The Legislative Listening Tour arrived in Columbia Falls after meeting with citizens in towns all over Montana.  Many people spoke to Legislators about issues that concerned them:  Affordable Housing, Medicaid Expansion and Health Insurance, high Property Taxes, underfunded Public Schools, Mental Health services and Suicide rates, clean-up of the CFAC Super Fund Site, and Water Quality.

Debo Powers (HD3) and Dave Fern (SD2)

Dave Fern kicked off his campaign for Senate District 2 at a well-attended event at the Whitefish Community Center.

Two Public School Champions

Two public school champions–Shannon O’Brien and Debo Powers.  Shannon is running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction.  Public education in Montana is currently threatened by low teacher pay, budget cuts, teacher recruitment problems, and a poorly managed Office of Public Instruction. This needs to change!  Elect these two Champions of Public Education!

Debo Powers cheering with State Senator Mary Ann Dunwell

Democrats from all over Montana met in Helena last weekend for the annual Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner to cheer on Democratic candidates!

The Winter Interlocal was held this week in the Community Room at Glacier National Park.  Interlocal meetings are held twice a year for North Fork landowners to meet with representatives from all of the national and state agencies who manage the public lands in the North Fork. Flathead County also sends people mainly to talk about the North Fork Road.  Scientists who are conducting research in the North Fork report on their work.  Each group presents information regarding the North Fork and answers questions from landowners.  Landowner groups also give reports.  Debo gave the report from the North Fork Preservation Association.

Debo Powers is one of two Democratic candidates running for House District 3.  To learn more about this huge district, see “About HD3” on this website.  The Flathead Beacon published an article about Debo Powers and her opponent in the Democratic Primary.  Click on the link below to read the article. The race will be decided on June 4.

Debo and her Opponent

About 25 friends and supporters met at the Last Chair Restaurant in Whitefish to kickoff the Powers for the People Campaign!

Monday, February 12, 2024

Last Chair Restaurant at 1705 Lakeshore Drive in Whitefish at 5:00pm

Blizzard conditions scuttled our campaign kickoff on Jan 11, so we are trying again!  Please join us to launch the campaign!

Cash Bar available//Plan to have dinner at this lovely restaurant.

Along with pristine wild lands and towering mountains, House District 3 also has a Super Fund Site where the old Columbia Falls Aluminum Company (CFAC) used to operate.  Last night, I attended a meeting of concerned citizens called the Coalition for a Clean CFAC who are working to ensure that the cleanup plan is not “waste in place” but removal of the waste to an appropriate toxic waste site.  There are major concerns with the current plan to contain waste behind slurry walls onsite which could pollute the Flathead River and surrounding wells.   The current plan would leave the 900-acre site a toxic waste dump forever.  The Coalition is asking for a pause before this plan goes forward in order for there to be an independent cost feasibility analysis on waste removal and the chance for community visioning about future uses for this site which is located outside the city limits of Columbia Falls. For more information, visit the website at: www.cleancfacnow.org

Click here to read about CFAC Coalition

Read article here: https://hungryhorsenews-mt.newsmemory.com/?selDate=20240110&goTo=A05&artid=4&editionStart=Hungry%20Horse%20News

Debo on Nasukoin Peak, the highest peak in the Whitefish Range in HD3