Likes Mitchell

I know a politician when I see one. I am tired of being told that someone is going to listen to us, vote for less government, and challenge the status quo. Too often they break their promises to blue collar Montana workers and their families. Thankfully, some elected officials live up to those promises.

Representative Braxton Mitchell has lived up to the promises he made when we elected him two years ago. He voted to support our Second Amendment Rights, exempt military pensions and social security income from state income tax, repeal the local option gas tax, and repeal the business equipment tax. These are just some issues that our district feels strongly about.

Braxton Mitchell told us he would cut government spending and watch out for taxpayers. Out of 100 representatives (67 of which are Republicans), he was one of only 37 members who had the courage to vote against a pay increase for state employees. Think about that. Nearly half of Republicans bailed, but he stuck with us. Government workers had been exempt from the economic impacts of coronavirus, while also receiving excellent pay, retirement benefits, and healthcare insurance most could only dream of.

In his first session, Representative Mitchell bucked members of both parties and voted to keep men out of women’s sports, against raiding important 9-1-1 system funds to the state library, and sponsored legislation to support Montana coal which provides funding for things such as K-12 schools and infrastructure.

Perhaps one of the most important issues he supported was legislation to protect election integrity. Among the multiple election security bills, one would give legislative oversight when a governor tries to suspend election laws during a state of emergency. This not only protects our most sacred rights, but provides a check against the Executive Branch.

For all of this, Braxton Mitchell has proved worthy to earn a second term.

Jacob Bulawsky

Columbia Falls