Fielder prepares for busy Senate session

State Senator Jennifer Fielder of Thompson Falls is back in Helena as the 2019 legislative session gets under way.

Fielder, a Republican in Senate District 7, this session is chairperson of the Senate Fish and Game Committee, Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee, and a member of the Local Government Committee.

Sen. Fielder said Monday from Helena that being chair of the Fish and Game Committee takes up a lot of bandwidth for her, but she's ready for a busy session.

"I'm working on a number of things," Fielder said Monday from Helena. "We have some real issues with sportsmen, hunting and fishing. The department seems to be encroaching into traditional means of hunting, fishing and trapping. And a lot of that has to do with the need to control our predator population." Fielder is working on a couple of bills that are still in draft mode, she said, that include looking at existing statues and seeing how they can incorporate changes into those.

Another piece of legislation Sen. Fielder is working on is a National Motto Display Act. "There's a lot of confusion in the public arena about whether we can say God in public institutions," Fielder said, noting that the act is a simple thing, but allows public institutions to post the national motto "In God We Trust" and know that they are fully within the law to do so. Fielder said she would probably sponsor the bill. "It's something I've wanted to do for a while and have seen in other states."

When it comes to deciding what bills to put before the Legislature, Fielder said there are a lot of considerations that have to be factored in. "I have to kind of tune in to whether or not the bill has a chance of passing and whether the governor will sign it." She stated that more than 2,000 pieces of legislation will be reviewed during the 2019 session. "My primary job is to consider all pieces of legislation and manage committees well. Any legislation I carry is a third priority." She said that one idea she has been kicking around with colleagues is a law that would prohibit state agencies from lobbying. "They are using taxpayers' money and resources to lobby and it's not always to the benefit of the taxpayer, but to the agency," Fielder said. "They have a great deal of resources available. A lot of state agencies are being paid by taxpayers and lobbying. That puts citizens at a disadvantage."

Fielder also said she will support any effort to delist the grizzly bear from the Endangered Species Act, noting that delisting is important so the species can be managed. "Once they are taken off, we can do more with managing the species and access to public lands," Fielder said. "Right now, there are over 1 million acres designated for grizzly bears. Once delisted, it will open up management for timber and firefighting, and allow bears to be hunted."

Sen. Fielder commented on Governor Steve Bullock's proposed budget, which includes funding for Medicaid expansion. Regarding Medicaid expansion, Fielder said "I like the idea of putting some reforms in there to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse and to require a work component or requirement so it's not just a free ride. I will support those types of reforms." She said that while she leans toward not supporting Medicaid expansion, she thinks it will pass with reforms, which she feels are important. "If we can target it (Medicaid) for truly needy people, that's fine," Fielder said. "But it's gotten out of control."

"There's always issues with the governor's budget. He always wants to spend a lot more than we have." She stated that she wants a fiscally responsible budget, and that the state needs to "live within our means just like the rest of Montanans."

With the federal government in its fourth week of a partial shutdown, Sen. Fielder said that she hopes "the president sticks to his guns. We need to secure our border. I think President Trump is correct in that. The Democrats were advocating that a few years ago. It's sad that they're against anything he (Trump) stands for."

Fielder said that input from constituents also helps her decide what legislation to support and pursue. She said that one constituent from Thompson Falls contacted her and would like to see more support for the Montana Association for the Blind. Fielder said she talked to a couple of legislators on the Finance Committee, which handles the money for organizations, and explained the program to them, and has been lobbying them to carve out funding for that program.

"It's amazing how much of a difference a person can make," Fielder said.