Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

I am writing to recommend a couple of men who were great Legislators and would now like to serve Montana in a different capacity.

One of these men is Senator Scott Sales. Scott is the only person in Montana history who was picked by his peers to serve as both Speaker of the House and President of the Senate. He served as President of the Senate for both sessions that I was in the Senate. One thing I can say from that experience is that Scott was one of the purest voters I’ve known, he was firm, yet he was fair to everyone. Scott understands the place of government and that government shouldn’t overburden its citizens. So, I would highly recommend Scott Sales as our next Secretary of State.

The other man, a “farm kid” from Eastern Montana, is Austin Knudsen. Austin was the youngest person to serve as Speaker of the House and he was effective enough that his peers elected him to be Speaker twice. Austin was also a great voter and understands governments place. Austin would serve us well as the next Montana Attorney General.

I would recommend you vote in the Republican Primary for Scott Sales for Montana Secretary of State and Austin Knudsen for Montana attorney General.

For freedom,

Senator Steve Hinebauch

Dear Richland County Voter,

My name is Brandon Ler, and I am running to represent House District 35 in Helena. I was born and raised in Sidney, and graduated from Sidney High School. I now live in rural Savage, on my family’s homestead, with my wife, Stephanie, and two children, Evelyn (7) and Arntson (5). I have chosen to run for House District 35 because I believe that Richland County has not been accurately represented in Helena for the past two years. Please allow me a moment to tell you how I can best represent you in Helena.

I am pro-business because I am a small business. I have owned and operated my own fencing company for ten years. We need someone in Helena who truly understands what it takes to start and maintain a business.

I am pro-agriculture because I am an agriculture producer. I run a small feedlot from my family’s homestead, and buy and sell cattle at the local sales ring. Our local producers need a representative in Helena who truly understands what’s important to them-someone who understands the struggles of today’s ag market.

I will push for lower taxes, and a balanced budget. I’ve signed both the front and the back of checks during my 10 years running my own business. That means I’ve had to be accountable for managing a budget-when the money runs out, there isn’t any more. Government should operate the same way. Instead of expanding the budget, we need to find ways to decrease the state budget and lessen the burden on our taxpayers.

I will advocate for limited government. In Richland County, we’re self-sufficient and resilient. We don’t need more government-we need government to get out of our way and let us run our own farms and businesses, and raise our own children. We know what’s best for our own. We need less government, not more.

I am a true Conservative Republican, and I’ll vote that way in Helena. The promises I make campaigning will be the promises I’ll keep in Helena-I am the same person campaigning as I am in real life. I am pro-life, I support and exercise my 2nd Amendment rights, and I’m not afraid to stand up for what’s best for Richland County.

The Primary Election is being held largely by mail. Expect to receive your ballot in early May, and return it to the Richland County Courthouse before June 2nd. If you return the ballot by mail, it should be postmarked by May 26. You may also choose to vote in person at the Courthouse beginning May 4.

I regret that I cannot visit with you personally, but I urge you to call me at 406-480-5687 to discuss what matters to you in Helena. We need more boots and blue jeans in Helena, not more business suits and penny loafers, and those boots ought to have had some manure on them. Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely, Brandon Ler

Dear Editor,

I am not, by nature, a letter writer but I feel that the outlandish claims and outright lies being leveled at Representative Joel Krautter must be answered. The juvenile antics perpetrated by the cabal of individuals who have joined forces to oppose Joel have slipped the bonds of reasonable election banter and, instead, they have returned us to the hallways of middle school.

Joel’s local opponents have been fed a steady diet of senseless drivel by two Western Montana legislators. One of these legislators, Matt Regier, has spent this election cycle masquerading as a doctor. While the other, Brad Tschida, has spent his time masquerading as a leader. These are the same legislators who happily spent eastern Montana’s oil revenues and then promptly voted against our repeated pleas for assistance with our infrastructure liabilities. Neither of these individuals has your best interest at heart.

Locally, Tanya Rost and Pastor Jordan Hall have fronted the salacious attacks on Joel’s character and voting record. Tanya, who failed in her bid to defeat Joel in 2017, now serves as the head of the Richland County Republican Central Committee. Montana’s central committees are expected to remain neutral during the primary election and, as the Chair, Tanya has failed any semblance of neutrality. If she actually had the integrity she pretends to have, she would resign her position. Meanwhile, Pastor Hall has a past littered with sharp, public rebukes from other ministers who think he should spend more time with his flock and less time on his own aggrandizement.

But enough about Joel’s opponents. Instead, let me tell you why I am voting for Joel Krautter.

Joel’s pro-business, pro-agriculture, and pro-healthcare votes are aligned with the needs of his constituents and with the requirements of Eastern Montana’s economy. Joel was awarded the coveted Champion of Business Award from the Montana Chamber of Commerce – an organization that many of you belong to and one that represents the interests of Montana’s Main Street businesses. Joel was awarded the Golden Windmill Award by the Montana Farm Bureau Federation - another organization that represents many of his constituents. And finally, Joel voted to support rural healthcare in an effort to keep our local hospitals solvent and capable of delivering the level of medical service we have all come to expect.

Further, Joel is strongly pro-life, as measured by the very conservative Montana Family Foundation. He is also a strong second amendment supporter as measured by his voting record on gun issues.

Our agricultural and oil economy matter greatly to me, as does continued access to lifesaving medical services. I find Joel’s strong stance on social issues and the second amendment laudable. Because Joel has voted to support our interests he has made Western Montana angry. It is time for us to ignore these western voices, and their local pawns, and show Joel the same support he has provided us.

– Walter L McNutt

Dear Editor:

You know it’s an election year when you see some agents employ underhanded tactics to try to influence our elections by any means.

In Richland County today, we have an individual working to do just that while working in the shadows. His name is Jordan Hall. In March, a group was formed with the state called, “Conservatives United for Richland County.” Its president is Jordan Hall. The group’s treasurer is his wife.

With such a lofty name, the group sounds like something conservatives can identify with but knowing who is behind it, and being familiar with his history of misguided views and heavy-handed tactics, the group does not reflect the views nor does it have the support of majority of conservatives or Republicans in Richland County.

Aside from this, he has also recently created the “Montana Daily Gazette” - a blog that circulates around Facebook that by all outward appearances, looks like a credible news source but is simply nothing more than his biased and unsubstantiated commentary and opinion. Its goal is to influence the public with a regular stream of personal attacks on members of our community backed not by facts but distortions. Typical of someone not able to debate their views in the open.

I’ve spoken to many area Republicans over the past few months about what he has been doing with our Republican Central Committee and can say that he doesn’t hold the ideals and integrity of the vast majority of area Republicans.

If voters see advertisements or mailers in coming weeks with “Paid for by Conservatives United for Richland County” on it, or from the “Montana Daily Gazette,” voters should know who is behind the deceptive organizations, and be very leery of what he puts out.

– Jim Steinbeisser