The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
Sorted by date Results 1 - 6 of 6
In theory there is nothing wrong with a celebration of emancipation. The freeing of the slaves was one of the great steps forward for this country, an end to the darkest chapter in American history. But we don't live in theory. Our politics happens in practice, and in practice the vote that elevated "Juneteenth National Independence Day" to the status of a federal holiday is a disaster for those who hold that our country is good, our Constitution a great charter of liberty,...
Our institutions aren't what they once were. Opinion polls show overwhelmingly that trust in the government, in Congress, and in business has fallen in previous years and remains low. One exception is the military, which is consistently among our most respected institutions. This reputation has been hard-won, over decades of apolitical service to the nation. Americans recognize that service by honoring our servicemen and women, and extending our armed forces enormous respect...
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...
As I wrap up my four-year term as your State Auditor, I'm reminded of a common lesson Montana parents teach our children: leave things better than you found them. On a family camping trip that might mean picking up a forgotten piece of litter and leaving behind some extra firewood for the next folks to use. To me right now, it means leaving this office in great shape for our next Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Troy Downing. When I was sworn in, Montanans were...
Our state, and our country, has never faced a challenge like the one we are confronted with today. COVID-19, and the ensuing shutdown sent shockwaves through our economy. The consequences have been devastating, and we are only beginning to see its full impact. Over the last few months, we've experienced economic carnage unlike any period in my lifetime. Many business owners had to make the difficult decision to tell loyal employees that the paycheck they were depending on...
We must keep working to lower prescription drugs prices in Montana. After conducting a nearly two-year investigation into drug costs, including taking several major players to court in order to access information, my team and I brought forward a bill that we projected would save Montanans about $8 million on medications in the first year alone. Our approach to reforming one part of the massive pharmaceutical system has now been copied by the U.S. Senate and states like Maine,...
