Candidate Questionnaire: Montana House District 68

Joe Hancock

(D) — House District 68

Caleb Hinkle

(R) — House District 68

As of press time, Hinkle had not responded to the Exponent’s questionnaire. Responses received after press time will be published on msuexponent.com.

Why did you decide to run for office?

Hancock: Growing up poor on a ranch well outside of town, I needed a lot of help from friends and “neighbors” on my way to adulthood. (Who really has neighbors when everybody is separated by miles?) This experience taught me the importance of community and the helpers who hold it together. Ever since, I’ve been working to pay the world back, from serving in the Air Force to working as a YMCA counselor in a youth literacy program.

I’m always trying to do more, knowing I can never do enough. Holding office in service of thousands just seems like the logical next step in my pursuit of paying off this insurmountable debt.

What would you identify as the most pressing issue facing your district? What legislation would you support to address it?

Hancock: Since housing is the subject of the next question, I’ll use this space to discuss school staffing, which is of course linked to the housing shortage.

The state of Montana has a critical teacher shortage and is near bottom in median teacher pay at ~$35k/year. While only one of many budgetary shortcomings in Montana schools, it is the one most directly related to the quality of education and the ability to recruit qualified candidates.

Since schools are primarily funded at the local level, any state remedy would most likely be through grant programs, which gets complicated in a hurry. I’ll try to meaningfully summarize my thinking on the issue.

The state has a general fund which generates substantial revenue through lodging taxes. I would want to use some of this funding to incentivize counties to substantially raise school budgets through mill levies, which would then be offset by the state, with additional allocations to subsidize existing school-funding mills. This would have the external benefit of also reducing residents’ property-tax burden. (See? Complicated.)

What action would you support to make housing more affordable in Belgrade?

Hancock: The only way to make housing more affordable is to compel a surge in supply that will actually exceed community growth in the short term. (The moral hazard here is an overshot that can crash our economy, so hopefully we can ease into a sustainable equilibrium.)

To do this, developers need to be incentivized through tax-credit programs, enabled by eased restrictions on building height, parking, etc., and compelled through zoning regulations that promote higher-density construction within the Belgrade/Bozeman/Four Corners triangle.

The last piece to this puzzle is a robust public-transit system. Increasing population means less space for cars, and we will all still have places to be. Streamline is already a valuable service, and their drive to create an Urban Transportation District is critical. As a daily rider, I can attest to their efforts and their shortfalls. The nearest stop to my apartment is a 15-minute walk from my front door, which is longer than my drive would be to work. Like me, the program has a long way to go, but at least it’s moving in the right direction.

What should the legislature’s top priority be for healthcare in Montana?

Hancock: We all deserve equitable access to comprehensive quality care. Most of Montana is a long drive from a lot of the state and finding a hospital can be a journey instead of a trip, assuming a person can even afford the visit.

The biggest step we need to take toward this goal is a major expansion of available mental health services, as many ailments, particularly later in life, are directly related to stress, depression, and/or pride.

It’s tough enough to find the courage to ask for help; we need to stop telling people they don’t need it or can’t have it.

Why should MSU students, faculty and staff vote for you?

Hancock: I’m a smart guy who knows the value of affordable education in the American economy. I also understand that our university performs extensive research that contributes to our prosperity and survival, and as a state entity, it is beholden to the legislative agenda on several issues.

As a legislator, Montana’s public-education system will be my highest priority, from grade school through college. I also hope the MSU community will vote for me because they appreciate the level of thoughtful effort that I put into answering these questions.

What do you love about Belgrade? How would that reflect in your policy-making decisions?

Hancock: Belgrade is a wonderful place to have neighbors and make friends. Nothing is far away, but there’s still plenty of space for everyone to breathe freely. The town is centered around an economy of diverse small businesses that are familiar to locals and inviting to visitors while providing valuable services that are essential to the community.

Being originally from Big Timber and having traveled much of the state, I understand that the small-town values of Belgrade are typical in Montana, and I will embrace them as I work to help my constituents in their pursuit of happiness.