Hutchinson campaigns for Legislature at Pachyderm meeting

Republican Darrold Hutchinson spoke to the North Central Pachyderm Club at the Duck Inn Friday about his campaign for the House District 27 seat in the Montana House of Representatives.

Hutchinson is a farmer and aviator from north of Hingham who unsuccessfully has run twice for a seat in the Legislature.

The seat he is running for is in House District 27, which stretches from the Canadian border in Liberty and Hill counties west of Havre down to just outside Great Falls.

Incumbent state Rep. James O'Hara, R-Fort Benton, has opted not to seek re-election and is instead running to go back onto the Chouteau County Commission.

Hutchinson faces Joshua Kassmier, a crop adjuster and former Fort Benton mayoral candidate, in the June 5 Republican primary. The winner will face in November's general election Democrat Dan Nelsen, a retired school administrator who lives in Fort Benton.

Hutchinson said that nearly every candidate running for office will say they want a government that is more fiscally responsible, to cut spending, create better higher-paying jobs and create a better future for their children and grandchildren.

"So I would like to clear the air on all that by saying I'm in favor of that, too," he said.

Hutchinson said he would like to look at overhauling the state's business equipment tax. Business owners should only have to pay the tax on a piece of equipment for 10 years.

"I think that after paying taxes on something for 10 years, that is enough," he said.

The change to the tax would help small businesses in Montana including agriculture producers, he said.

Hutchinson said he does not have much of an agenda he wants to implement if elected.

Oftentimes candidates with an agenda get elected to the Legislature and find out that they can't get their agenda enacted, he said. They then become frustrated and ineffective as lawmakers.

"I just don't want to be that kind of person," he said.

Instead, Hutchinson said, he wants to go to Helena with an open mind and be willing to learn about whatever comes up.

He said the state is often greedy with taxpayer money, taking much of the revenue generated by the income tax and other fees for itself and then only letting a little trickle down to cities and counties.

If elected, Hutchinson said he will look at and vote on bills based on how they will impact Montana cities and counties.

Hutchinson said he has received mail and email from out-of-state groups trying to influence policy in Montana. He checks every piece of mail he receives and if it has an out-of-state address or phone number, he deletes it or throws it away.

"I sincerely think we Montanans are intellectually capable of figuring out what is best for us," Hutchinson said. "We don't need out-of-state interests to tell us what we need."

One of the most common complaints Hutchinson said he receives on the campaign trail is that people have a difficult time contacting their state legislators.

Hutchinson said his name and number are in the phone book.

"You can call me," he said.