House District 8

By NICHOLAS LEDDEN/Daily Inter Lake

Tax relief is a central campaign issue for both candidates in House District 8, which covers from downtown Kalispell north to West Reserve Drive and includes western Evergreen.

Republican incumbent Craig Witte and Democratic challenger Cheryl Steenson seem to agree that Kalispell residents, especially the middle class, suffer too onerous a tax burden in a state posting revenue surpluses.

Witte, who last session introduced a bill slashing the tax rate on personal income from 6.9 percent to 3.9 percent, is in favor of drastically reducing the state income tax.

"Montana is enjoying surplus revenue collections, but the bulk of this surplus comes from individual income taxes - that's from anybody with an alarm clock and a job," said Witte, observing that 45 percent of revenue going into the state's general fund comes from the income tax.

By slashing the tax rate, Witte said, part-time residents would be more likely to file their income taxes in Montana, increasing revenue while shifting the burden off those who can afford it least, he said.

"We need to make Montana more attractive to part-time residents so they become full-time taxpayers," said Witte, who plans to introduce another bill reducing the income tax rate if elected. "If we're allowed to keep more of our money, the economy will grow."

Steenson said she would support a variety of measures to reduce taxation on the middle class.

"I'm definitely committed to no increase in property taxes based on reassessment," she said. "It's sending middle-class families out of their homes."

Some measure modifying the state's property tax policy in light of the most recent property reassessment is expected to be adopted next session.

"I think we are currently at a place where we have enough income at the state level to run it," Steenson said. "We have plenty of collectible taxes out there. We don't need to raise them for the middle class."

While she opposes additional taxation on the middle class, Steenson does support maintaining at least the current level of spending on education and an increase in spending on the CHIP program, a state administered health insurance plan for children of low-income families.

Steenson would like to see the program offered to families at 175 percent of the poverty level, she said.

"It's pretty inexpensive to insure kids," Steenson said. "But when something goes wrong we have to insure middle- and low-income families. I think that would benefit this district, but I don't think the Legislature cared. They cared more about their ideology."

Steenson said she would like to see the state help fund health insurance for small businesses, which would in turn help them attract qualified employees. Small businesses make up 80 percent of Montana companies, she said.

Witte, who also supports a move away from raising property taxes based on reassessment values, is opposed to most additional state spending.

If elected, Witte said he will introduce or support bills and initiatives:

n Requiring a candidate to live in the district he or she are running for. Currently, a candidate must only live in the same county, encouraging candidates to run in a district more friendly to their party rather than the district in which they reside.

n Limiting elections to two per year, in May and November, to reduce voter apathy. All state, municipal, school board, and referendums could be rolled into elections on dates in these two months, Witte said.

n Allowing the county sheriff to impose small misdemeanor fines on employers using illegal immigrants.

Both Witte and Steenson, who can be described as social moderates, said they believed the November election would revolve primarily around taxation and spending issues.

Steenson, 27, is a newcomer to state politics.

Born and raised in Kalispell, Steenson graduated from Flathead High School in 1999 and the University of Montana in 2003. After earning a Master of Arts in English in 2006, Steenson taught English classes for two years at Flathead Valley Community College as an adjunct professor.

While in graduate school, Steenson taught at Stevensville High School and spent a year working in an AmeriCorps literacy program while finishing her thesis.

She now teaches at Glacier High School, where she is in her first year.

Steenson said she was motivated to run for office after observing the extreme partisanship that characterized the budget fight in the last session.

"I feel like both the Senate and House allowed politics to rule the day rather than representing the people," she said.

Steenson, whose father is a tree farmer in Bigfork, said she identifies with the working and middle classes of Kalispell. And despite political differences, her family is behind her candidacy. Her staunchly Republican grandfather is the treasurer for her campaign, she said.

"If I can have Thanksgiving with Republicans, I certainly can go and work with them in Helena," Steenson said.

Witte, 48, is seeking his second term as the Kalispell area's representative to the state legislature. Witte lost against Democratic incumbent Tim Dowell in the 2004 election, but - after Dowell reached his term limit - won against a Democratic opponent in an open 2006 race.

As a freshman legislator, Witte was asked to serve on the Appropriations Committee, a position usually reserved for more senior members of the House.

"I asked the Speaker of the House, 'Why me?'" said Witte, who was posted to the full committee's natural resources subcommittee. "And he said, 'You're a good conservative and with term limits we need to show the new guys where the spending and waste actually occurs.'"

After leaving a job that forced him to spend much of his time on the road, Witte settled his family in the Kalispell area.

"To maintain a happy household, I had to live and work without travel," said Witte, who opened Perkins Restaurant and Bakery in Evergreen in 1995.

Witte said he was galvanized to enter politics in spring 2004 when his brother, at only 50 years old, died in his sleep.

"And I thought, 'Life is short,'" he said. "I came back from his funeral and signed up the next day. Some people have to participate."

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com