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During this primary election season, a promise has been made to pave the county roads (not by any current county commissioner). Along with that are promises to reduce spending and taxes. Do these promises add up? Richland County has about 70 miles of major collector roads, 160 miles of minor collector roads, and 980 miles of local roads. With the varying dimensions of those categories of roads, paving them would require about 20,416,000 square yards of pavement. Using the most recent county bid award for paving from January of this year, which...
Dear Richland County, My name is Daniel Guzynski and I currently serve as the head of the Prosecution Services Bureau at the Montana Attorney General’s Office. I am the chief prosecutor for the State of Montana. I currently manage 13 attorneys and support staff and primarily handle the prosecution of homicide and child sexual assault cases. For 22 years, my focus has been holding offenders responsible for victimizing Montanans. All Montanans deserve a legal system that is just and protects our most vulnerable. Over the past several years, I h...
In this primary election season, critics say we need to stop local government representatives such as the mayor of Sidney and the county commissioners from “running to Helena.” Would this serve the people or neglect our interests? Let’s consider a handful of examples from the last few years. In 2001, several revenues were diverted from local governments to the state. To make up for that, state budgeting has an item for a local government share. This compensation is threatened every session. In the 2019 Legislature, an illegal, secret meeti...
A Retort to Mr. Mark Berrymans article of Jan. 31 in the Sidney Herald. Upon reading the Sidney Herald article titled “Jawort V Hall trial to be moved to Great Falls”, I felt compelled to reply to such a distorted and slanted article that is absent of any facts and is clearly written to smear Pastor Jordan Hall of Sidney, all for sensationalism. First and foremost, the many people that agree with Mr. Hall support him and are not his “followers” as the article states. Nor is Mr. Hall “a conservative pastor”. As a pastor you are either a faithful...
Jan. 31 - I write this letter to the readers of The Roundup newspaper, in attempt to clear up misinformation published in another publication, because I’m sure it will see the light of day in view of The Roundup’s longstanding history of fairness – which in today’s word, is not altogether common. Two pieces, featured on the front page of the aforementioned but unnamed newspaper, mentioned a lawsuit I was in, along with my PR and Media Firm, Gideon Knox LLC. This organization consults with Christians, Capitalists, and Conservatives, helps c...
Dear Senator Tester, While we may not have mountains on this side of the Continental Divide, eastern Montana is home to expansive plains and extensive history. Our area is also rich in natural resources, including an abundance of oil and gas provided by the Bakken Oil Field, which has provided us with energy and millions in revenue for the past few yeas and the next generations to come. Our economy has boomed since the discovery of the Bakken formation, which is the largest oil discovery in U.S. history. Eastern Montana’s stores, schools, a...
Honorable Senator Jon Tester, Thank you for all your keeping the interests of the citizens of Montana first and foremost in all your decisions while serving as a Senator from Montana. Currently All Montanans are facing a critical situation because of the threatening mandate from our Federal Government. As one of the Richland County Commissioners I am on the Board of Eastern Montana Community Mental Health, which serves seventeen counties in eastern Montana. I also serve on the Board of Foundation for Community Care and know some of the...
The past two years have dealt a blow to oil and gas production everywhere, including right here in Montana. Production levels declined significantly as the nation went into “COVID lockdown”, devastating oil and gas operators and the many Montana communities that rely on the industry for revenue and jobs. Now, as one of Montana’s most critical industries begins its recovery, anti-development regulations proposed in Washington are threatening the future of oil and gas drilling across the country. The announcement of a federal oil and gas-d...
As a farmer, I know firsthand that good things take time. Every year, I plant my fields with crops like wheat, barley, peas, and saffron, and in July, August, and September, I harvest those crops and reap what I’ve sown. Writing laws is much the same – and this fall, after a long spring and summer of working with Republicans and Democrats, Montana is set to reap urgently-needed upgrades to our crumbling infrastructure and strong economic growth across our state, thanks to my bipartisan infrastructure bill that was signed into law by the pre...
Over the past 43 years I have served our community and now in a more limited way continue to do so by choosing to be vaccinated against COVID and by wearing a mask in public places. With only 40% of Richland County vaccinated, there is still a risk that I could become infected and pass this to my husband who has underlying health conditions. In our home we are most comfortable with those who are also fully vaccinated. These individuals are also committed to protecting our community’s health and returning to a full economy. It is i...
Imagine the success of a Republican legislature that passed the first-of-its-kind bill against mandatory vaccinations in the United States, regularly touted jealously throughout all 50 states as the epitome of personal freedom, passed on a hail-Mary do-over at the last moment. Not only did the bill pass the legislature upon its reintroduction, it was a smashing success and signed by a Republican governor. The largest groups to oppose 702 were hospital executives with business degrees (not medical degrees) whose palms are greased with cash by...
An important deadline approaches for Montanans fighting to stop the American Prairie Reserve from decimating the agricultural economy of eastern Montana. The Bureau of Land Management will take public comment until Sept. 28 on APR's proposal to "rewild" their federal grazing allotments by removing them from agricultural production. The stakes of this proposal are high due to the precedent it would set. Specifically APR has proposed to change seven federal grazing allotments, totaling 57,000...
Fellowship Food Bank gives away food six days a week. This constitutes thousands of pounds of food to hundreds of hungry Richland County residents. Our greatest need (usually) is frozen beef and non-perishable food items. However, we made the conscious choice in 2008 (when we started) not to fundraise in the community so this can remain our gift to the community and not compete with other charitable organizations. The chief difference between our food bank, and the county food bank, is that (A) we don’t ask for donations, as explained above (...
In 2018, Medicaid Expansion was on the ballot and Richland County voters against funding the welfare program by 67%, an overwhelming majority. In 2019, former Rep. Joel Krautter crossed party lines to vote with his Democrat colleagues and fellow “Solutions Caucus” Republicans to narrowly pass Medicaid Expansion. In other words, Rep. Krautter voted against the will of his constituents. However, in an op-ed published April 14, 2019 in another publication, Krautter explained his reasoning for votin...
Aug. 3 - It is no secret that Montana is full of natural resources. Access to an abundance of fossil fuels and renewable resources makes our state one of the nation’s largest energy suppliers, and our communities have long benefitted from the revenue generated by statewide oil and natural gas operations — especially in Richland County. As Richland County Commissioners, we are well-versed in oil and gas operations and understand just how critical oil and gas tax revenue is for local and state budgets. We are at the heart of Montana’s oil and g...
By Senator Steve Hinebauch (R-Wibaux); Senator Kenneth Bogner (R-Miles City); Representative Jerry Schillinger (R-Circle); Representative Brandon Ler (R-Sidney); and Representative Bob Phalen (R-Glendive) In Montana, we are far away from the hustle and bustle of Washington. Instead of busy streets and crowded communities, our state is full of pristine mountains, flowing rivers, and vibrant ecosystems. Montana’s environment is the envy of states across the country, and we must be sure that any policy that comes forth in our nation’s capital doe...
Greetings from Home! This Legislative Session was different than other sessions in a couple different ways. First, there was concern over the Covid virus that originated in China. It was reasonable, at first, to be scared of it because we didn’t know much about it. But, by the time the session started we were pretty familiar with the virus, knowing it didn’t seriously affect very many people who didn’t have an underlying health condition. We understood that it was a lot like the flu. It was amazing to me that the flu was pretty much nonex...
Greetings from Helena! We had a busy week in the Legislature again. In Fish, Wildlife and Parks we had a resolution to approve the Governor’s appointees to the Board of Outfitters. One of them was Wagner Harmon, a rancher and outfitter from Bainville. We also heard a bill, HB367, which, if it passes, will make it a Constitutional right to hunt, trap, and fish. This bill’s intention is to protect our traditions and values from animal rights groups who don’t want us to harvest wild animals. In Judiciary Committee we heard SJ97, which appro...
Greetings from Helena! In Public Health, Welfare and Safety Committee we heard a bill, HB334, that more specifically explains the rights of students that need an exemption from immunizations, whether it is for medical or religious reasons. There is a lot of concern about what the Health Departments are going to require because of the health concerns this past year. We also heard HB502 which helps the process of adoption become easier between expectant mothers and adoptive parents. HB398 would allow legislators to review records of cases investi...
One year into this pandemic, Montanans are finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our vaccines are safe and effective, COVID cases are falling thanks to the tireless efforts of our frontline health care workers, and Spring is on the horizon. But even with this good news, we still have work to do before we get through the worst public health and economic crisis in generations. Over the past year I’ve had hundreds of conversations with families, workers, doctors, educators, veterans, farmers, tribes, and small businesses f...
Greetings from Helena! This week in Fish and Game committee I presented SR88 which was a Senate resolution to appoint four commissioners to the Montana Fish and Game. I am excited about the diversity that we have with these four commissioners. These four nominees represent industry, landowners, agriculture, outfitting, recreationists, hunters, and fishermen. Some of the fake hunting groups, supported by out of state and out of country billionaires, came in opposition to SR88. We also heard SB382 and SB384, which addressed Aquatic Invasive...
Is democracy going to fail? Experts have predicted that in the past, and now it seems more likely than ever. The Constitution was signed on Sept. 17, 1787. The relevance of this document is at risk of becoming irrelevant, and the American form of government, as we know it may become unrecognizable in the future. There are many examples of concerning changes that are underway. The border is no longer being defended. Illegal immigrants are being encouraged to come here (for cheap labor and purchased voter loyalty). A massive $1.9 trillion bill...
Greetings from Helena! It looks like spring is on its way. We will be needing some moisture soon. We have had some emails from concerned folks wondering about some news stories regarding illegals being flown into Montana. It is disturbing that the President wants to bring a bunch of illegals into Montana and leave them for us to take care of. This is the same President who has been badmouthing President Trump about his handling of the China virus. President Biden is letting in people from all over the world while he wants us to refrain from...
Greetings from Helena! We started the 2nd half of the Legislative session on Monday, March 8. After doing a marathon day with almost 100 floor bills on March 1 it was nice to be back on a regular schedule. There is a lot of concern in the legislature and from our constituents about how judges legislate from the bench. However, the thinking of judges and lawyers and liberals is that judges are nonpartisan and unbiased. So, this is the root of some of the debate that has been around the legislature and evident in Judiciary committee this week...
Richland County Emergency Shelter Coalition – Matthew House is a non-profit housing facility that runs strictly on donations. The shelter is used for single or family residents of Richland County that have nowhere to go. The shelter provides an apartment free of rent and utilities for up to 90 days. This gives the tenants a chance to find work and become stabilized and self-sufficient. While staying at Matthew House they have different options and guidance available to them to assist in meeting their goals. With Matthew House depending s...
