ELECTION 2018: House District 13

NAME: Bob Brown

EDUCATION: High school graduate

FAMILY: Wife Debbie, daughters Tiffany and Emily, granddaughter Olivia.

OCCUPATION: Self-employed

1. Do you think the Second Amendment should be repealed? If not, do you think there should be any new gun restrictions?

To repeal the Second Amendment would be the biggest mistake that we could make! When we talk about the Second Amendment people always want to start talking about a right to hunt and supplying food for our family. It is not about that, it is our right to protect our family from any one that would do us harm. We cannot have the right to free speech or any other right without a way to defend those rights against all enemies foreign or domestic. 

2. What would you do to improve the state's health care system?

We will always have people in need and I have always said that the best way that we can help them get the best care that we can on the limited amount of funds that are available is to focus on fraud waste and abuse. I do not believe that the way to approach this is by taxing some subset of the population to support a system that would have the funds if these problems were addressed. A tax on cigarettes is not the answer. We should find ways to create jobs for those who are able. A program that would reward those who are trying to get off of the system and make it tougher on those able body people that just chose to not do anything would certainly help. I hear stories all the time about people that will not take jobs because it will take away the benefits that they get.

3. If elected, what piece of legislation would be your priority?

The state must take a look at the bad actor policy for the mining industry. There is legislation coming forward that I will support in this area. Also there needs to be some work done on state term limits the way the law is written you can get many different answers on how they work. As it is a person can transfer from the House to the Senate every eight years and serve continuously. School safety will be top on the agenda we must take step to assure that our students are safe. 

4. If you are elected and look ahead to the end of your term, what one significant change would you initiate?

I would like to see a zero-base budget audit be done for all departments on a rotating bases. This would force them to prove up the budget that they have and reduce excess funds to these departments and would allow those funds to be used in other areas. Placing a limit on vacancy savings would also be a good start. Vacancy savings is when a department receives money for a position, but they do not hire for that position they then use that money to give raises and for other expenses.

NAME: Chris Gross

EDUCATION: High school graduate

FAMILY: Married 42 years with 2 adult children

OCCUPATION: Former health care provider part-time, now retired

1. Do you think the Second Amendment should be repealed? If not, do you think there should be any new gun restrictions?

No, I don't think the Second Amendment should be repealed. It would take two-thirds majority in Congress to repeal an amendment. Montana has a long history with guns and they are part of our culture, so I don't see anything changing any time soon.

2. What would you do to improve the state's health care system?

I support Medicaid Expansion. The expansion supports a substantial amount of economic growth going forward. The expansion created 5,000 jobs generating $280 million in personal income each year. Being able to negotiate drug prices would really improve the bottom line as well.

3. If elected, what piece of legislation would be your priority?

Any legislation dealing with education would be a priority for me. However, you always need revenue. One option is thinking outside the box and legalizing hemp so farmers can grow a cash crop and not worry about a tariff war. Maybe it's time to delve into the tax code and see if we can't get a little of the money that has been trickling up over the last few years to trickle back down.

4. If you are elected and look ahead to the end of your term, what one significant change would you initiate?

We absolutely have to change the way we do the people's business. We have to be accountable for the legislation we pass and how it affects the folks back home. By working together, we have skin in the game and I bet a better bill. Now that would be significant change.