Rost to Run for Legislative Office

Tanya Rost, a long-time resident of Richland County, is running for legislative office in House District 35. She is married to Shawn Rost, and they have four children together, own an oil field business and have investments in local agriculture. The Roundup spoke with Rost and asked her questions regarding her candidacy and plans for legislation if she were to win the seat.

When asked why she was running for the House District seat, Rost responded, "I want to make sure that there is a conservative candidate representing Richland County. It's one thing to call yourself a Republican, but it's another to be a conservative. I believe that I'm both, and want to see policies that will best benefit Richland County and align with our values."

Rost went on to explain what some of those policies should be, saying, "I want to see lowered property tax. Right now, the vast majority of property-owning Richland County residents are suffering from property taxes. We have seen them increase dramatically, even though their real property value has not risen accordingly. Other than protecting essential liberties, lowering property taxes will be a top priority."

"Concerning the protection of liberties," Rost continued, "I want to see Constitutional Carry pass the Montana legislature. This means I want the only concealed carry permit required in the State of Montana to be that which was given in the Second Amendment of the Constitution. We can already carry outside of municipal areas without a permit in Montana, and we need to join the rest of the conservative states in the Union that are allowing carry without a special permit, so long as the person is legally able to purchase a firearm."

Rost also spoke of the importance of the sanctity of life, saying, "I want to see a personhood law passed as well. The Montana Constitution already says that all persons are given the right to pursue life, and all we want is for law to recognize all human beings as persons, whether inside or outside the womb."

Rost continued on the subject, "Right now, the ACLU is suing the State of Montana, saying that because the state is so rural, we need to allow midwives to practice abortion. Montana is the most liberal state on abortion in the Rocky Mountain region, and giving midwives permission to perform complicated surgery away from medical centers won't help anyone, mother or child."

When asked to explain her potential strengths in the legislative office, Rost said, "First, I've been here a very long time and I know the area very well. My job is to represent the district, and I'm from here. That's a big advantage right off the bat. Likewise, I feel that I share distinctly Eastern Montana values. There's a big difference between Western Montana and Eastern Montana, and I am here to represent our values, in particular."

When asked if she had any conflicts of interest or weaknesses that might prevent her from serving to the best of her ability, Rost responded, "I've lived a very simple, quiet life. I'm ready to serve my community, and voters can be confident that I'm the same neighbor they've known all these years, my views haven't changed, and neither have my convictions."