Candidate Questionnaire: Senate District 32

Pat Flowers (D) — Senate District 32

Randy Chamberlin (R) — Senate District 32

As of press time, Chamberlin 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?

Flowers: I moved to Montana in 1977 to finish school, and it quickly became home. My family and I feel very fortunate to have built our lives in Montana, and I view my service in the State Legislature as one way to give back to this place that has given so much to us. I had a career in public service in Montana working in both forest management and fish and wildlife management. During that time I developed skills in bringing diverse interests together to solve problems. I see problem-solving as the fundamental chore of any State Legislator as we lead the way to improving the lives of all Montanans. As a State, we facing some daunting challenges: attainable housing; sustaining high quality and affordable public education; conservation of our fish and wildlife populations; continued access to our amazing public lands and charting a course for energy transition to mitigate climate change. As your State Senator, I am committed to bring Montanans together to meet these challenges.

What issue should young Montanans be most concerned about right now? What legislation will you support to address it?

Flowers: I think young Montanans should be immediately concerned about affordable housing. This is an issue for MSU students and for many more in Bozeman and other cities around the state. It must be a priority to meet our basic human need for shelter, and it is also critical for local business and community integrity. Fundamentally, we should all be able to live where we work and go to school. The solution will come from a combined effort of local, state and federal government efforts with private sector initiative, assistance and cooperation. I will support laws introduced in the State Legislature to provide: low income housing tax credits; more funding for low interest loans to build affordable multi-family housing; and other incentives to keep rents and mortgages below the current inflated market. In the long run, we must continue to focus on transitioning our power sources to renewable energy, recognizing the need to meet baseload demands; and while addressing the needs for Montana communities that will be affected by this transition.

How should the Legislature address housing affordability in Montana?

Flowers: We need a combined effort of local, state, federal government and private industry to address housing affordability in Montana. Their efforts must be complimentary rather than working at cross purposes. For example, the State Legislature should work to support local government and private industry solutions rather than passing laws to limit their options, as we did in the last session (despite my dissenting vote). The primary tools the Montana Legislature has used to address affordable housing include emergency housing assistance, low interest loans and tax incentives. I am hopeful that we will continue to authorize those tools in the coming legislative session, and consider additional innovative solutions.

What should the Legislature’s top priority be for the public education system in Montana?

Flowers: Adequate funding should be the Legislature’s top priority for the public education system in Montana. We need financial support for schools at all levels that will allow us to hire the best and brightest teachers at a livable wage, and provide quality facilities. We also need to fund higher education at a level that allows our college students to graduate without huge financial burdens.

What steps should the Legislature take to address climate change and mitigate its impact on Montanans.

Flowers: The Legislature needs to support efforts to shift away from fossil fuel energy sources. In order to make that shift we need to upgrade and modernize our power grid to allow for an efficient exchange of power from renewable energy sources and demands. We also need to ensure we maintain adequate baseload to meet peak demand by pursuing better power storage capacity. That will come with an investment in research and technology, and storage infrastructure. We not only have to focus on our energy supply, but we also need to focus on our energy demands. A more aggressive public/private campaign is needed to educate the public on the urgent need for energy conservation. We must also investigate and pursue opportunities to incentivize less energy use by individuals, businesses and governments. A third focus beyond energy supply and demand, is to support efforts to further develop carbon capture technology. The needed transition from fossil fuels will have a direct impact on Montana communities that have been producing coal and coal-based power. The Montana State Legislature must work with those communities to support that transition and ease impacts on their residents and their local economy.

Why should MSU students, Faculty and Staff vote for you?

Flowers: It has been my great honor to represent MSU over the last four years as your State Senator. In serving the MSU community I worked hard to represent your interests, including my strong support for funding to finally renovate Romney Hall. I recognize challenges faced by faculty, staff and students, and will do all I can to lead the Legislature to meet those challenges. They include fair wages, and reasonable tuition and fees. I spent a career as a public servant, and I see my current role as State Senator as a continuation of that commitment. I am here to serve you, and to help ensure your state government is meeting your needs, the needs of the MSU community, my entire Senate District, and the State as a whole. I would be honored to receive your vote again.