Montana Democrats have spent the final two years providing concepts that spend money on our state’s households, communities, and economic system. We’ve options to spend money on inexpensive housing, increase entry to little one care, prepare the employees that small companies want, defend our privateness on-line, and let ag producers defend themselves in opposition to out-of-state firms.

Regardless of our efforts to achieve throughout the aisle, Republicans have ignored these options, focusing as an alternative on magnifying D.C., scare techniques that don’t have anything to do with Montana, Montanans or what Montana Democrats really assist. It’s an previous playbook that they mud off each two years. You might set your clock to it.

They hope that whilst you’re working to pay lease or discover little one care, you received’t discover that they’re pushing to lift your taxes. Final 12 months, Republicans voted to present large tax giveaways to the extremely wealthy–a lot of whom are transferring right here from out of state–whereas tucking in a tax hike on over 85,000 working Montanans. And it received’t cease there, with their bosses in D.C., pledging to lift your taxes even additional in the event that they take management of Congress–it’s one of many central planks of their reelection platform.

The remainder of that platform is constructed on pushing the buttons of no matter subject is entrance and heart within the tradition conflict in the present day. They suppose that in the event that they make you offended, you received’t discover how hole their rhetoric is, how devoid of options their get together is, and the way onerous they’re working to undermine the values that Montanans depend on to strengthen our households and construct our communities.

Not like the Montana GOP, Montana Democrats don’t take orders from D.C. That’s as a result of we have now options of our personal, based mostly on the data that working households make Montana the place we love, not simply rich folks and massive firms that see our state as their playground. We need to construct a stronger Montana, the place each Montanan can afford to maintain a contented and wholesome household. We need to defend a Montana the place everybody has the appropriate to dwell in a thriving and protected group. We need to create an economic system the place each Montanan could make a superb residing within the communities they select.

That’s the Montana that Democrats consider in, and that’s the long run that we’re combating for. That’s the Montana envisioned by our state’s Structure, however proper now that future is in jeopardy, due to the Montana GOP. Don’t simply take our phrase for it; they’ve mentioned themselves that the Montana Structure is a “rag” that they need to “throw out” in the event that they get the possibility. That “rag” is what protects our proper to privateness; our proper to a top quality public schooling; our proper to a clear authorities; our proper to a wholesome atmosphere; our elementary proper to vote. These are the essential liberties that our households, communities, and economic system rely upon. Over the past 12 months and a half, with management of the state Legislature, the Governor’s Workplace, and the 4 different government places of work, Republicans have put these liberties on the chopping block.

Constructing a stronger Montana will take creativity, compromise, and a concentrate on the larger image. Whereas Republicans are chasing each flash-in-the-pan distraction, we’re right here with concepts about methods to tamp down runaway housing prices, to increase entry to little one care, to guard our out of doors heritage, and strengthen the voices of working people. Republicans could not have heard us since they’re so busy shouting about their manufactured D.C., tradition wars. However Montana Democrats are right here for working households.

Minority Chief Kim Abbott, D-Helena, represents District 83 within the Montana Home of Representatives.