Fix It Before It Fails: The Conservative Case for Montana’s Infrastructure Investment
Every Montanan knows the value of good maintenance: you fix your roof before it leaks, change the oil in your truck to keep the engine running smooth and mend your fences so your livestock stays put. These are solid conservative principles—taking care of what you've got to avoid big, expensive messes down the line.
The same common sense applies to our public infrastructure. Putting off repairs can lead to total breakdowns, sky-high costs, and real dangers to folks' lives and livelihoods. That's why the Montana Growth and Opportunity (GO) Trust, set up by House Bill 924, is one of the smartest, forward-thinking conservative moves the Montana Legislature has made.
Look at our bridges, for starters. The 2024 ARTBA Bridge Report counts 5,224 bridges across the state, including those owned by the state and counties, with 356 in bad shape structurally. In counties all over Montana, about 20% of the roughly 2,000 county-owned bridges are closed or have weight limits.
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