Taking care of community together‍ ‍

Everyone deserves to live a life where they earn enough income to sufficiently afford the necessities and partake in activities and hobbies that provide joy and fulfillment. Currently, this is not the case for many, who may be struggling to get by or can’t afford the unexpected medical or car repair bill. From wages to costs of services, I support policies that make life more affordable for Montanans, such as:

- Accelerating construction of affordable housing to give Montanans security

- Enabling more housing options in urban areas to allow people to easily live close to work, friends, and amenities while reducing development pressure on agricultural and wild lands

- A tax structure that makes high-income and wealthy individuals pay their fair share

- Opposition to a sales tax, which places a disproportionate tax burden on working class and low-income individuals

- Providing more support for childcare and early childhood education in order to decrease childcare costs and give parents more ability to enter the workforce

- Protect unions and their bargaining power to ensure workers get fair value from their labor

There is nothing more important that feeling safe in your community. I support policies that are proven to decrease crime, the demand on our law enforcement officers, and the need for criminal incarceration. These policies include:

- Increasing economic opportunity for residents through jobs programs and education

- Expanding organizations that provide resources

- Promote the use of alternative incident response units

- Create built environments that deter crime and violence

- Support the creation of community through inclusive public space and events

- Promote self expression through the arts

- Keep streets safer and save taxpayer money by providing more housing options for unhoused individuals

Investing in education is a long-term investment in community. Nothing is more empowering than receiving a strong education that sets people up for a job with good wages and the skills to be active participants in a democratic society. This includes education throughout someone’s life, from early childhood to an adult. Policies to support this include:

- Public funding for early childhood education, which has been shown to set up kids for success and has an incredible economic return on investment

- Sufficiently fund public schools and increase annual funding levels to keep pace with inflation

- Support apprenticeship programs to create a pipeline to get workers into in-demand fields that allow our society to function

- Ensure that tuition at state colleges and universities is affordable for everyday Montanans

- Trusting trained teachers to make the best choices for their classrooms while ensuring all education meets a high standard

Montana is famous for its pristine environments and vast swaths of public lands. During the Copper King era, wealthy individuals displaced Indigenous residents, exploited the land for minerals and timber, and exported the profits to out-of-state shareholders. Today, the Montana Constitution enshrines the right to a clean and healthful environment, but this right, as well as access to public lands, is under threat. Environmental and conservation topics I support include:

- Safeguarding access to public lands and waters

- State public lands to be for the benefit of all and not to be developed for the benefit of a few

- Enforcement of environmental regulations to protect human public health and proper ecosystem function

- Ensuring Montana’s Indigenous residents and communities are involved in all decision making, especially land use and water planning

- Renewable and diverse energy sources to minimize pollution and keep power bills affordable

Montana has a long history of injustices—theft of Indigenous lands; wealth extraction and exploitation by mining, railroad, and timber capitalists; and racial discrimination and inequities. I support policies that make efforts to right these historical wrongs. Lifting up marginalized communities, whether based on race, sexuality, gender, religion, or ability, lifts up Montana as a whole. These efforts include:

- Supporting and investing in Tribal communities and individuals

- Ensuring historically disadvantaged communities can thrive in modern-day Montana

- Inclusion of diverse voices in decision making

- Taking incidents of hate and discrimination seriously and with consequence

- Addressing environmental impacts, which have a disproportionate impact on low-income and marginalized communities

- Investing state-managed funds in responsible investments

Montana is a large state with diverse populations and storied histories. As as state, we should preserve and empower these varied cultures, traditions, and identities. In a world seemingly fractured and divided, it’s more important than ever to rally around community for our collective well-being and to take care of each other. A functional and supportive state government can support this in multiple ways. As an elected Montana legislator, I will champion causes such as:

- A government that functions to promote the well-being of all residents

- Adequate funding of programs to ensure everyone has access to life’s necessities

- Encourage well-being and human connection through community spaces, events, and the arts

- Promotion of cultural histories, events, and institutions