When the state pays for a road, a school, or a public building, we are spending money that Montana families earned. The people who build that project should be Montana workers, paid a fair wage, doing work that lasts. That is the value we get for our own dollars, and it is why I am honored to have the endorsement of the Montana AFL-CIO.

A few things make that happen. Prevailing wage keeps public projects from becoming a race to the bottom on pay, which protects both the workers and the quality of the work. Project Labor Agreements bring order and skill to big jobs, and Montana should give communities the freedom to use them. Local hiring keeps the paychecks here, circulating through our own stores and neighborhoods.

Underneath all of it is a simple principle. Working people deserve the freedom to organize, to bargain together, and to earn a living that supports a family. That freedom built the Montana middle class, and it is worth defending.

This is a Montana idea, plain and simple. Independence, responsibility, and a fair shot for the people who do the work are values I hear at doors across this district, from folks in both parties. A good job that supports a family is something we can all get behind.

I will carry that to Helena.

Help us build a campaign worthy of that trust at smithformontana.com/donate