Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 333
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...
As a country, we’ve just come through easily the worst election of my lifetime and one where obvious weaknesses in our system were exposed. Most Montanans I talk to are eager to put those passions behind them and get back to normal. Turning down the temperature is going to take work from us all, but one thing that is definitely needed is an election process everyone agrees is fair and transparent. We rely on elections to settle disputes over our most closely-held values. We had an election where key states took days to call. Several states igno...
Greetings from Helena! We are halfway through the legislative session. All the bills without money on them had to be transferred from the Senate to the House, and vice versa, so it has been kind of hectic this week. In Fish and Game committee we had bills about wolves, bears and right of ways, which were all very emotional subjects. I think we need to eliminate some bears and some wolves and stand up for property rights. So that is how I voted. In Health and Human Services, we saw some bills about vaccines and whether they should be mandatory...
Greetings from Helena! We are well aware of the power outages in Eastern Montana and it has been the subject of discussion around the legislature. Almost every source of power had trouble during the ice storm in the south. Wind, solar, nuclear and gas-powered generators all had problems. We know that hydropower’s weakest season is the winter when water is not running as fast. The good old standby, safest, and most reliable power generator is coal. Yet between the bean counters and the environmentalists they have convinced the right people t...
Greetings from Helena! In Fish and Game committee we confirmed the Governor’s appointment for Director of FWP, Hank Worsech. A couple words that were used by the proponents to describe Mr. Worsech were “integrity” and “fair”. We also confirmed 3 members of the Parks Board: Jody Loomis, Russ Kipp, and Eastern Montana’s own Kathy McLean. These appointees, along with others from different departments, were all approved in the full Senate. In Health and Human Services Committee, we also considered a Governor nominee as Director of DPHHS, Adam...
