Defending freedom and reviving the economy

Defend freedom and revive the economy. As a freshman legislator these were the main goals I brought into the pressure cooker known as Montana’s 63rd Legislative session. A few weeks in, I placed a large note in front of my seat in the Senate Chamber that said, “Remember why you’re here.” It was a good reminder to stick to the basics.

Most of us worked very hard to repeal bad laws, write good laws, hear testimony on nearly every subject under the sun, debate some 1,000 pieces of legislation, and hammer out Montana’s multi-billion dollar state budget. Of course opinions varied widely, so a lot of good work did not survive the gauntlet.

Through it all, I was determined to stay focused on you, the average Montanan who just wants a government that is fair and functional. With a diverse legislature and a Democrat Governor holding veto power, I concentrated my freshman efforts on three things: learn the ropes, stay true to my word, and build bi-partisan support for the things I thought would help Montana.

It worked. Rare for any law, let alone a freshman, I received 100% approval for my first bill. While it may seem insignificant to some, this was a vital step toward reversing erosion of the American doctrine we know as “innocent until proven guilty.” SB 121 successfully struck down a prior law that presumes the private party is at fault if uncertainty arises in a contract with a government entity. If you ever stand accused of something you didn’t do, no matter how large or small, you will undoubtedly appreciate such efforts to preserve the “innocent until proven guilty” doctrine. We have a lot more work to do in this area.

My second and third bills also received broad support, but three real good ones failed. More on those another time. Thankfully SJ 15, one of my top priorities, did very well. SJ 15 authorizes a state study of federal land management, including a full assessment of problems associated with management of USFS and BLM lands, and a wide variety of solutions that can be implemented to remedy those problems. It was amazing to see sixty legislators, from both sides of the aisle, sign as co-sponsors. The bill flew through the House and Senate with 86% overall approval! I have been appointed to the legislative committee that will implement SJ 15 and explore every possible way to improve public land management within Montana. Establishing a logical, balanced approach to this issue will be a tremendous benefit to our economy, environment, and the way of life we love.

There were many other bills I worked on and I know some of this article is repetitive. You’ll be hearing more about other successes, and failures, as well as continuing efforts via legislative interim committees.

My interim appointments include WPIC, EQC, LCRG, and WIRL. The Water Policy Interim Committee (WPIC) addresses water rights issues in Montana; Environmental Quality Council (EQC) has oversight of our state Department of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Quality, and Fish, Wildlife & Parks; the Legislative Council on River Governance (LCRG) is a four state council associated with natural resource and river governance in the Columbia and Snake River Basins. Finally, Women in Republican Leadership (WIRL) is comprised of all of Montana’s female Republican legislators which now number more than we have ever had in state history. This is a volunteer organization, and I am pleased to serve as President of this group which stands strong for Montana families, jobs, and freedom.

It will be a busy summer. You can reach me at sen.jfielder@legmt.gov

Senator Jennifer Fielder

Montana State Senate - District 7