Many important issues coming up in the Legislature

I’m sorry it has been so long since I have written. As we pass the halfway point for the Legislature, I wanted to take a few minutes to share some of the work I’m doing on behalf of our community.

One of the most important issues I have about heard about both back home and at the Legislature is out-of-control air ambulance bills. This is critical in our rural community because of our limited hospital facilities. After dealing with air ambulance flights, people have been stuck with $20,000 or more in bills — and that’s after insurance pays. This is enough to break the banks of most Montanans. This session, I’ve been proud to support legislation that would prohibit collection companies from going after folks for air ambulance debt, regulate air ambulance companies to help control these rising prices, and push the federal government to allow states to fully address air ambulance issues.

This session, I sponsored the Hire Montanans First Act. This legislation would require state government contractors using Montana taxpayer dollars — from marketing to construction — to have at least 75 percent of their employees be Montana residents. While this bill was tabled in committee, I’m proud of the conversation it started: it’s important to use our state tax dollars to support our friends and neighbors.

I rarely speak on the Senate floor. After serving in the Legislature for over 12 years, I know that some things are better left unsaid. But some things are important enough to speak on. Last week, I rose to speak on a bill to allow tribal regalia to be worn at high school graduation ceremonies. I spoke for our youth: High school students celebrating their graduation should be able to express themselves. I’m pleased to say that this passed the Senate and is on to the House for debate.

  Over the next few months, I’ll work to support the burgeoning hemp economy. This flexible crop can be made into textiles, construction materials, and even paper. It’s time for Montana farmers to profit from this crop — instead of importing it from Canada. Hemp will diversify our economy, and give farmers a highly profitable crop choices.

I’m also supporting a bill to help our community airports get the necessary support to improve their navigational equipment, landing fields, and make essential updates. By raising the aviation fuel tax, we can provide additional grants and loans to support this key part of local economies.

This session, I’m serving on the Business, Labor and Economic Affairs, Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, and State Administration Committees. If there are issues that you care about, please reach out to me. I’m here to serve you. You can email me at [email protected] or call me at 406-444-4800.

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Sen. Frank Smith, D-Poplar, represents Senate District 16. He previously served in the Montana House of Representatives from 1999-2004 and 2011–2012 and in the Montana State Senate from 2005-2009.