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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Former U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, Governors Marc Racicot and Steve Bullock drew an overflowing crowd to a forum in Helena last weekend. They talked about the upcoming elections, the Trump agenda, and defending democracy. Racicot was a Republican governor from 1993 to 2001. Bullock and Tester were the last Democrats to hold statewide office in Montana. -
The supposed Republican frontrunner in the U.S. Senate race is off to a timid start. The independent candidate in that race vows not to resort to namecalling. Two of the candidates for the U.S. House make no such promise. A national Conservative group is working hard to defeat moderate Republicans running for the Legislature. And the Gianforte administration reconsiders its ban on weekend rallies at the Capitol. -
Several Montana industry groups and chambers of commerce are suing the state over a ballot initiative aimed at restricting 'dark money' in campaign spending. -
A first-of-its-kind statewide health insurance trust for school employees got the green light from state regulators last week. Administrators are hopeful it could help control one of education’s most expensive line items. -
Montana Farmers Union is working to enhance legislative literacy in rural communities. Events demonstrate how to contact representatives and participate in the legislative session. Ag communities have been impacted by several state and federal policy changes in recent years. -
Zoning laws aimed at incentivizing home construction have survived a legal challenge. The Montana Supreme Court ruled they are constitutional.
