Letters to the editor May 26
Sprunger supports law enforcement
As sheriff of Flathead County, it is both my honor and responsibility to support leaders who share our community’s values and are dedicated to ensuring its safety and well-being. That’s why I am pleased to support Rep. Courtenay Sprunger in her bid for re-election to serve Montana House District 7.
As multi-generational residents of Kalispell, Courtenay and I share a deep understanding of the fabric that makes up this community — and what will be required to ensure Kalispell remains recognizable in the years to come. While there are many issues to address, top of the list is tackling crime in the Flathead Valley.
Last session, Courtenay’s law enforcement legislative packed a punch and it’s making a difference. Key among her efforts last session include HB 791, which ensures mandatory jail time for fentanyl traffickers and HB 790, known as “Emily’s Law,” which enhances safety measures for survivors of domestic abuse.
In addition, she sponsored and passed HB 256, a law that allows trained and vetted law enforcement volunteers to be armed while serving their community, something that the law did not allow prior to passage of this bill. In the Flathead Valley, members of the Flathead Valley Sheriff’s Posse, who donate approximately 10,000 hours per year, will now be appropriately armed while protecting our community thanks to Courtenay’s advocacy.
Courtenay has earned my respect because she does the work and keeps her word. Her commitment to serving the people of Montana and her support of law enforcement is unwavering.
As we continue to battle soaring crime rates in the Flathead, it is crucial to have leaders like Courtenay who understand our community and are willing to dig deep to keep it safe. Please join me in supporting Courtenay Sprunger’s re-election bid.
— Brian Heino, Kalispell
Hard-working Matt Regier
I am writing to express my support for the current Montana House Speaker Matt Regier for the Senate District 5 race. Matt is an intelligent, hardworking, principled and passionate legislator for the Flathead Valley.
I have watched as Matt was asked to chair the appropriations subcommittee on the largest and most complicated portion of the Montana state budget, Section B for the Department of Health and Human Services. Matt took this chairmanship and put his nose to the grindstone and worked hard to learn, understand and master the subject matter. During that session, I learned how hard of a worker Matt was for the people of Montana.
Now, Matt is the current Speaker of the Montana House, elected by his peers to lead them. And lead them he did, Matt earned the respect of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. His leadership and fairness to all members of the chamber were invaluable.
Matt is a champion for conservative causes – life, the Second Amendment, freedom and the entrepreneurial spirit, because he is one.
Don’t buy the negative campaigning that’s out there. Matt is the guy who has your best interest and that of Montana at heart. Vote Regier.
— Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila
Tracy a trusted public servant
The most valuable gifts in our lifetime are those we love. As mothers, ours are our children. Their health, happiness, education, and safety are of high importance. When they are out of our care, and in the care of their school, we place all our trust in the individuals the school has entrusted them to.
Living in a more rural area of Montana, school bus transportation to and from school is valuable. There is always concern whenever anyone travels the highways of Montana, including via the school bus. As first-year bus riders, our children have been blessed with a superb bus driver and person.
Rob Tracy has been an attentive individual when it comes to the children’s safety, plus he is professional, communicates, is liked by the children, and a genuine person to us all. His dedication to the kids is proven time and time again, beginning with his first concern of safety by advocating for seatbelts inside buses and having extended 6 1/2 foot stop arms on the outside. He went as far as testifying to help sign a law requiring all Montana school buses to have an extended stop arm, which has saved kids’ lives.
He makes riding the bus a pleasant experience and always has a kind word with a wave for us at the bus stop.
Rob Tracy, candidate for House District 11, continues to give his time, energy, and a lot of thought to his community and future generations. We are lucky to have him both in and working for our community.
— Kate Averill and Reno Wenz, Bigfork
Pack of RINOs
Don’t be fooled by the PAC of liberals calling themselves Conservatives4MT sending out post cards attacking our well known conservative Republicans. This PAC is nothing more than a liberal pack of RINOs.
A little research on this PAC shows they raised around $180,000. Dark money PACs including Guarantee PAC out of Washington D.C. and the MHA PAC State Fund out of Helena, donated the majority of the money to this PAC. MHA stands for Montana Hospital Association. The PAC also received $25,000 from well known Flathead County RINO Bruce Tutvedt.
Instead of attacking actual conservatives, this liberal PAC of RINOs should join all of us to get rid of Sen. Jon Tester and President Joe Biden and their radical agenda that is destroying our country right before our eyes. The Tester-Biden disastrous border invasion, inflation, out of-control spending, war on energy and attacks on women’s sports is destroying our country.
Please reject liberal Conservatives4MT PAC pack of RINOs. Vote for true conservatives in the primary, which include Matt Regier for SD 5; Steven Kelly for HD 9; Braxton Mitchell for HD 5, and Ed Byrne for HD 11. Also please join me and thousands and thousands of Montanans in rejecting Tester and Biden and their radical liberal agenda.
— Jeff H. Larsen, Lakeside