Knudsen says he wants to keep working on issues in House

State Rep. Casey Knudsen, R-Malta, said that after completing his first session as a Montana lawmaker he wants to continue to work on issues in the Legislature.

Knudsen filed for re-election the opening day of candidate filing, last Thursday.

No other candidates had filed to run for his House seat as of print deadline this morning.

A rancher who also works for several of his family's other small businesses, Knudsen, 27, represents House District 33, which extends from North Havre into northeastern Hill County, and stretches through Blaine, Philips and Valley Counties.

Knudsen said he saw several issues he wants to take action on, including changes to child custody laws.

"I feel like I came up with some good ideas and I've had people approach me with some good ideas that need to be looked at for the 2019 session," Knudsen said.

He said last year's regular legislative session and the special legislative session in October were both a learning experience for him.

"You don't realize how everything works," he said. " You think by watching that School House Rock video about how a bill gets made, you know how everything works, and that is definitely not the case."

Several candidates also filed by Thursday night to run for county office in addition to several who filed first thing in the morning.

Hill County Auditor Kathy I. Olson. a Democrat, has filed to run for re-election.

Democrat Kelsie Whitney Harwood filed to run for Blaine County Attorney,

Liberty County Commissioner Larry Hendrickson, a Republican, has filed to run for re-election. Liberty County Justice of the Peace Holly Fredrickson has also filed to run for re-election to her non-partisan seat.