Mitchell on first week

The first week of the legislative session was incredibly action-packed and it will only get busier from here. I was assigned to the Education, Taxation, and Fish, Wildlife and Parks committees.

This is where I will get the chance to impact legislation in its early stages and work closely with other lawmakers. Especially in committee, my more seasoned colleagues have been great mentors to freshmen like me and offer a lot of valuable advice on how to be an effective lawmaker.

Important bills are working their way through committees such as Appropriations. I have been reviewing them all and receiving a lot of input from constituents across District 3. For nearly two decades, we have been led by governors who approached budgeting with less regard for the fact that they were spending other people’s hard-earned money. It is encouraging to see some reforms in the new budget, though there is still a lot of work to be done.

We all know the coronavirus pandemic hit all communities hard across our state. I am grateful for those who have reached out to let me know how the state can assist in expediting economic recovery. It was my hope that our state would be lifting restrictions at a much faster pace, but we are working hard with the governor’s office to ensure that we protect businesses and communities as quickly as possible. There will be legislation coming before us that will empower our counties to have local control and protect small businesses from lawsuits as they try to return to business as usual.

I looked forward to Monday, Jan. 11 where I will have my first bill heard before the House Judiciary Committee. HB 124 titled “Suffering Wildlife Protection Act,” which gives individuals the legal right to shoot an injured game animal after being run over by a motorized vehicle. Many Polebridge constituents have reached out regarding this issue and I’m honored to present it and put it into law.

Thank you for the honor of serving you. Please continue to reach out to me to let me know how I can be of assistance. My email address is Braxton.Mitchell@mtleg.gov — or call the capitol at 406-444-4800 to leave a message.

I look forward to hearing from you. Braxton Mitchell HD3

Columbia Falls