Helena has spent years relying on "one-time" rebates, which act as a band-aid rather than a solution. I support permanent property tax reform that rebalances the tax code so that residential homeowners and seniors aren't carrying the burden while out-of-state corporations and the ultra-wealthy enjoy tax breaks. We need a system where families can afford to stay in the homes they have worked their whole lives to build.

Right now, the Public Service Commission (PSC) acts more like a rubber stamp for utility monopolies than a watchdog for consumers. I advocate for PSC reform that puts families before record-breaking corporate profits. Your utility bill shouldn't be a profit center for a monopoly; it should be an affordable service that reflects the needs of Montana families.

Many people don't realize that Medicaid is the glue that keeps our entire healthcare system affordable. When the state cuts Medicaid, it forces local hospitals and clinics to shift those costs onto everyone else, which drives up private insurance premiums. I support protecting Medicaid expansion as a way to stop this "hidden tax" on middle-class families and ensure our local healthcare facilities remain open and accessible for everyone.

Technology is moving faster than our laws, leaving our families vulnerable to new kinds of predators. I support passing AI Accountability laws that treat a digital crime just as seriously as a physical one. This includes protecting your "Digital Likeness"—your voice and image—from being stolen by scammers and requiring that AI-generated content be clearly disclosed. It’s about "locking the digital door" so that our seniors and families are safe from fraud and identity theft.

In Helena, politicians love to pass "consequence" laws—punishing people after a problem has already spiraled out of control. I believe we should ask why problems are happening in the first place. Whether it’s finding unexpected ways to solve a school policy issue or building relationships with neighbors to keep our streets safe, my goal is to address root causes so we can build a community that actually fits our needs.

A budget has two sides, what we spend and what we bring in, and Helena talks about only one of them. I focus on who pays and on the dollars we leave on the table. I support closing the loopholes that let out-of-state owners and large operations pay a smaller share than Heights families do, asking the largest investment gains to pay a fair share the way a paycheck already does, and protecting Montana's tradition of no sales tax, which falls hardest on the folks who can least afford it. I also want to bring home the federal dollars we already pay for. That's how we fund our priorities while protecting the family budget at the kitchen table.