A political newcomer and Democrat running for governor outlined policy goals Tuesday at the state Capitol.
Democrat Ryan Busse of Kalispell said he’s optimistic about his chances of overcoming Republicans’ dominance in recent elections and beating incumbent Gov. Greg Gianforte.
“I have a lot of hope that the state is about ready to stand up and say, ‘we may have reflexively voted R, but we didn’t vote for this.’ This radicalized brand of anti-freedom,” Busse said.
Busse is a former firearms executive who gained recognition for his book criticizing the gun industry.
Busse criticized Gianforte while highlighting his own policy stances. He said the wealthy and corporations should be paying more in taxes and the governor has allowed property levies for the average resident to rise too high.
On health care, Busse said he’d add staff to support state health department programs. He pointed to the Gianforte Administration’s handling of Medicaid unwinding, which has resulted in 120,000 Montanans losing health coverage in nine months.
Busse said he would invest more state dollars into both public education and affordable housing.
And finally, he drew a stark contrast with Gianforte on abortion. The governor has pushed to restrict access, which Busse said is an infringement on personal freedoms.
Busse is the only Democrat to have announced a bid for governor.
Gianforte announced his re-election campaign last week, saying he plans to build on the work he started in his first term.
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Federal food benefits for low-income Americans won’t be available next month. Federal officials say funding has run dry because of the government shutdown. -
The president of the Montana Public Service Commission has been stripped of his leadership title amid allegations of misconduct. -
Ballots are on their way to voters’ mailboxes. Local elections around the state will take place November 4. -
Protestors in cities and small towns across Montana turned out for "No Kings" rallies, including in Billings, Bozeman, Dillon, Fort Benton, Helena, Hamilton, Kalispell, Lewistown and Missoula. -
Congress has voted to overturn part of the federal management plans for millions of acres of BLM lands in eastern Montana. The development of the Miles City plan involved mineral owners, industry groups, landowners, ranchers, farmers, hunters and 17 tribal nations. -
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed last month at a Turning Point USA event in Utah on a nationwide tour of college campuses. But the tour is continuing as planned. That included a stop at Montana State University Tuesday night.
