Attorney general hopeful concerned about PAC influence

The Montana Attorney General race hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, but Democratic candidate Pam Bucy says it will become more high profile largely because of advertising from outside money.

A senate race that’s getting national attention and a dominating governor’s race have gotten the most hype so far, Bucy said in an interview this week.

“I think we’re going to see outside dollars in this race, which is interesting and disconcerting” because the candidates will not be able to control how that money is put to use in advertising, Bucy said.

She noted that political action committees ended up spending $108,000 in the Republican primary election against Jim Shockley, the primary opponent of the winner, Tim Fox.

Bucy said in her encounters with Montanans of all political stripes, most are “disturbed” by PAC influence on state races. That’s partly because voters often are exposed to candidates personally and she believes that’s part of the appeal of her campaign.

“I think they like it that I’m not a politician,” she said of people she meets. “And I think they like the grassroots nature of my campaign.”

A native of Townsend, Bucy worked for the Livingston Chamber of Commerce, graduated from the University of Montana Law School, worked as a prosecutor for Lewis and Clark County and worked in private practice. She was the chief deputy attorney under former Attorney General Mike McGrath, and most recently she has worked as a legal counsel for the state Department of Labor.

In that capacity, Bucy represented the department and Gov. Brian Schweitzer in negotiating workers compensation reform legislation with lawmakers such as Rep. Scott Reichner, a Republican from Bigfork.

“Reasonable people really can accomplish a lot,” said Bucy, who views the legislation as a success that is benefiting Montana businesses.

Bucy said she has participated in some forums with her opponent and some differences have emerged.

“What separates us is my knowledge of the office,” she said, referring to her experience under McGrath.

“I would say I’m definitely the law enforcement candidate,” she said, touting endorsements from law enforcement officials. “I’m really proud of those endorsements.”

Fox, she said, “is really talking about the Affordable Care Act and how to dismantle that.”

Bucy regards the Affordable Care Act as a far more complicated matter than people realize, and she said dealing with it will require legal finesse rather than blunt political force.

Bucy said the duties of the attorney general on the state Land Board are “critically important,” and she would back responsible resource development on the board.

“I’ve consistently said I support coal development — I just think it should be done on Montana terms,” said Bucy, noting she is the daughter of a miner and understands the importance of resource jobs in Montana.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.