Senator will represent us only indirectly. None the less, I’d like to make a couple observations on Dr. Kessler’s remarks. I’ve practiced medicine for over 30 years myself, in communities more rural than Sidney, so I’m familiar and concerned about the trends over time. While Tester’s pr...
As I returned home from my eighth swing through the many small communities of eastern Montana, I was disappointed to learn from the PBS-YPR-Lee Newspapers debate coordinator that Commissioner Downey had not responded to staffing coordination requirements such that the big debate scheduled for Oct. 3 has been cancelled. That’s unfortunate for eastern Montana’s voters. I was looking forward to a cordial exchange of views. From my many visits in eastern Montana it’s become clear to me that people want candidates to make an extra effort on their...
In nuclear war fighting the United States maintains a counterforce strategy, aiming our nuclear weapons at an adversaries missile silos, command and control centers and other military infrastructure, with the purpose of destroying their nuclear capabilities before they can be used. In recent years there has been a debate within U.S. policy circles about adopting a “No First Use Policy,” which would state that the U.S. would only use nuclear weapons in retaliation, not as a first strike. Right now, the U.S. does not endorse a first use policy, b...
The Senator Tester campaign ran a full-page ad in our local newspaper on 9/4/24. The ad brazenly said that “Sheehy’s Plan Closes” our local hospital and that “49 Rural Montana Hospitals” will close if Tim Sheehy gets elected. The lies about the “privatization” of VA medical benefits need to be exposed. Veterans are understandingly concerned about this issue. Tim Sheehy and his wife are combat veterans themselves, and they would never propose or support efforts to reduce veterans’ medical benefits. Sheehy is opposed to nationalizing o...
“Good for Ms. Neil for filing as an independent write-in candidate in this Fall’s general election for Montana’s Eastern Congressional District’s Representative. Clearly she feels strongly that Democrat voters should not have nominated me of the four of us running in the Primary. I get it but do not equate raising and spending lots of other people’s money to ‘campaigning” for public policies important to Montanans. In 2002 after I got home from the Pentagon, having worked as Deputy Crisis Action Team Chief for Operation Enduring Freedom in th...
District Court Judge Katherine Bidegaray is the right choice to be the next justice on the Montana Supreme Court. Having worked as her law clerk for four years and appeared in front of her this past year, I have seen her be impartial, fair, and respectful to each party in every case she has. She was born and raised on a Richland County farm and ranch, and she knows the importance of preparation, hard work, and self-discipline. Judge Bidegaray cares deeply about the state of Montana, the rule of law and fundamental fairness, and the...
Bridger Aerospace (BAER) started with four veterans in a barn in Montana. Our next mission became using battlefield technology to serve Americans at home. It was risky. We had zero business experience, but we had grit, our military experience, and supportive family, friends, and fellow veterans. We certainly made mistakes—find me a small business that hasn’t. But we pushed forward, and the results for Montana speak for themselves. Over nine years, our veteran management team built a business ecosystem that created hundreds of new Montana job...
When something is not working, it is time to make a change. Our government is not working well. America is the greatest country on earth, yet we have allowed extremists to play an outsized role in our government. The result has been a lack of common sense and a failure by the government to perform its basic functions at a competent level. The Montana Department of Justice (DOJ), which is led by Attorney General Austin Knudsen, is a prime example. During most of my career as a litigator, the DOJ has been one of the premier law firms in Montana....
In 1939 syndicated columnist Dorothy Thompson wrote in Let The Record Speak. “This it seems to me, is the lesson of the news in the last three years, National Socialism, or Nazism in Germany, will become the most world-disturbing event of the century, though Nazism is not, in its nature, only a German phenomenon. Nazism is a fusion of elements that are present in the minds of men and women everywhere, and it does offer one answer to political, social, and economic problems that everywhere press for solutions.” She argued, “Americans must under...
The primary responsibility of the Montana State Auditor, also referred to as the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, is protecting Montana insurance consumers. In most states, the office is appointed based on qualifications. Here in Montana, we elect our State Auditor – and we should elect someone who has the experience, track record and integrity to serve Montana insurance consumers. I am running to put my 40 years of honest business experience to work for Montanans. My campaign is f...
Dear Editor, Agriculture and energy are the cornerstones of North Dakota’s economy. Not only do we feed and fuel the world, but we also provide thousands of good jobs and billions in federal, state, and local tax revenue. Those taxes paid fund schools, roads, flood protection, and social services across our great state. Virtually every corner of the state and every person living in North Dakota benefits from agriculture and energy production. The food and energy we produce are also among the cleanest, most environmentally friendly of any in t...
Opinion Editorial by Geraldine Custer, Gary Buchanan and Marc Racicot The 118th Congress began on Jan. 3, 2023, and will end on January 3, 2025. It is, by almost any measure, one of the least functional in the 235-year history of the United States of America. How many times during the last two years has Congress revealed itself to be an incompetent and acrimonious mess. The inability or refusal of Congress to focus on the public good and instead to engage in intramural squabbles with the intention of setting each other up for critique, has led...
I am writing to warn voters about the dirty politics being played in the primary elections in House District 29 and Senate District 15. Now in my eighth year as a state legislator including four years at House Majority Leader, I have had many occasions to observe the “dark” side of politics. However, this primary election has shocked even me with the lies and distorted voting records presented as facts in mailers urging voters not to support Speaker Pro Tempore Rhonda Knudsen in her race for SD15, and Miles Knudsen in his race for HD29. Hav...
