is the cornerstone to a productive economy. Education is important not
only for our children but to our entire society. A good education
provides the building blocks to being a productive, successful member of
society and improves our communities for everyone. We need to provide sufficient
funding to fund education from preschool through adulthood, ensuring our
children have access to a premier education and that job-retraining
opportunities are available for adults when needed.
Environment and conservation: Our
environment in Montana is one of our most cherished assets. We need
to work to protect the environment so that our children may enjoy the same
wonderful environment and outdoor recreational opportunities, including hiking,
camping, hunting, and fishing, that we have. We must conserve
our lands and preserve access to our lands and rivers. Global
climate change is a proven scientific fact that we need to address through our
policies and legislation in order to maintain the natural beauty and resources
that make Montana so special.
live in times where we need to explore new sources of energy. We must
ensure the energy we are using is safe, affordable, reliable, and
environmentally conscientious. We need to promote energy sources that are efficient, renewable, and do not harm our environment. Business and job
growth has high potential with energy because of the challenges we are facing
in our changing energy economy and the technological advances we are making in
this area. Innovative technologies will promote both energy growth and
economic growth through the new employment opportunities that are possible.
Jobs and economic growth: We
must use our legislative policies to promote job creation and growth, exploring
ways to grow our economy into the future and focusing on new employment
sectors. Legislative policies should encourage sustainable business
practices to benefit all Montanans. The rights of workers must not be
marginalized and degraded by our policies.
people enjoy the rights to dignity and equality. All people should be
treated equally regardless of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, or sexual
orientation. Montana's policies must be focused on promoting equality for
Public safety: All
individuals are entitled to live in a safe community where they trust that they
will be protected from crimes. If they are the victim of a crime,
they deserve to be protected by our laws and assured that the person who perpetrated
the crime will be held accountable. Rehabilitation and reintegration
of offenders, when appropriate, must also be provided for to create a safe
community. Our laws must provide for the protection of everybody, from
the youngest infant to the most elderly among us.
Government and fiscal responsibility:
The government is created by the people and works for
the people. We must guarantee that our government represents the will of
the people and works for their common good. Our public resources should
be utilized to promote the public good in a fiscally responsible manner so
that we do not waste valuable public resources.