Gianforte touts successes, gathers feedback at Plains stop

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte kicked off his 56 county tour last week in Western Montana, stopping in Plains on Thursday at the Butcher’s Nook.

Butcher’s Nook owner Daniel Kauffman was surprised to be notified that the governor was going to meet with 20 local small business owners and local officials for lunch at his establishment. Among the attendees were Sanders County Commissioner Dan Rowan, Plains Mayor Chris Allen, Sanders County Sheriff Shawn Fielders, and state Sen. Bob Brown. Business owners and managers were asked to attend a give the governor input.

Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort general manager Dinise Moreth, as well as outfitter Cody Carr, each gave their perspectives and concerns to the governor.

The lunch group discussed ways to increase the supply of affordable workforce housing, the importance of active forest management, and income and property tax relief for Montanans.

Gianforte commented, “Whether in a big town like Bozeman or a small town like Plains, housing is a top priority for Montanans. We’ll continue to deliver solutions to make housing more affordable and attainable for hardworking families. I want to get out of Helena and meet Montanans.”

Gianforte said he signed over 800 bills from this year’s legislative session, providing tax relief for business owners and residents. Gianforte said other legislation he approved is aimed at shortening the permitting process for new subdivisions.

Sheriff Fielders expressed his concerns about the shortage of new individuals being hired into the law enforcement profession, adding that, “More law enforcement people are leaving than entering."

Fielders also asked the governor about creating a mobile law enforcement training program to help reduce expenses that small counties have with sending personnel to a central training location.

Outfitter Cody Carr expressed his concerns with keeping public lands open for public use. He said that as more large tracts of land are being purchased by out-of-state entities, some public tracts are becoming inaccessible.

Gianforte was asked about his family values during the luncheon. He spoke about coming to Montana with a master’s in computer science and starting a business in Bozeman creating high paying jobs for the area. He also said that he donates his entire salary to charity.

Gianforte said his goals as governor are good paying jobs for Montanans, keeping the government out of the way and to protect the First and Second Amendment rights for all Montanans.

When asked about his greatest accomplishment for this legislative session, he said, “We enacted the largest tax cut in Montana history and put money back into people’s pockets.”