Every few years, Congress discusses some form of spending limits. Usually, these go nowhere or are ignored or repealed a couple of years or so after passage. There is a similar rule for federal tax revenues. Unlike the spending rule, the revenue rule is always in effect. Regardless of what Congress and the president may Read More…
Today we saw oral arguments in the lawfare case against Attorney General Knudsen. Sadly, this is nothing new. We’ve seen this movie before. The left uses “lawfare” to silence and target political opponents, manipulating the legal system for partisan gain. This isn’t just happening at the national level, as we’ve witnessed in the ongoing lawfare Read More…
Last week, President Trump appeared before a joint session of Congress to lay out a list of policy priorities his administration will pursue over the next three and a half years – one of which is to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA). The slogan has become a favorite of moms and dads who are skeptical Read More…
With the federal government facing a debt of $36 trillion and realizing that 49 out of 50 states have to balance their budgets, Americans are losing patience with the ability of Congress to enact meaningful fiscal discipline. This is why resolutions have been introduced in Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming this year calling for a Convention of the Read More…
This past year was a rough one for the coal industry. In 2016 we saw President Barack Obama’s final push to kill coal before the end of his term. The result was a significant drop in production due to closure of power plants the state had supplied, the loss of hundreds of Montana coal jobs, Read More…
The Dakota Access Pipeline, an oil pipeline which starts in North Dakota and will route to Illinois, has been marred by a steady stream of misinformation and rumor. As governor of North Dakota, I feel it is important to share the facts of how the route was permitted through our state, as well as our Read More…
So here it is, a month after Greg Gianforte lost his election bid for governor, and Evan Barrett is still denigrating him (Dec. 7 opinion). Maybe we should call him Evan “kick-them-while-they’re down” Barrett. This time Evan is alarmed about Greg using his own money to fund some of his campaign. I would think Evan Read More…
Republican Corey Stapleton’s goals, if elected Montana secretary of state, are to: Improve business services. Protect the integrity of the elections process. Be a great steward on the State Land Board. That’s what Montanans want in their state elections and information chief. To Stapleton, a financial planner in Billings, “election security is a big deal.” Read More…
The dominant fact emerging this year is that whatever faith in government voters once had has been pretty well destroyed both by self-serving politicians willing to disingenuously promise anything for their votes and the failure of government at all levels to deliver on those promises. Establishment politicos of both party’s couldn’t believe the appeal of Read More…
I support Kristen Juras for the Montana Supreme Court for a number of reasons. One of them is her opponent’s record on sentencing defendants convicted in criminal cases involving possession of child pornography and other offenses with children as intended victims. During my term as United States attorney (for Montana) from 2001 to 2009, Read More…
I have known Kristen Juras for a long time. Born and raised in Montana, Juras practiced law for many years and has a broad range of legal experience. She taught extensively at the Law School, has a keen intellect, and would bring to the Court new expertise in multiple areas of the law, including family Read More…
As your sitting district judge in Stillwater, Carbon, and Big Horn Counties, I wanted to let you know that I am endorsing Kristen Juras in the contested race for the Montana Supreme Court. I believe that she has the right temperament, experience, and ability to make an excellent Supreme Court Justice. Not only is Kristen Read More…
Since taking office in January 2013, Attorney General Tim Fox has worked to: Streamline voter registration with driver’s licensing. Raise awareness of the number of untested rape evidence kits stored by Montana law enforcement agencies. He obtained a federal grant for testing that could lead to prosecution of rapists. Reduce the wait for chemical testing Read More…
The Missoula city council recently passed a city ordinance requiring all firearm transfers within the city be subject to a background check, even private transfers between individuals. This new ordinance is in direct violation of Montana Code Annotated section 45-8-351 (2015), which states a local government may not restrict or regulate the purchase, sale, or Read More…
As I campaign for secretary of state across Montana, I am reminded of how important it is to balance our desire for larger voter participation with assuring the integrity of our voting process isn’t compromised by expediency or carelessness. If we have the mindset that it’s not a matter of if we get hacked, but Read More…
“Darned Poor Judgment” is the rating I give Gov. Steve Bullock for infrastructure performance during the past four years! Clear back in 2013 the governor’s bad judgment became obvious. That year the Legislature passed a fix for oil boom infrastructure by a heavy margin, only to have the governor kill it with a veto. Read More…
The State of Montana is blessed with an abundance of energy resources. We have areas of high quality wind and solar opportunities, and we have one of the nation’s largest reserves of high quality coal, plus new reserves of natural gas. The recent announcement of the complete shutdown of Colstrip units 1 & 2 was Read More…
What we need to see in our next state auditor is someone who understands what it takes to help small businesses grow and create Montana jobs. It deeply concerns us that Jesse Laslovich has none of that experience, and worst of all, his record shows him to be anti-business and anti-jobs, and that kind of Read More…
Here’s a question a few of my friends are asking me. Why would a pro-choice, liberal-leaning woman like myself, who typically votes for Democrats, be supporting Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte? First, a little background. I’ve had decades of experience in business and economic development. In 2000, I began running a small economic development Read More…
The University of Montana’s new slogan is “Let’s Go There!” In addition to delighting fans of “30 Rock,” this exclamation is everything you want in a marketing tagline. It succinctly conveys the university’s message to the public: Please attend our school, and if you can, bring some friends. “Let’s Go There!” models desirable behavior for Read More…