Candidate touts resource-extraction experience

Scott Aspenlieder sees his candidacy for secretary of state as having a unique characteristic — he has a background in resource extraction that he would put to work on the State Land Board.

Aspenlieder, who earned a civil engineering degree from Montana State University, is a part owner of a Helena engineering firm involved in oil, natural gas and uranium production in several western states.

“We’ve built a business working on resource development,” Aspenlieder said, noting that the last member of the Land Board with that kind of background was former Gov. Bruce Babcock, who was involved with timber and mining.

It’s a quality that sets him apart from three other Republicans seeking the office, Aspenlieder said during a recent interview in Kalispell. The other Republican candidates are Brad Johnson, Patty Lovaas and Drew Turiano.

“That’s what I talk about a lot” on the campaign trail, he said. “The problem is we haven’t had any leadership on the State Land Board to successfully access natural resources.”

While Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat, has voted in favor of developing the Otter Creek coal tracts in southeast Montana, Aspenlieder contends that is not enough.

“It’s not just voting,” Aspenlieder said, adding that he would be a leader in promoting the development of resources for the benefit of the state.

Regarding elections, Aspenlieder is concerned about flawed absentee ballots that have been sent in some parts of the state prior to the June 5 primary election.

In Broadwater County, for instance, at least 120 ballots with incorrect state House and Senate races have been sent, and In Yellowstone County, some voters have received ballots for just one political party.

Aspenlieder said he has called on Secretary of State Linda McCulloch, who is seeking re-election in November, to conduct audits where problems have come up.

“We’ve got a problem with the quality control of the absentee ballot process,” he said.

For that reason, Aspenlieder said Republican lawmakers did the right thing in rejecting legislation that would have converted Montana elections to all-mail ballots, a change that was strongly advocated by McCulloch.

Aspenlieder said he also would support legislation that would end the ability of people to register to vote on election day, a practice that has raised the potential for voter fraud and caused administrative problems for election officials.

He noted that one of his primary opponents, former Secretary of State Brad Johnson, testified in favor of same-day registration legislation when it was passed in 2005.

Johnson has since changed his position, supporting legislation allowing registration up to the Friday before Tuesday elections.

“He’s changed course, but he let the fox in the hen house,” Aspenlieder said, pointing out that Republican efforts to change the 2005 legislation have been vetoed by Schweitzer.

Aspenlieder said the biggest challenge for himself and other secretary of state candidates is establishing name recognition. But he said he’s been getting around the state, frequently visiting places that will be important in the Republican primary election.

“The Flathead is critical in a Republican primary,” he said. “If it’s not number one, it’s right behind Yellowstone County.”

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