HD11 candidates talk business and education
The race for House District 11 pits Republican Derek Skees who wants to stimulate the economy and reduce government spending, against Democrat Eileen Bech who wants to make sure public lands remain open to the public, that the state has a quality public education system and that both parties work together for the benefit of Montanans.
Skees is a consultant who previously served in the 2011 legislative session as the representative for House District 4, which covered the Whitefish area.
He lost in an election bid for the position of Montana Auditor in 2012.
“I really, really got the bug for what’s wrong in Montana,” Skees said of the 2012 campaign and the opportunity to meet people across the state.
Skees said creating a climate that is conducive for business is one of his top priorities. He said many people’s children don’t stick around after they graduate because of the limited job market.
“To seek gainful employment that you can raise a family on, they have to leave Montana,” Skees said. “Basically, there’s just a lot of things that we do wrong that we need to do right.”
Skees wants to reform state tax policy to lessen the financial burden that he believes is currently put on senior citizens. Many seniors “have the choice of prescription drugs or taxes or groceries,” because they live on a limited income, according to Skees.
“We tax pensions which is insane,” Skees said. “That income has already been taxed.”
Skees is concerned about the tax rates for properties on Flathead Lake. Some of the properties have been in families for generations, Skees pointed out.
“The tax values of some of those lots are just insane,” Skees said.
He wants to give taxpayers a break and he said he believes that reigning in spending will be the biggest challenge in the next legislative session.
“I think the biggest challenge is to rein in this growth of government,” Skees said.
He expressed concern that the state has dipped into its “rainy day” fund in the past year to help cover state expenses.
“They have grown state government and spent money at a large rate,” Skees said. “Our democratic governor loves to spend money. There isn’t a program he doesn’t like.”
In addition to stimulating the economy and reforming taxes, Skees said he is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment and is endorsed by the National Rifle Association, Montana Family Foundation and the Montana Shooting Sports Association.
DEMOCRAT Eileen Bech is a retired schoolteacher and homemaker who wants to serve in the Legislature because she wants “to provide an option for those people who believe as I do, that Montana needs to assert its longstanding priorities of quality public education and healthy public lands available to all of us.”
Bech said education is one of her top priorities, though she is aware that some of the state’s budgetary constraints might limit the types of programs that are offered. One of the perennial topics of discussion in the Legislature is whether the state should offer a public pre-kindergarten program. Montana is one of five states that does not currently have a state-funded pre-K program.
Bech said pre-K has shown to give students from disadvantaged backgrounds equal footing in a school setting, but that there are also funding issues in other parts of the education system.
“I’m also very concerned about the other end of the spectrum and the considerable reduction in our state support for college tuition. We need both.”
Bech also cites cost as a major reason federal public lands should not be transferred to state control.
“We can’t afford it,” Bech said. “We can’t afford to maintain the roads. We can’t afford the fire protection.”
Bech said she believes the state taking over public lands would be a precursor to the state realizing that it can’t afford the upkeep and then selling them off.
Bech said she does believe voters should urge Congress to adequately fund public land maintenance.
On the issues of possibly raising minimum wage and the state of Montana’s budget surplus, Bech said she doesn’t have enough information to weigh in just yet.
“I certainly believe in rainy day funds,” Bech said. “I believe it’s important for any budget to have a buffer.”
She is also concerned about the wage disparities in the state, but would have to hear a specific proposal detailed in the session before giving an opinion.
“The devil’s in the details,” she said.
Bech also said she wants to work with other legislators for the benefit of Montanans.
“I wanted to see a legislative process that takes us forward together, rather than one marked by confrontation,” Bech said.
ABSENTEE BALLOTS will be mailed Oct. 14 and must be returned by Election Day on Nov. 8.
Information about voter registration, absentee ballot applications and a sample ballot are available on the Flathead County Election Department website at flathead.mt.gov/election.
Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.