Opinion
Searching for opinion based articles? Below we'll share opinion news articles on a wide variety of topics.
Former governor sounds off on property tax debacle
How did the largest percentage of Republicans elected in Montana history grow government at the fastest rate in st…
KNF has more than enough timber
In the April 2 issue of the Western News, I was struck by the following quote from Barry Dexter, of Stimson Lumber Co, referring to the need for a “steady reliable flow of timber” to support a sawmill in Libby: “..…
House Democratic leader legislative wrap-up
Four months ago, as the newly-elected House Democratic leader for the 2019 Legislative Session, I made a promise to the people of Montana that Democrats would lead with solutions.
Congressional appropriators: please fund farm bill programs
The most recent farm bill was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump in December. However, simply enacting new legislation doesn’t mean Congress’ work is done. We now have to figure out how, and …
Speaker reflects on 66th legislative session
The 66th legislative session has come to an end. As speaker of the house, it was my goal to uphold the integrity of the House. As a leader in my caucus, it was my goal to foster unity, not conformity. We can be uni…
Regional innovation clusters promote business collaboration in rural communities
Small businesses in the Rocky Mountain region have new resources to help them commercialize technology, expand into new markets, grow their customer base and create jobs.
Democrat legislators weigh-in on missing person bills
When women and girls go missing in our state, it’s not a Democratic problem or a Republican problem — it’s a Montana problem. And it’s an urgent one.
In response to the editor's apology
I’m so sorry this misprint “induct-vs-indict” happened for all concerned. But, your apology from the editor was truly a beautiful example of making an “amends” that stands for all to see.
Montanans work together to protect our waters
Montanans know how precious water is. It’s essential for fish and wildlife, boating and angling, irrigating, drinking and creating much of our electricity. When something threatens our water — such as aquatic invas…
Earth Day: why wilderness?
Americans came together 49 years ago to celebrate the first Earth Day. We committed to making our planet a more liveable place. We’ve cleaned up our water. We’ve reduced air pollution. We can drink and breathe easi…
Libby again celebrates Arbor Day with tree planting
After a very long winter, spring has arrived in full swing and Libby’s volunteer Tree Board has been busy with pruning city trees, assessing winter tree damage, and preparing to celebrate Arbor Day. Libby is one of…
An apology from the editor
A headline on the front page of the Friday edition of The Western News that should have read “inducted” instead made it to print with the word misspelled as “indicted.”
President's budget ignores needs of rural America
Details on President Trump’s 2020 budget were released this month. In an attempt to rein in federal spending, the budget recommends a $3.6 billion cut to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Unfortunately, the propo…
Montana House Dems weigh in on health care
One of the most important issues that we will tackle this session is protecting the healthcare coverage of more than 96,000 Montanans. Last week, the House Human Services Committee voted to advance HB 658 to contin…
Setting the record straight on HB 722
I would like to provide some factual information about HB 722, a bill I am sponsoring this session, as it was the focus of a recent letter to the editor and was completely misrepresented.
Libby needs return to roots for good paying jobs
Shopko’s looming closure is but the latest in a long line of business closures/failures in Libby — Stimson lumber, Stinger Welding, Revett Minerals, SK Fingerjoint, LiV Golf Cars, and the list goes on.