Montana

Q&A: Jon Tester, Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate

Published

2 years ago

May 15, 2024

Q&A: Jon Tester, Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate

We are gathering information from all statewide candidates as a resource for the 2024 Primary Elections. Responses were limited to 200 words per question. Political attacks may have been removed, but otherwise, the responses are published unedited.

What is your full name as it will appear on ballots?

Jon Tester

What is your age?

Where do you live?

Big Sandy, MT

What is your education background?

College of Great Falls, Bachelor of Science in Music

Please list your current and previous occupations.

U.S. Senator, dirt farmer, music teacher for Big Sandy public schools

What motivated you to seek a seat in the U.S Senate?

Simply put, the Montana we know and love is changing. Everything from housing to groceries is more expensive as out-of-state multimillionaires move here and buy up our land, using Montana as their personal playground.

It’s putting a strain on everything – on prices, on our local infrastructure, on our towns and our parks and our public lands. With so much changing, we’ve got to have somebody in the Senate who’s willing to fight for our Montana way of life.

I still farm the land just outside of Big Sandy that my grandparents homesteaded more than 100 years ago. I feel those changes that are going on in Montana right now, every day.

Montana needs somebody back in Washington, DC who understands rural America. Someone who fights for our freedoms and goes to bat for our veterans, our family farms and ranches, our working families, our health care workers and our teachers. I’m running to keep up the fight for those folks, and to make sure our kids and grandkids can grow up in the same Montana we know and love. Montana is the greatest state in the greatest country in the world and it’s damn sure not for sale.

What, if anything, should the Senate do to address the federal deficit?

The deficit is out of control and both parties are to blame. In Montana, we know how to balance a budget and live within our means. That is why I authored a balanced budget proposal. It would protect Social Security and Medicare benefits that our seniors have earned while still forcing the federal government to stop racking up the debt and passing it along to our kids and grandkids. We also need to hold massive corporations accountable and make them pay their fair share.

Yes or no, do you support a federal ban on abortion?

NO.

Montanans of all stripes don’t want the federal government telling them what to do, and they don’t want politicians or judges stripping away their personal freedoms. Just last year, politicians in Montana ignored the voices of the voters and passed abortion bans. I opposed these bans and will always fight to protect Montana women’s freedom to make their own health care decisions.

What, if anything, should the Senate do to address climate change?

There is no question about it, climate change is impacting our economy and our way of life. Sharla and I see these impacts firsthand on our farm, where significant droughts have led to some of the toughest harvests in recent years. Wildfire seasons burn longer and more intensely, and taxpayers are stuck with the bill, paying untold billions of dollars to rebuild after extreme weather events.

We should be developing clean energy technologies to tackle climate change, create good-paying American jobs, and secure our energy independence, and Montana has the opportunity to lead the way. China is actively working to beat America in the clean energy sector in hope of taking over as the world’s strongest economy. We can’t afford to lose this competition. That’s why we should invest directly in Montana companies researching next-generation energy technologies that are affordable and lower costs for consumers. And my Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill secured investments to update our energy grids to prevent and protect against wildfire. Traditional energy sources like oil and gas remain a critical part of how we power our country, so we need to continue to invest in development of technologies like carbon capture and storage to reduce carbon emissions.

What changes, if any, should be made to the way elections and campaigns are funded?

Elected leaders should work for the people, not those who can cut the biggest check. It’s way past time to kick dark money out of politics. We should have done it yesterday.

The Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision was disastrous. It flooded our elections with mind-boggling amounts of money and made a mess of our democracy. Since then, I’ve fought to overturn that decision with my “Corporations Are Not People” constitutional amendment, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to join me in making sure hardworking Montanans, not massive corporations and out-of-state billionaires, get to pick their elected officials.

I will also continue fighting for better transparency in campaign finance, like my Sunlight for Unaccountable Non-profits (SUN) Act, which would take huge strides towards eliminating dark money by requiring the IRS to publicly disclose donors who give over $5,000 to certain tax-exempt groups engaging in political activity.

Hardworking Montanans should be the ones deciding their elections, not out-of-state special interest groups. I will always defend the voices of Montanans and put them first.

What, if anything, should the Senate do to improve the nation’s immigration laws and security at the southern border?

What’s happening on the southern border is unacceptable, and dedicating more manpower and resources is crucial to keeping Montanans safe.

That’s why I’ve called on President Biden to step up and do everything in his power to secure the border, and it’s why I supported a strong bipartisan deal to get our border under control earlier this year. This bipartisan bill would have hired more border patrol agents, cracked down on the fentanyl crisis, and tightened asylum standards – that’s why it received the strong endorsement of the National Border Patrol Council. Unfortunately, many of my colleagues decided to play politics and voted to keep the border open for another year so they could campaign on the issue.

I have been talking with Montanans, sheriffs, and mayors across the state, they all are feeling the consequences of the situation at the southern border, from stretched law enforcement budgets to fentanyl in the communities. I was proud that my bipartisan FEND Off Fentanyl Act passed to place sanctions on countries engaged in international trafficking of illegal fentanyl and give law enforcement the resources they need to battle the fentanyl crisis.

What, if anything, should the Senate do to ensure Social Security and Medicare benefits meet the needs of older adults?

I will never cut Social Security and Medicare. Full stop. For many older Montanans, Social Security is their only source of retirement income, and Medicare is their only way to access affordable life-saving health care. These are essential benefits that Montanans have spent their entire lives paying into, and I will always fight to ensure these benefits are protected – not just for today’s seniors but for all of Montana’s future generations.

There are some politicians who want to end Social Security or cut those benefits. I oppose any plan to do so. I will also stand tough against any plan to privatize Medicare, because our seniors have paid into that their whole lives and should be able to rely on it. I was also proud to pass legislation that allowed Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices – including capping the price of insulin for seniors at $35/month – and I will fight to ensure that Montana’s nursing homes stay open and fully-staffed. Montana’s seniors can count on me to defend their hard-earned health care benefits.

What should be the top priority when managing public land?

As a lifelong Montanan, I know our public lands are foundational to our way of life and to our state’s economy. You don’t need to be a millionaire to hunt, fish, or hike in these treasured landscapes, because they belong to all of us. Our public lands play a key role for ranchers looking to graze their cattle, or local sawmills in need of timber to harvest. That is why I oppose the call from some politicians who have said they want to transfer our public lands, which would make it easier to sell our wide open spaces off to the highest bidder.

Montana has a long history of local collaboratives working together to improve management of our public lands. I worked with Montanans to protect special places like the Rocky Mountain Front, Glacier National Park, and the Gateway to Yellowstone National Park. I am also incredibly proud to have secured full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and it’s because of that work that conservation and recreation priorities for Montana’s public lands will be funded for generations to come. And I will continue to fight for bills like the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act to protect thousands of acres of public lands for future generations.

What, if anything, would you do if elected to build trust in the Senate?

When I first ran for U.S. Senate, I made a promise to Montanans that I would go above and beyond on ethics and transparency and work for them – not special interest groups.

Every day since, I’ve worked tirelessly to uphold that promise. The first thing I did was post my Senate schedule online for all Montanans to see. I was the first Senator to do this and still do it to this day – unfortunately, I’m one of the only U.S. senators who does. So I’ve introduced a bill to make that mandatory for all of my colleagues, because the American people deserve to know who their elected officials are meeting with.

I’m also fighting to crack down on lobbyist influence. I’m working to shut the revolving door by banning members of Congress from becoming lobbyists – ever. And I routinely invite retired Montana judges to conduct a voluntary ethics audits of my office, to ensure my office and I meet the high standards we set for ourselves. I think all of my colleagues should join me.

Like most Montanans, I believe a handshake means something and our word is our bond. That’s how trust in the Senate should be built – by earning it.

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Montana

Montana delegation backs bill to release wilderness study areas

Published

1 hour ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Montana delegation backs bill to release wilderness study areas

Laura Lundquist

(Missoula Current) Most of Montana’s Congressional delegation is once again sponsoring a bill to remove three study areas from consideration as designated wilderness.

On Wednesday, Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy and Rep. Troy Downing reintroduced Daines’ “Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act,” which would remove three wilderness study areas from wilderness consideration, releasing them to be managed as regular federal land. Rep. Ryan Zinke was not listed as a sponsor.

Two areas – the 11,580-acre Wales Creek and the 11,380-acre Hoodoo wilderness study areas managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management – are 40 to 50 miles east of Missoula in the Garnet Range north of Interstate 90. The third area, the much larger Middle Fork Judith wilderness study area, is around 81,000 acres managed by the U.S. Forest Service in the Little Belt Mountains southeast of Great Falls.

Daines previously introduced the Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act in 2023, but it was never heard in committee. Now, he’s bringing it forward again, and he explained his strangely titled bill in a press release Wednesday.

“As a lifelong sportsman, increasing access to Montana’s great outdoors is one of my top priorities. The ‘Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act’ promotes our outdoor way of life by returning restrictive WSA’s to general public land management, which will improve wildlife habitat restoration, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, and unlock better access to public land,” Daines said in the release.

It should be noted that neither hunting nor fishing are prohibited in wilderness study areas. In the past, sportsmen’s organizations have opposed the wholesale elimination of wilderness study areas. However, some have indicated they are considering the Wales Creek and Hoodoo areas could serve as political sacrifices to save other areas.

The wildfire risk in the Hoodoo area was significantly reduced this summer after the Windy Rock Fire burned a majority of the area.

Daines first proposed a similar bill – the Protect Public Use of Public Lands Act – in 2018 to release five Forest Service wilderness study areas, including the Middle Fork Judith. Former Rep. Greg Gianforte joined him but increased the number of wilderness study areas on the chopping block to 29, including those under BLM management. Both politicians had based their legislation off feedback from a select group of conservative counties and user groups, including the Montana Stockgrowers Association and the Montana Snowmobile Association. Other organizations protested the bills and the lack of transparency during the process.

This most recent bill is supported by the Montana Logging Association, Montana Snowmobiles Association, Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, Montana Farm Bureau Federation, Great Falls Bicycle Club and the Judith Basin and Powell county commissioners.

In 1976, the BLM established 38 wilderness study areas in Montana, including the Wales Creek and Hoodoo areas. In 1977, the Montana Wilderness Study Act set nine Forest Service study areas aside for wilderness consideration, including the Middle Fork Judith. Federal evaluations of the areas conducted during the 1980s concluded some areas, including the three being considered in the bill, weren’t suitable for wilderness designation.

This year’s bill cites the 2020 BLM Missoula Office Resource Management Plan as justification for eliminating the Wales Creek and Hoodoo wilderness study areas. The plan said the two areas were unsuitable for wilderness designation.

However, the plan was not developed during “a 5-year collaborative process,” as the bill claims, but under the direction of the first Trump administration, which ignored a lot of public comments made during scoping. The three resource management plans for Missoula, Lewistown and Miles City were scheduled to be released to the public in late 2018, but they were delayed when the three offices were required to send the drafts to Washington, D.C., for review and revision. When they were returned and published in May 2019, all three draft plans heavily emphasized natural resources extraction.

A Pew Charitable Trust review of six BLM resource management plans drafted in 2019 found all “would fail to conserve lands that the agency’s own research has deemed worthy of protection; cut decades-old safeguards; minimally protect a fraction of 1% of the areas found to contain wilderness characteristics; and open vast swaths of public lands to energy and mineral development.”

Several Montana conservation organizations protested the Montana plans, including Wild Montana and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. When the draft plans were finalized in early 2020, some changes had been made to cater to sportsmen, but resource extraction still dominated. The Missoula Office’s new objective was to “produce the greatest quantities of forest products from vegetation restoration activities.”

The 2020 plans created a new designation – backcountry conservation area – that allows resource extraction but prioritizes the long-term maintenance of big game populations for hunting. The Missoula plan proposes to manage its three wilderness study areas as wilderness unless Congress releases them. Then, if Daines’ bill passes, portions of the wilderness study areas would become backcountry conservation areas: a 6,100-acre Hoodoos BCA and a 2,365-acre Wales BCA, according to the plan. The remainder of each area is open to any and all uses.

During the 2025 Legislature, the Senate Energy, Technology, and Federal Relations Committee voted 9-4 against a resolution calling on Congress to remove protection from Montana’s wilderness study areas. More than 3,300 Montanans signed a petition opposing the bill and supporting local solutions for study area management.

Some anticipate that more roads will invade wilderness study areas once they’re no longer protected. Zach Angstead, Wild Montana federal policy director, said Daines has countered those claims by saying the areas will still be protected under the Roadless Rule. But now, the Trump administration is on the verge of repealing the Roadless Rule, so that level of protection could disappear. And Daines strongly supports repeal of the Roadless Rule, according to a Dec. 5 email from a Daines spokesperson to the Flathead Beacon.

“Sen. Daines’ push to remove (wilderness study area) protections and roll back the Roadless Rule show that this isn’t about better local management – it’s about opening Montana’s public lands up to large-scale development to benefit corporations, not Montanans,” Angstead said in a statement. “Managing (wilderness study areas) properly requires local collaborative solutions developed by the people who know these places best. The people and the legislature have made it clear that Daines needs to give up this unpopular crusade to undermine and dismantle public lands and start taking his cues from real people who have been working to shape the future of (wilderness study areas).”

Contact reporter Laura Lundquist at lundquist@missoulacurrent.com.

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Montana

Rare emergency alert issued as destructive windstorm batters Montana

Published

13 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Rare emergency alert issued as destructive windstorm batters Montana

The National Weather Service in Great Falls issued a rare civil emergency message on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, as a destructive windstorm pummeled Montana from one end of the state to the other, with some of the strongest gusts recorded in central Montana.

The weather service expected wind gusts greater than 90 mph in Pondera, Teton, and Lewis & Clark counties, prompting the emergency alert that activated the wireless emergency alert system to send warnings directly to cellphones.

Rare emergency alert issued as destructive windstorm batters Montana

“It can be used for weather or non-weather reasons. The primary reason why we deployed it today was to activate the wireless emergency alert system – WEA. That will allow these alerts to go to a person’s cellphone to take immediate action,” said Maura Casey, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The civil emergency message was the first issued by the weather service since December 2020, during a similar wind and dust storm between Great Falls and Havre. The National Weather Service coordinates with county emergency managers to decide when to issue this rare alert.

What made Wednesday’s event particularly widespread was its prolonged nature and the strength of the accompanying cold front.

“This belt of wind came from the west and with how strong the cold front was accompanying it, it was able to reach down to the surface. What makes this event unique is it’s more of a prolonged wind event. It’s the entire day that we’re experiencing these strong winds,” Casey said.

The windstorm didn’t just hit the plains. Some typically protected mountain valleys experienced destructive wind gusts, with 70 to 80 mph gusts recorded in the Helena and Gallatin valleys.

“The more complex topography make it a little bit difficult south of Great Falls. In this case, because we had that belt of winds that came right over Helena and Bozeman – they essentially had a closer access to that wind,” Casey said.

The powerful winds toppled semi trucks and trees across the region, and knocked out electricity to tens of thousands of people across the state.

Windstorm damage across Montana

The destructive winds stem from an extremely active weather pattern that has been pummeling the Pacific Northwest with flooding rains, heavy mountain snow and high winds.

“We remain in the same very active Pacific weather pattern. While we have high confidence – maybe not as strong as today- but we will get more wind events in the coming weeks,” Casey said.

The weather service recommends staying prepared by keeping up with the latest forecast, especially given the active pattern that doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

This article has been lightly edited with the assistance of AI for clarity, syntax, and grammar.

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Montana

Real-Time Updates: Severe weather slams Western Montana Wednesday, Dec. 17

Published

1 day ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Real-Time Updates: Severe weather slams Western Montana Wednesday, Dec. 17

(Update 11:00 a.m.)

All lanes closed on US-93 near Evaro due to fallen trees.
All lanes closed on MT-200 east of Bonner due to fallen trees.

(Update 10:40 a.m.) The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office has issued an emergency wind and travel warning for the Bitterroot.

The warning states that “due to extreme winds, which are causing trees to fall into roadways and taking down power lines, as well as creating very dangerous driving conditions, the RCSO is advising that people not travel until the wind event decreases.”

High-profile vehicles should not travel in Ravalli County at this time.

Ravalli County 911 is also currently being overwhelmed with calls. Residents are asked to only report immediate emergencies to 911.

The Ravalli County Emergency Operations Center is open. To report non-emergent storm-related events in the Bitterroot, you’re asked to call the EOC at 406-375-6650.

(Update 10:15 a.m.) The reports of damage around Western Montana are rolling in Wednesday morning as thousands remain without power, especially in the northwestern corner.

As trees topple across the area, officials are urging travelers to use caution.

Trees have blocked access to several roads in the region. Here’s the road report as of 10 a.m.:

MT-35 is CLOSED from milepost 2.8 to 6
Southbound lanes are blocked on US-93 north of Somers due to a semi blow over
Tree down and blocking southbound lanes on US-93 near Ronan
Tree blocking all lanes on MT-35 east of Polson.
Power lines down blocking on lanes on US-2 west of Marion.
Severe driving conditions on US-12 from Lolo to Lolo Pass due to downed trees

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office issued a notice at 9:40 a.m. that the county is under emergency travel only.

To the south, the Missoula Police Department requested necessary travel only in the city.

The Frenchtown Rural Fire District put out a public service announcement asking people to stay home and off the roads.

Power outages are still impacting several areas of Western Montana too.

NorthWestern Energy’s outage map at 10:10 a.m. showed hundreds of customers were in the dark in Missoula, Mineral, and Sanders counties. Flathead Electric shows thousands of people without power in Flathead and Lincoln counties.

Traffic signals are out in the City of Kalispell. All intersections with dark stoplights must be treated as a 4-way stop.

Come to a complete stop
Take turns — first to stop goes first
Yield to pedestrians
Proceed slowly and cautiously

Kalispell’s popular Woodland Park is closed due to heavy winds and hazardous conditions.

The weather has closed the following schools for Wednesday (this list will be updated):

Clinton
Frenchtown
Libby
Marion
Noxon
Pleasant Valley
St. Regis
Superior
Troy
West Glacier

High winds tore off the roof of Jefferson School in Missoula. The school is not currently serving students.

Micah Hill / MCPS Superintendent

High winds tear the roof off Missoula’s Jefferson School

This article will be updated throughout the day. Please follow KPAX’s Facebook page for the latest information too.

(Update 9:45 a.m.)

MT-35 is CLOSED from milepost 2.8 to 6.
Southbound lanes are blocked on US-93 north of Somers due to a semi blow over.

(Update 9:15 a.m.) Montana Department of Transportation reporting several new incidents.

Tree down and blocking southbound lanes on US-93 near Ronan
Tree blocking all lanes on MT-35 east of Polson.
Power lines down blocking on lanes on US-2 west of Marion.
Severe driving conditions on US-12 from Lolo to Lolo Pass due to downed trees.

(Update 9:08 a.m.) Hazardous conditions are wreaking havoc across the City of Missoula causing the Missoula Police Department to ask the community to only travel if absolutely necessary.

In a press release at 9:10 a.m., MPD stated that high winds have created dangerous conditions, including reduced vehicle control, blowing debris, and the potential for downed trees and power lines.

If you cannot avoid traveling right now, you’re asked to:

Reduce speed
Be alert for debris in roadways
Watch for downed trees, power lines, and damaged traffic signals
Avoid parking near trees or unstable structures

Do not touch anything, including a tree, that may be in contact with power lines. If you see a downed power line, you’re asked to call NorthWestern Energy at 888-467-2669.

For emergencies, call 911. For non-emergency assistance, contact the Missoula Police Department at 406-552-6300.

(Update 9:03 a.m.) A MEANS alert for Missoula County for drivers to be cautious driving due to high winds, several hazards and extreme conditions.

(UPDATE 8:55 a.m.)
Frenchtown School District has cancelled school. Parents should pick up their student from the school to ensure they are supervised and safe as they transition back home. If parents are unable to pick students up, buses will run at 10:00 to return students home. Phones are also out at the South Campus.

(UPDATE: 8:28 a.m.) The storm is hitting Sanders County hard.

Just after 8 a.m., the Community Ambulance Service of W. Sanders Co. posted that power is out in parts of the area and that strong winds are creating extremely dangerous conditions.

Live power lines are across roads, there are reports of falling trees and debris, and some travel routes have become impassable.

Officials are telling people to not travel unless it’s absolutely necessary. School in Noxon has been canceled.

Meanwhile in Mineral County, St. Regis Schools and the Superior School District have also canceled classes.

Due to fallen power lines, Superior Schools will not send the buses back out.

School officials are asking families to pick up their students Wednesday morning. If you’re unable to do so, you’re asked to call Logan Labbe 406-822-2285 to make accommodations.

(1st Report – 8:20 a.m.) The strong Pacific cold front that is moving through Washington has now arrived in Western Montana Wednesday morning.

Power outages have already been reported all across Western Montana including the Interstate 90 corridor from Lookout Pass to Alberton and in Northwest Montana, thousands of residents are without power in the Libby and surrounding areas. For updates on outages check Northwestern Energy Outage map and Flathead Electric Co-Op outage viewers.

NWE Outage Map 12/17 — Power outages along Interstate 90 from St. Regis to Alberton, Wednesday 12/17 as of 8:00 a.m.

There is also reports of road hazards. According to the Montana Department of Transportation a powerline is down on Highway 56 near Noxon. Several trees are also down across Highway 56 between Troy and Noxon.

Interstate 90 westbound lanes at mm 15, west of Superior, are blocked due to downed trees.