To the voters in Senate District 49,
I am a life-long Montanan born and raised in the Bitterroot Valley. My parents operated a Grade A dairy selling milk to creameries in Missoula and Butte. Beside the dairy, our family owned a large poultry operation selling eggs to restaurants and families throughout Missoula and Western Montana. After graduating from Corvallis High School I attended the University of Montana receiving a history degree and later a Masters of Education degree. For thirty years I taught at Hellgate and Big Sky High Schools. During the summer I was a wildland fire fighter on a hot shot crew as a Missoula Smokejumper. After leaving education I worked as a commercial pilot for the U.S. Forest Service. Currently my sister and I run the ranch/farm which has been in the family for nearly seventy-five years. I have owned and operated a small business teaching aspiring aviators how to fly in their pursuit of a pilot’s license.
As the state representative for House District 98 over the past eight years, I have prided myself in working for the priorities of the voters in HD98. My constituents have trusted me to cast votes in the Montana Legislature on their behalf. I am a person who HAS NOT and WILL NOT go to Helena with a private agenda, but instead with the commitment to stand up for constituent priorities and values. In my four terms House District 98 voters have asked me to support the following:
- Promoting good paying jobs with benefits
- Advocating for quality, affordable health care
- Funding our public schools, technical schools and higher education
- Protecting our veterans and seniors
- Opening and protecting access to our public lands
- Supporting state and local law enforcement
- Promoting clean air and water
As your state senator, my priority of being your voice in Helena will NOT change. I believe that personal agendas do not make for good representation. During this campaign, I will work hard to gain the trust of those of you who haven’t met me. You can count on me to listen to what is important to you and then stand up for what should be done to move Montana forward.
For the last eight years I have served in the minority but that has not stopped me from working across the aisle to be successful in enacting meaningful legislation. I will pledge to you to work with whomever to pass legislation important to Senate District 49 constituents.
Montana is facing numerous challenges. As I meet with Senate District 49 voters, I am hearing about a number of heartfelt concerns. As a result voters have told me what needs to be addressed.
Education: Adequately fund our schools. The Montana Legislature cannot continue to shift more of the burden of funding to local property taxpayers. We must work to ensure that adequately trained teachers and administrators are hired and school facilities are well maintained.
Jobs: Train students for the “trades” by expanding career technical education opportunities in our high schools. Montana should continue to expand job training and apprenticeships for adults. We need more welders, carpenters, truck drivers, construction workers etc. Montana should be able to use tax credits for participating businesses if possible. Montana should not pass up any opportunity to recruit and develop good paying jobs with a well-trained workforce.
Housing: Develop affordable housing. Businesses are working hard to recruit well-trained workers. These workers are facing expensive or non-existent housing. Get the building industry together with state and local governments and non-profits to put a plan in place to develop affordable housing for workers. Montana needs to look at reworking local growth policies. I have been working with local non-profits to help Missoulians who currently own mobile homes to purchase the rental property on which their home sits.
Infrastructure: Rebuild our streets, roads and bridges. Good roads lead to better private business opportunities. Additionally, let’s bring all of Montana into the 21th century by developing a state-wide broadband program.
Health Care: Reauthorize Medicaid expansion which provides quality, affordable health care to tens of thousands of Montanans. Our Medicaid expansion program has been helpful to Montana small businesses that use the program to purchase health insurance for their employees. Furthermore, we must continue Montanans right to privacy in making personal health care decisions.
Expensive or non-existent child care: Build a Pre-K program for our early learners. Montana is one of four states not offering a voluntary Pre-Kindergarten program for three and one-half and four year olds. Montana should work to provide credits for businesses if they will fund a child care program in the workplace. Families need to have a chance to bring a second income into their household.
Public Lands: Turn back any efforts to privatize our public lands or close access to them. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks needs to expand work with landowners to open their lands to hunting. Montana’s stream access law is truly remarkable. We need to keep it that way. The last two legislative sessions have seen efforts to move towards privatizing our fishery and our wildlife. This cannot continue!! Any Montana resident who desires to hunt should have access to a tag.
As I continue visiting with voters in Senate District 49, I want to encourage them to offer their points of view on the above and any other issue under the domain of the Montana Legislature. Senate District 49 residents have many great ideas on how to make Montana a better place to live and recreate. I hope to have these conversations at your door and if our schedules don’t allow that to happen, feel free to call me (406-546-0523) or email me at wcurdy@bridgemail.com. I pride myself on respecting voters and their comments.
Thank you for visiting my website and I am asking you for your vote on Election Day November 8th.
Respectfully,
Willis