Letters to the Editor
Want to read a letter to the editor of The Western News? See below to view their letters.
Battling substance abuse requires collaborative effort
Two and a half years ago, Attorney General Tim Fox and I stood on the steps of the state capitol with other lawmak…
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 …
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…
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…
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.