Republican the only contender in House District 12 race

Greg Hertz is an experienced businessman — he’s the president and chief executive officer of a company that oversees numerous grocery stores in the area — and said he plans on using that background to move Montana’s economy in the right direction.

Hertz, of Polson, is a lifelong Montana resident and was elected to the House of Representatives in 2012. His interests for the 2015 legislative session include fair and accurate property tax reappraisals, reductions to property and business taxes, encouraging agricultural growth and changing Montana’s tax structure to be competitive with surrounding states, among other issues. He also values quality education and the passing of a water compact that is fair and respects private property rights.

Oddly, Hertz looks to be a shoo-in for the House District 12 seat. William McLaughlin of Polson is listed on the Democratic ticket, but McLaughlin told the Inter Lake that the Democratic Party asked him to file as a placeholder to keep the seat open for the election, pending an interested candidate. McLaughlin said he’s running a “front porch campaign” and has not responded to any questions or accepted or spent any campaign funds. He declined to answer questions relating to the election.

House District 12 includes areas of both Flathead and Lake counties, including Polson and areas surrounding the southern part of Flathead Lake.

“Many Lake County residents rely on our water rights in order to operate businesses, create jobs, feed our nation, and continue our way of life,” Hertz said. “We need a water compact with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes that is fair to all parties, respects private property rights, and doesn’t leave our farmers and ranchers high and dry.”

Like many Republican candidates, Hertz is not in favor of expanding the state’s Medicaid program, saying he is unwilling to support it until it can be reformed. “Expansion of existing Medicaid is a short-term solution to a long-term problem,” he said. Hertz says that if Montana is to reform Medicaid, it will need to request waivers from the federal government, but that “the government’s ‘one-size-fits-all’ solutions do not work.

“What may work in New York does not always work in rural Montana,” he said. He noted some options for the state to pursue, such as working with local providers to establish or expand low-income clinic usage, the use of home-based services for long-term care patients, and using co-pays, penalties and incentives to help patients choose the best usage of their medical care. “Until Medicaid is reformed, it would be irresponsible for Montana to expand the program.”

Regarding the push to have the management of some federal forest lands transferred to the state, Hertz said that Montana has a proven track record in the management of state lands. “I believe it would be in the best interest of Montana to have a more significant role in federal land management,” he said, adding “I do not support selling or privatizing our public lands.”

Reporter Brittany Brevik can be reached at 758-4459 or by email at bbrevik@dailyinterlake.com.