Rose wants feds out of land decisions

Taylor Rose

House District 3

Age: 28

Republican

Occupation:

bartender

By ANNA ARVIDSON

Hungry Horse News

Taylor Rose is running to represent House District 3 for the simple reason that he loves Montana.

Rose, 28, has lived in Montana for most of his life. His family moved to Montana in 1995, and he was raised in Marion. He moved to Columbia Falls last year, he said in a recent interview.

Rose graduated from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia with a degree in international relations and spent some time living in Europe.

“I’ve been involved in politics for 10 years. Montana has always been my home and my strongest connection,” Rose said.

Rose is running to protect the Montana he said he loves.

“Our way of life in Montana is being regulated and threatened by the federal government. I wanted to be involved, to preserve what we have up here,” he said.

If elected, Rose said his three top priorities for the upcoming session would be the economy, the issue of refugees, and wildlife management.

“I’m very concerned about the direction the Montana economy is going, especially northwest Montana,” he said. “What we need up here is to get manufacturing back and to get loggers back in the woods.”

Rose said the federal government was being “grossly irresponsible” and targeting loggers.

“As a short term solution, we need to hold the line, and make sure that loggers have base access to state land. In the long term, I want to see a gradual transition of management from the federal government to the state,” he added.

“I refuse to accept the notion that the timber industry has to go. It can be brought back if the feds would get out of the way,” Rose said. “It’s entirely possible.”

Rose said that the answer is to bring in high-paying manufacturing jobs that can then feed into the service industry and feed the economy. Adding more minimum-wage service jobs will not create economic growth, he said.

“This is a blue-collar community. I like the identity that gives us. It makes Montana Montana,” he added.

On the issue of Middle East refugees, Rose is against allowing resettlement in Montana, and emphasized Montana’s right as a state to make decisions contrary to the federal government.

“We have to stand,” Rose said, “We as a state have a right to decide if we want to accept refugees, and the overwhelming majority do not want to. We can’t bear the costs.”

“I’ll make sure the legislature is saying no. I’m not willing to gamble with the security of our citizens,” he added.

On the topic of wildlife management, Rose said he would like to see reforms in how wolves especially are being handled.

“The issue of the wolf is a huge problem, and it’s not being dealt with well enough. It’s devastating to the elk population,” Rose said. “I’m not for exterminating the wolf, but I would like to see reform and see more tags in the hands of hunters.”

As a candidate, Rose said he brings a lot to the table.

“I’m speaking for the millenials,” he said, “and my worldview is way more consistent with the community.”