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  • Letters to the Editor

    May 10, 2023

    We Are Not Your Enemy Dear Editor, Public officials talking about hiring hitmen to take out the publisher and reporter of a newspaper seems like something from a tense, blockbuster thriller rather than reality. Yet, in rural Oklahoma, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is currently investigating such a discussion. The McCurtain County Gazette is like most small-town newspapers. It’s family owned and operated, doesn’t have a website or digital version of its newspaper and stands as watchdog for the community. This responsibility, it...

  • We Salute Our Amazing Women Entrepreneurs During Women's History Month

    Mar 8, 2023

    Dear Editor, As we enter the third year of the Biden-Harris administration, we're fortunate to have a president who understands the vital role women entrepreneurs play in our economy. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) supports the president's business advocacy by nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit and making sure small business has a voice at the table in Washington, D.C. During Women's History Month, and International Women's Day, we salute women entrepreneurs who take a risk in...

  • Feb. 19, 2023 To MT Senate District 17

    Feb 22, 2023

    As eastern Montana has been attending wrestling and basketball events, the legislature continues to move legislation that will help all Montanans. Competition is heated with debates and is very fast-moving. Rules and decorum keep us in order, but sometimes the crowd, like during an athletic event, voices their opinion I do it every day here, whether in committee or on the floor, with a green (yes) or a red (no) vote on the issue at hand. We have reformed some of the government regarding...

  • Montana's Housing Crisis

    Feb 22, 2023

    Dear Editor, There is no singular cause for Montana's housing crisis. Rising costs of land, materials, and labor combined with people moving into our communities, further straining our infrastructure, has made for an increasingly critical housing situation. On top of that, developers, builders, and local governments are trying to build housing under old, outdated land use and planning statutes from the 1920s. As an attempted quick fix, many of the housing bills this legislative session mandate...

  • Legislative Update From Speaker Pro Tempore Rhonda Knudsen

    Feb 22, 2023

    My fellow Northeastern Montanans, For the 68th legislative session, I was elected to a new role as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Montana House of Representatives. This gave me the opportunity to collaborate with Leadership to create the House committees. The makeup of these committees is crucial to efficiently and effectively passing conservative legislation. As Speaker Pro Tempore, I am also responsible for reviewing each piece of legislation and assigning it to the appropriate committee. As a...

  • Concerning Veterans' Eye Care Proposal

    Feb 15, 2023

    Dear Editor, Last year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched an initiative to establish national standards of practice for health professionals serving veterans to improve efficiency and consistency in the delivery of care across the VA health system. As part of its process, the VA is considering if it can safely expand the scope of practice of certain non-physician health practitioners. Current VA policy dictates that only ophthalmologists can perform eye surgeries in VA health...

  • To Senate District 117

    Feb 15, 2023

    To Senate District 117 We just completed our 30th day in this 68th Montana Legislature. The halls continue to be full of lobbyists and Montana citizens. Committee bills are still being processed in both the House and the Senate. With the budget surplus, we plan to improve Montana's education, economy, rule of law, and tax policies. Regarding District 17, here are some specific bills that could enhance our way of life. Senator Kenneth Bogner is sponsoring Senate Bill 203, which is an act...

  • Letter to the Editor

    Feb 15, 2023

    Dear Editor, The editors and columnists in Ag Publications have often stated that if the ranching community hopes to get anything done they have to speak with one voice. I agree. However, some large organizations claiming to represent the cow/calf producers and feeders are not representing our interests. One of the main issues that are dividing us is mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) of beef and pork. Frankly, I am baffled as to why these organizations are opposing it if the cattle...

  • Montana's Right to Repair

    Feb 15, 2023

    Dear Editor, Montana farmers and ranchers face numerous challenges. Some of these challenges such as weather, commodity prices, and bank loan rates are beyond a single farmer's ability to manage. On the other hand, there are challenges faced by Montana producers, which one could reasonably consider as manageable, yet in reality are not. One of the biggest challenges thrown in the face of Montana agriculture that falls in this category is when original equipment manufacturers lock farmers and...

  • Six Steps To Kick-Start Your Small Business In 2023

    Feb 15, 2023

    Dear Editor, Making predictions is never easy, especially for small business owners and their managers. Unlike their larger counterparts, small firms do not always have the resources necessary to monitor and adapt to new consumer trends and/or changes in the economy. Even entrepreneurs who've experienced numerous business cycles face new circumstances that confound their instincts and knowledge. As we enter the new year, it is important to assess the economic landscape to determine the best...

  • Fighting For Montana Values

    Feb 1, 2023

    Dear Editor, With the holidays behind us and Congress gearing up for a new session, I look forward to continuing my mission fighting for our Montana way of life in Washington, D.C. Under President Biden and Democrat congressional leadership, Montanans are facing the highest inflation rate in three decades, driving up prices of everything from groceries to used cars. In addition, the wide-open southern border is allowing record amounts of fentanyl to devastate our communities, and the attacks on...

  • Giving Back To The Community

    Feb 1, 2023

    Dear Editor, "What does American Prairie do for the community?" As the organization's Senior Outreach Manager, and a Lewistown resident, I'm grateful to reflect on that question at the start of a new year. First, American Prairie is part of this community. The same number of employees live in Fergus and Phillips Counties as in Bozeman – and this number will grow. Seven of us reside in Fergus County along with our partners and spouses, kids, parents, and even grandparents. We own and rent...

  • Right To Repair Still Needs To Be Fixed

    Jan 25, 2023

    Dear Editor, Recently there has been a media blast by John Deere claiming a Memorandum of Understanding signed with American Farm Bureau Federation provides right to repair for farmers, ranchers, and independent repair shops. A closer look at the non-legally binding document shows the devil is in the details. John Deere signed a similar MOU in 2018, with the California Farm Bureau, when the California legislature was on the verge of passing a right to repair bill. Their strategy worked as the bi...

  • Stranger Than Fiction Nursing Home Medicaid Rate

    Jan 25, 2023

    Dear Editor, I have just come back from giving testimony on the Medicaid rates for nursing homes in Montana. It was a well-run hearing. The Governor presented his budget proposal. There were over 40 opponents stating that their nursing home or assisted living facility would be closed or stop providing for Medicaid residents if they didn't get more help than the Governor is proposing. The Governor said the people want to have home care, so he proposed significantly cutting the home care budget?...

  • Early Legislative Wins: Hunting, Huckleberries, Veterans, Accountability

    Jan 18, 2023

    Dear Editor, What do hunting, huckleberries, honoring our veterans, and accountability for taxpayer money have in common? Two things. The first is that they're all strongly supported by Montanans. The second is that we're already well on our way to putting big wins on the board this legislative session that involve all of them. Let's start with hunting. We recently had the first hearing on a bill that will double the annual cap on money that private landowners can receive for allowing public...

  • Montana Taxpayers Deserve A Refund

    Jan 18, 2023

    Dear Editor, The 68th Montana Legislature is officially in session, and the House has already gaveled in. This year the state faces a unique challenge of deciding how to spend a $2 billion surplus. As Leadership of the Montana House, our response to that challenge is supporting House Bill 192, introduced by Representative Bill Mercer of Billings. The bill entails three initiates: refund taxpayers on overpaid income taxes, alleviate the property tax crunch and reduce the state's debt. This...

  • Senate Republicans Agenda For This Legislative Session

    Jan 11, 2023

    Dear Editor, The 68th Montana Legislature is officially in session. As Senate leadership, we're excited to see Senate Republicans getting to work on enacting conservative policy for our state. The last time the Legislature met, we successfully passed a conservative balanced budget, cut taxes for individuals and businesses, secured our Second Amendment rights, invested in public access to public lands and high speed broadband, and passed legislation to protect the unborn and further secure our el...

  • Help Save Skilled Nursing Facilities

    Dec 28, 2022

    Dear Editor, As Montanans, we care for each other. Across the rural-urban divide, generational divide, and Brawl of the Wild divide. Of all our constituents across Montana, the most deserving are our elderly neighbors who are on Medicaid benefits. They have served Montana well, and at this final stage in their lives seek the promise of compassionate, medically appropriate care. Most of them are out of money, have used up their care options with family members and loved ones, and cannot afford...

  • County Voting

    Dec 14, 2022

    Dear Valley County Voters, Elections are still in the news. After our last election, Stan Ozark reported over 700 mail ballots were not returned. That is sad and shameful. Voting is our responsibility. Stan also made mention, maybe impressed, that the majority of votes in Valley County are absentee (mail) ballots. Well, no wonder! Several years back, the commissioners approved the Election Administrators request to combine all polling places into Glasgow, in order to save the cost of voting...

  • Letter To Director of The Valley County Health Department

    Dec 14, 2022

    Dear Lynn, I was remiss today when I received my booster vaccination and did not personally thank you for all that you have done during this pandemic. As we have discussed, this has been the most difficult of times. Yet, for so many of us you and your staff were supportive, you provided helpful information, you obtained the vaccines and timely provided the distribution and you did it all in the most professional manner. Again, thank you and wishing you the best always. Sincerely, David L....

  • Daines Cannabis Banking Reform Bill Helps Align Federal, State Law

    Dec 14, 2022

    Dear Editor, I'm not a pro-marijuana guy. I voted against Montana's adult-use cannabis initiative (I-190) in the 2020 election. However, since Montanans approved the initiative and recreational marijuana has taken effect in our state, I've been committed to following the will of the voters and making sure our new system works safely and effectively. One of the biggest barriers to that objective is outdated federal law that causes problems for states that have legalized cannabis. In America, our...

  • Energy Share Assistance

    Nov 23, 2022

    Dear Editor, It is no secret that the cost of living is significantly higher than it was a year ago. Things are tough out there for a lot of people. If you or someone you know is struggling to pay their home energy bill, please contact Action for Eastern Montana (AEM) in Glendive at 1-800-227-0703. Help is available in various forms such as emergency bill assistance through Energy Share of Montana or LIHEAP (formerly called LIEAP). AEM handles applications for both programs. Energy Share is for...

  • To Valley County Taxpayers:

    Nov 2, 2022

    Dear Editor, Last spring our commissioners decided to terminate the Refuse Board, thinking they could do a better job. Yet in the months since, they still have not acted on a $3,000 engineering study or a new rate structure. The topic turned out to be "more complicated." Also, this spring at a public meeting, our commissioners saw fit to give $500,000 of the $1.3 million in federal funds, meant for Valley County, to Valley View Home as a band aid to the Home's Budget. The comment in the meeting...

  • Montana Veterans Encouraged To See If New PACT Act Can Help Them

    Nov 2, 2022

    Dear Editor, We write this letter with the hope of reaching as many Montana Veterans and their family members as possible regarding the recent passage of the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act sponsored by Senator Jon Tester. The PACT Act is a historic new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans – and their survivors. It recognizes toxic exposure as a “cost of war” by addressing the full range of issues impacting toxic-exposed Veterans. Native American Veterans serve their country at a higher rate per...

  • Critical Thinking And The Voting Process

    Oct 26, 2022

    Dear Editor, While teaching international physicians about leadership concepts at Stanford University, one of the most difficult growing and mind-expansive efforts was in the realm of critical thinking. Some physicians from different cultures/countries stated an amazing epiphany/insight as they forced themselves toward more personal critical thinking objectivity. In contrast, other physicians had more difficulty moving from their subjective biases in their thought processes. However, the...

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