Well done, election officials

First off, I want to congratulate and thank our local county election officials for a job well done. All four of the counties in my district, Cascade, Chouteau, Liberty and Hill, have handled the new rules that were handed down from the state and implemented them in time for election night. Having been directly involved in elections for over 20 years, I have personally seen the strain these folks are put under to make sure our elections are done right. Again, thank you.

The national election and Montana elections are over and so are the TV and radio ads. Over the years the ads have multiplied by numbers and expense. I see the total dollars spent on these campaigns and have to wonder where that money might be put to a more tangible use, as streets, water systems, bridges, or maintenance, etc. You get the idea. Limits have been proposed or maybe a match should go to the state or local government.

Not a day goes by where I am asked what the session is going to look like or what I think is going to happen. In the past six months, just when I feel I have a handle on the way things may be heading, someone or something happens that changes the direction of business-as-usual. It seems everyone from schools, local government, to state government have the same answer, “Guess we’ll have to wait and see.” This is true for businesses, folks with kids in school, and everyone just trying to get on with life. I do not have a silver bullet, or an answer to the question as to what the session will be like or look like, but I do know staff and legislators alike are taking all into consideration.

I will be writing a weekly session update in your local paper, as I did the last two sessions. I thank the editors and owners of these papers for their time and care in allowing my process for getting information out to my district and each of you.

When emailing me, just like in the past, please put the name of your town in the subject line. This helps me sort out and prioritize my constituents from junk. Judy and I will be moving to Helena the first of the year in hopes government will function with only a few minor adjustments because of COVID-19. Be careful and have the best Thanksgiving you can!

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State Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester, can be emailed at [email protected].