Meyers, Smith vie for open seat in Senate District 16

Eight years after he was ousted in a primary challenge, former state Sen. Frank Smith, D-Polar, is looking to make a political comeback and reclaim the seat he once held.

Smith, an enrolled Assiniboine and Sioux, is the Democratic candidate for state Senate District 16, which spans from Hill and Chouteau to Roosevelt County and includes parts of Rocky Boy's, Fort Belknap and Fort Peck Indian reservations.

The seat is now occupied by Smith's two-time primary rival, termed-out state Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, who is running unopposed for the open House District 32 seat.

In November's general election, Smith faces state Rep. Bruce Meyers, R-Box Elder, who now represents HD 32.

Smith said that he decided to make a bid for the seat at the urging of several groups, including the Roosevelt County Commissioners and the Northeast Montana Hospital Board. Smith had previously been a member of the hospital board.

As someone who has lived on Fort Peck most of his life and previously represented SD-16, Smith said, he has an understanding of issues related to tribes as well as the medical community and law enforcement.

He said that during his time in the Montana House of Representatives and then the Montana Senate, he had a knack for getting legislation passed.

"Most of the bills I carry get passed," he said.

Economic development, education and highway safety will be Smith's top issues if elected to the senate, he said.

Montana is experiencing a reduction in expected revenue, and Smith said one way to keep the state from losing more money is to figure out what to do about Colstrip. The coal-powered plant has been the subject of litigation by environmental groups as well as decreasing global demand for coal-produced energy and the low price of natural gas.  

While Montana ranks in the lowest states for workers' wages, Smith, who has owned multiple businesses, said he thinks the state's $8.05 hourly minimum wage can be raised, without employers being adversely affected.

Smith said he would support state bonding to pay for infrastructure, though he added that the state needs to be careful how much it commits.

He said that in 1999, state bonding was approved to pay for improvements made for Highway 93, which had fallen into such disrepair it had led to multiple traffic fatalities.

In that instance, bonding was used without driving the state into too much debt.

"If we watch the bonding it will work, but if we get carried away with  bonding it ain't gonna work," he said.

The transfer of federal public lands to state control is something Smith said he opposes.

He said once such a transfer takes place that public lands can be sold to private entities and individuals. Access to tracts of land could then be off limits to hunters and fishermen, Smith said. He said that fees on hunting and fishing licences might also be raised.  

Such a transfer would force the state to cover the cost of managing those land, and  is something Montana could not afford, he added.

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Frank Smith, Democrat  

Date and place of birth: Sept. 27, 1942, Poplar

Professional history: Poplar Roosevelt County EMT Services; instructor of EMT services at Dawson College; Northern Montana Health Committee; Fort Peck Police Department; Poplar Police Department;  U.S. Fish, Wildlife and Parks; Fort Peck Tribes Fish and Game Department; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; Northeast Montana Health Committee; owner of H&S Smoke Shop, H&S Vending owner, H&S Ice and Fort Peck Market; Montana Tobacco and Candy, legislative adviser; owner, Just Limos

Education: Poplar High School, 1961     

Military: Airman 3rd class U.S. Air Force, 1964-1968

Family: Widowed; one son, three daughters

Organizations: Board member of First Presbyterian Church; union member, board member of New Life Mission