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…
Clean energy future
The number of Americans receiving their electricity from renewable wind energy grew rapidly in 2018, with enough installed capacity to power more than 30 million homes, according to the 2018 American Wind Energy As…
Make things better
There are no less than three Libby “news and opinion” groups on Facebook, these groups are routinely filled with people quick to point out Libby’s foibles and flaws, of which there are many.
Thank you to SRO supporters in the community
It is exciting that the Libby voters will soon have the option to vote to support a school resource officer in the Libby schools.
SRO meeting provided good information to public
I attended the meeting on June 5 about the SRO (School Resource Officer) for the Libby schools. I expected to see a SRO (standing room only) crowd, given all the negative social media talk, but less than 20 people …
Voices in the Wilderness: In the Sun
I hiked down off the mountain at 3:44 in the morning. It was the day after the summer solstice and there was already a thin line of light blue along the horizo…
Daines supports improving rural broadband
Without access to broadband internet, students are unable to keep up in the classroom, patients are denied the promise of telemedicine tools and rural businesses are locked out of the global economy.
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…