HELENA — The Republican candidate for House District 83 is Wes Feist.
Feist, who is born and raised in East Helena, told MTN he is running for the legislature because he wants to make sure children have access to educational opportunities, limit government reach and protect access to public lands.
Feist is currently a member of the East Helena City Council.
The top issues he wants to see addressed by the legislature are property taxes, Medicaid expansion and funding for education.
House District 83 comprises south Helena to the Lewis and Clark county line and East Helena. The Democrat candidate for HD 83 is Jill Cohenour, you can learn more about her here.
Watch our full interview with Wes Feist
Q: Why are you running for the legislature?
Wes Feist: I'm running for the legislature because I am deeply invested in this community. Born and raised in East Helena and Helena, my family has been in the Helena Valley for the past 150 years. I'm a sixth-generation Montanan, and very proud of that. I also want to keep Montana Montana. I want to make sure that our kids have access to great education. I want to make sure that we have access to great public lands, and I also want to make sure that the government remains limited and is providing for those that need it, but is also restrained when needed.
Q: What are three key issues you believe need to be addressed by the next Montana legislature?
WF: Three key issues I see are property taxes, first and foremost. Second of all, we're all going to have to face Medicaid expansion and what that could look like. And third of all, education funding. Again, I'm an advocate too of public schools and school opportunity, and we need to address that as well.
Q: Housing and property taxes are a key issue for many Montanans, what actions if any do you think the legislature should take?
WF: We need to do a lot in reform that's permanent. Although the tax rebates were a benefit to many of us that are homeowners, we shouldn't have had the money taken in the first place. The last legislature and legislatures before have had the opportunity to ensure that our property taxes, if at all, had to be raised, were done in a responsible manner in which this goes around. They were not. I want to make sure that we have some permanent relief, which could include some of the opportunities that have been presented by the property task, property tax, excuse me, Task Force, that the governor initiated, some of those opportunities are either grandfathering in former property tax rates, lowering them in general, taxing second homes at a different rate in Montana than we do now. There are many, many things that we can do to make sure that those of us that do live in these communities and own homes are able to stay in them, because right now, we're being taxed out the other portion on my time in the city council here in East Helena, we've done a lot for affordable housing as well as responsible housing and housing development, the only way to reduce the cost of a home is that we have more stock of home, and we're doing that here in East Helena. We have two new subdivisions that have been built. We are building and have plans for two additional and something that's important with that is we're not putting the burden on our current residents. We are putting that burden on development and also utilizing state, federal and other resources to ensure that that burden doesn't fall on current residents. It will also help stabilize housing prices, which will also, in turn, help stabilize property taxes.
Q: This fall Montanans will be voting on access to abortion. What do you think the legislature’s role regarding abortion should be following that vote?
WF: Depending on how CI 128 falls in the election, it will be the legislature's determination if it passes, to help guide some of The very, very vague descriptions and portions of that initiative, and making sure that we can be responsible, making sure that we are still preserving life that should be preserved, and allowing individuals to have the forefront to make sure that they're that abortion is not always the necessary item that needs to happen with CI 128, again, we will need to make sure that there are some guidelines put in around that to define Some of the very obscure definitions that are not defined in the initiative.
Q: Another issue impacting Montana families is childcare, are there actions you think the legislature could take to address the issue?
WF: There are opportunities for child care, and it's not just the individual children and families. I am a pro-life advocate, but I also do think that if, if I am pro-life, we also need to make sure that we're taking care of children and families throughout the lifetime of that child and with that family when we can and limited where necessary. Along with that, though is we need to make sure that childcare facilities have the opportunity to exist, that HOAs don't take that opportunity away from potential childcare in addition to that, helping with infrastructure when it comes to water and sewer, septic when necessary, so that childcare facilities can be built and can be available to the community.
Q: Is there anything else you want to say that we haven't covered so far, or that you think voters should know?
WF: I don't have anything further, necessarily. I do think that this has been a terrific election season. As far as I'm working with other candidates. I'm glad to see so many candidates running within the Lewis and Clark County area, and I think that we have some terrific choices on the ballot, and I would love your vote for Wes Feist for House District 83 this November.
