Dennison's top ten legislative races...the first five...

by: Jay Stevens

Tue Oct 26, 2010 at 07:18:36 AM MST

House District 8 (central Kalispell): An open Democratic seat, this district always features a razor-close race, and this year has the added element of a third-party candidate. Bill Jones, a dentist and former Republican state legislator seen as a moderate, is running as an Independent, along with Democrat Bryan Schutt, a local architect, and Republican Steve Lavin, a Montana Highway Patrol officer.

LiTW has already spilled ink on this race. Schutt's our man. Donate. Volunteer. Contact.

HD20 (south Great Falls): Another open Democratic seat in a district that usually has close races. Republican Steve Fitzpatrick, an attorney, is squaring off against Democrat Donna Zook, an advocate for the mentally ill.

Again, another race mentioned here on LiTW. Donna Zook is our candidate, an early and steadfast opponent to the Highwood coal-fired plant.

Her Republican opponent, Steve Fitzpatrick, an attorney highly regarded by Gregg Smith at ECW, has wildly outraised Zook, cashing in on a whopping $25,965, according to the Great Falls Tribune, an obscene amount for a House race. What gives? Sadly he lacks a website, so we can't really check him out, but we can get a glimmer of an idea from the GFT profile of the HD20 race. In the questionnaire, this is how Fitzpatrick defines how he's different from Zook: "We need to bring new ideas and a new perspective to the Legislature. We can't continue to promote the same policies that have resulted in enormous debt and the highest level of joblessness since the Great Depression."

(A) The Montana state budget is not running a debt. (B) The policies that have led to high joblessness are free market policies: the deregulation of the financial industry. Are you telling me you're a progressive reformer, Fitzpatrick? I don't think so. What you have here is GOP electioneering bullsh*t, which challenges Gregg's characterization of the man as "honest."

Contact Zook, or donate.

HD36 (northeastern Montana corner): Rep. Julie French, D-Scobey, who knocked off a Republican incumbent four years ago in this rural district, now faces her own stiff challenge from Republican Austin Knudsen, a Culbertson attorney who grew up on a local farm and ranch.

This is what I wrote about French and HD36 before: "Scobey resident Julie French is our only incumbent in the battleground House races. Elected to the House first in 2006, she became the Democratic Majority whip in only her second term in office. She sits on the Human Services and Rules committees, and was vice chair of the Agriculture committee. In 2008, she was the primary sponsor of several bills, including an attempt to revise Montana's medical marijuana laws, which was killed by gross partisanship. Her opponent, Austin Knudsen, is a lawyer and big-business Republican running against health care reform."

Donate. Contact.

HD78 (East Helena): Two relatively well-known candidates are squaring off for this open seat, which Democrats have been winning by close margins in recent years. Democrat Joe Cohenour, a Highway Patrol trooper, is trying to succeed his wife, Jill, who can't run because of term limits. Republican Steve Gibson, a longtime administrator at the state Department of Corrections, lost a 2008 bid for the seat.

The Helena IR ran a good, in-depth profile of this race. Both candidates are well qualified for the seat, and Gibson's years of experience of public service tell me he recognizes the value of good government, and won't be voting to eliminate the HHS budget. Cohenour served on the Helena school board and supported the district's health and sex ed curriculum, and he's the pro-choice candidate in this race.

Really what it comes down to is if Gibson's really the moderate he paints himself to be. Can he resist the crushing pressure of the Republican caucus and vote against the interests of what has been a very radical bloc the last two sessions? Based on the experience of past Republican moderates - I'm guessing not. Cohenour, on the other hand, has a ringing endorsement from Montana Conservation Voters.  Admittedly he wasn't my first choice, but if we want to avoid letting the inmates run the asylum, he's your man. Donate. Contact.

Senate District 17 (Havre and portions of Hill, Blaine counties): House Speaker Bob Bergren, D-Havre, is trying to move up to the Senate by winning this open seat held by an outgoing Democrat. He faces a stiff challenge from Republican Rowlie Hutton, a well-known minister at a Christian Church in Havre.

This is what Yellowstone Kelly wrote about this race: "For the D's to have any shot at controlling the Senate, Bergren, the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, must hold this seat. Hutton is the pastor of one of those large Sunday warehouse churches. If Bergren commits himself to the task at hand, this seat should stay blue. Advantage at outset:Slightly Bergren."

Bob Bergren is our man here. There's not much out there on Rowlie Hutton, but what there is hints that this guy is going to be a pretty fierce social conservative. Take this GFT profile of SD17. This is what Hutton has to say (amidst egregious use of scare quotes) on the back end of the report: "The role of government is to help people lead quiet and tranquil lives. Voters want someone who is not part of the back-slapping culture, but will instead fight for the people rather than governing against them. I believe in the sanctity of life and limited government. The recent controversy in Helena surrounding the forced sex education curriculum is a good example of government out of touch with the people. This is not the first time this issue has reared its ugly head. A proposal was made in the last two sessions to make this a statewide effort. I would oppose this - my opponent voted for it."

The Helena sex ed and health curriculum was done legally, in the open, and with the input of the community; it is not an "example of government out of touch with the people," it's government representing the interest of the community. H*ll, anti-health-curriculum crusader Kristi Allen-Gailushas dropped her lawsuit against the program because she received no support from the community. Oh, and the legislature has no power over the curricula decided on by local school boards. In short, this is pure, unmitigated lying bullsh*t intended only to rile the base.

Donate to or contact Bob Bergren for volunteer work.

I'll get to the second half of Dennison's article later...

Montana State Senate races to watch

by: Yellowstone Kelly

Tue Mar 23, 2010 at 09:02:46 AM MST

Races for the state legislature, on the other hand, tend to be tedious and boring. Some have said they would just as soon watch crabgrass grow or lead paint dry. But, alas, we have no presidential campaign and but one statewide race: Montana's lone Congressional seat. By the looks of how well the D candidates have appointed themselves so far, Denny will have a walk.

So, for you junkies, there are 126 legislative races this year. Normally, there would be 125, but Jesse Laslovich, who is a holdover Senator in the middle of his second four-year term, resigned his seat and state law requires the vacancy to be filled by an election.

Fewer than 15 will determine whether the GOP or the D's control the House and Senate next winter.

To begin, here are five Senate races that will determine the balance of power in the Senate.

R's currently have 27 seats. To have nominal control, the D's must add 2 seats to its current total of 23. That would create a tie. State law provides that the part of the governor is the 'majority' party. To have a real majority, the D's need to pick up 3 seats.

Race #1: Senate District 39. District includes East Helena, Boulder, Whitehall. Terry Murphy (R - incumbent). Jill Cohenour (D - challenger). Terry is a likeable enough fellow. In fact, back in the 1970s, he served in the Senate as a D. While a bit of a maverick at times, his voting record is mainstream R. On paper, this race is close. If Jill can break her well-honed habit of starting slow and never picking up the pace, she could pick up the most vulnerable R seat. Toss up.

Race #2: Senate District 25. Billings. Roy Brown (R - incumbent). Kendall Van Dyk (D - challenger). This race will be in the spotlight for the next seven plus months. OK. Roy was shellacked by Schweitzer in 2008, but he will be very difficult to unseat. Kendall has the ambition and pluck to pull if off. A clash of the titans who represent very different philosophies. Likely to become the most expensive legislative race in Montana history. Will be decided by fewer than four percentage votes either way. Advantage at outset: Brown.

Race #3: Senate District 29. Laurel. Dan McGee (R) seat. Penny Morgan (R). Frederick Schweitzer (D). Representative Penny wants to move over to the upper chamber. Frederick, yes, he is Brian's nephew, wants to make his political mark. Penny has represented half of this district for eight years in the House, winning by wide margins each time. Close on paper, but there may not be enough D votes in the other half of the district. Advantage at the outset: Morgan.

Race #4: Senate District 13. Great Falls. Joe Tropila (D) seat. Ed Buttrey (R). Kathleen Galvin-Halcro (D). Remember Buttrey Food Stores? Same family. Kathleen served four terms in the House before term limits sidelined her. Perhaps a vulnerable seat; maybe not. Depends on the quality of Galvin-Halcro's campaign. Great Falls has a deep-seated D tradition, but things are changing. Advantage at outset: Galvin-Halcro.

Race #5: Senate District 17. Havre. Ken Hansen (D) seat. Rowlie Hutton (R). Bob Bergren (D). For the D's to have any shot at controlling the Senate, Bergren, the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, must hold this seat. Hutton is the pastor of one of those large Sunday warehouse churches. If Bergren commits himself to the task at hand, this seat should stay blue. Advantage at outset: Slightly Bergren.

Projection: After the hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent and the voters badgered for months on end, when the votes are counted, the R's will still have a majority of at least 27 seats.
 
Next: Montana House

Will Rehberg Wrangle His Party on CHIP?

by: Matt Singer

Mon Feb 23, 2009 at 14:17:39 PM MST

February 23, 2009

Dear Representative Rehberg,

Thank you for the letter you sent recently to leadership in Congress expressing your support of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).  Your Republican colleagues in the Montana Legislature need to receive the same message.

Montana's children deserve access to quality health care, during these tough economic times making the State Children's Health Insurance Program more important than ever. I  believe it is incumbent not only upon the Congress to expand SCHIP to cover more uninsured kids but the Montana Legislature should listen to the voters who passed the Healthy Montana Kids Initiative.  Seventy percent of Montana voters approved Initiative 155 - the Healthy Montana Kids plan - last fall. It passed in every county and every legislative district.

I-155 expands eligibility for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP), to cover about 30,000 lower-income Montana kids who are now without insurance.

However, there are members of your own party in the Montana Legislature who don't share your support of CHIP and have voted to block its implementation.  Last week Republican members of the legislature questioned whether voters knew what they were doing when they passed the initiative and suggested that Montana could not afford new spending for Children's Health Insurance.  As you know the funding for the initiative is part of the governor's budget proposal.

Since you were willing to express your support to leaders in Congress, I hope you will also urge the members of your own party in the Montana Legislature to support CHIP and the will of the voters of Montana.

Again, thank you for your attention to and action on this timely issue.  By asking the members of your party to do the right thing, we can ensure that Montana gets the health care we voted for and our kids deserve.

The Montana House Staffs Up

by: Matt Singer

Mon Nov 17, 2008 at 13:52:45 PM MST

Representative Bob Bergren (D-Havre), the Speaker-elect of Montana's 61st Legislature, today announced the hiring of three key aides.

Bergren announced that David Hunter will serve as Chief Clerk, Ed Tinsley as Sergeant at Arms and Tara Jensen as Deputy Chief Clerk.

MT Dems Go On Offense On Taxes

by: davidsirota

Thu May 03, 2007 at 14:11:11 PM MST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2007
Contact: Jessica Rhoades 406-442-9520

Democratic Leader Says GOP Hiding Intent to Give Big Tax Give-Aways to Multinational Corps

Ordinary Homeowners, Main Street Businesses Left Out of Republican Tax Plans

(Helena, MT) House Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Bob Bergren of Havre today vowed that Democrats will continue to push for historic tax cuts targeted to ordinary homeowners and small businesses, and to make it their top priority in the coming Special Session.  He also blasted Republicans' proposed $300 million tax cut plan for concealing efforts to advance tax give-aways worth millions of dollars to multinational corporations and wealthy out-of-state vacation home owners and developers. 

"Republican leaders Mike Lange and Scott Sales have consistently blocked meaningful tax reform that would benefit working families throughout the 2007 legislative session.  The tax-cut proposal they are now pushing is all about giving tax breaks to undeserving multi-national corporations and wealthy vacation homeowners," said Rep. Bergren.  "The true intent of their tax plan is to give huge tax breaks to Exxon, who is gouging Montanans at the pump; to BNSF, who is gouging our family farmers and ranchers at the railhead, and to Blixseth and Charles Schwab, who are throwing up gated communities across Montana for wealthy Californians. This is wrong." 

In a Department of Revenue study released last summer, it was shown that ordinary Montanans saw their property taxes increase more than 50% over the 12 years of Republican control, 1993-2005, while multinational corporations saw their share of the state's tax burden decline precipitously.  Rep. Bergren said it is high time that homeowners be targeted for tax rebates, which Democrats aim to accomplish in the Special Session.

During the 2007 Session, Republicans rejected Democratic proposals to reduce the tax burden on Montana families by enforcing the laws to make out-of-state businesses who make money in Montana pay the taxes they already owe.

"Montanans have a right to ask Rep. Sales why he insists on protecting the out-of-state multinational corporations from paying the taxes they owe. After all, when out-of-staters evade their tax bills, ordinary Montanans pay higher taxes, and it gives them a competitive advantage over our main street businesses," added Bob Bergren.

Speaker Sales told Yellowstone Public Radio yesterday [5-2-07] that he opposes all Democratic tax measures to level the playing field for Montanans, which include permanently reducing the tax burden on small businesses in Montana, and to put an end to the unfair tax advantages enjoyed by the out-of-state corporations who make money in Montana.

Shutting Down Tax Cheats

by: Matt Singer

Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 09:58:51 AM MST

This is the sort of stuff that literally kills me. You want to lower taxes? Fine. First, make sure everyone is paying where they're supposed to be and then let's talk about where we should cut. But when a huge chunk of out-of-staters simply aren't paying their taxes -- to the tune of $60 million a year -- don't tell me about the plight of the well-heeled.

I'm a believer as much as anyone that if government is going to take in revenue, they need to make clear where it is going, fight inefficiency, and constantly look for ways to improve service and lower costs. (I believe the same of corporations and their customers and think the business world succeeds as often/rarely as the public sector realm.) But the first step on the revenue side is cracking down on cheats. What's so hard about that?

New Republican Leader Vows to Break Promises, Admits Minority Status

by: Matt Singer

Mon Nov 27, 2006 at 17:26:15 PM MST

My gut says that the far right's take over of the House Republican caucus is a good sign. Sales won't be able to keep his caucus unified. He's too crazy.

Senator Mike Cooney is set to be President and Representative John Parker is set to be Speaker. Senator Corey Stapleton will be minority leader.

Update -- Just heard most of the rest of the leadership teams. In addition to Speaker Parker, Dems will be led by Speaker Pro Tem Bergren, Majority Leader Art Noonan, Majority Whips Dave McAlpin and Margie Campbell, and Caucus Chair Dan Villa. In the Senate, in addition to President Mike Cooney, we have President Pro Tem Dan Harrington, Majority Leader Carol Williams, and Majority Whips Lynda Moss and Lane Larson. In the Senate GOP caucus, Dan McGee and Greg Barkus will be Minority Whips.