Gianforte most qualified candidate for Montana governor

This year, Montanans can elect a proven leader – someone with executive experience, a background of creating high-paying jobs, and conservative values. This is exactly what Montana needs in our next governor, and that’s why I support Greg Gianforte for governor.

A successful entrepreneur and businessman, Greg and his wife, Susan, started RightNow Technologies in a spare bedroom of their home in Bozeman. Not only did he create hundreds of high-paying jobs here in Montana, but he also helped kick-start our state’s rapidly growing high-tech industry.

Greg’s proven executive success is one reason I support him to serve as our state’s next chief executive. He wants to apply commonsense business principles of cutting red tape, eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy, and returning those savings to hardworking Montana taxpayers.

With President Trump, we have all seen what happens when a businessman applies those principles to government: our economy fires on all cylinders. Greg wants to achieve this here in Montana.

Any businessperson will tell you government doesn’t create jobs. Business owners and entrepreneurs, like Greg and so many other Montanans, are the ones who create jobs. Government can, however, create an environment where businesses grow and create good-paying jobs.

For 16 years, though, Democrat governors in Helena have failed to create that pro-growth environment.

As Speaker of the House, I have signed many bills that would help create an environment that promotes entrepreneurship and job creation. Unfortunately, Governor Bullock has vetoed them. Many of the vetoed bills would help remove burdensome, unnecessary regulations that make jobs creation and wage growth more difficult. As a result of Bullock’s vetoes, our state’s economy isn’t living up to its full potential.

I introduced a bill to give taxpayers relief in the last legislative session. The legislation, HB 394, would revise the appeal process for property tax reappraisals and let taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned money. It passed the House on a bipartisan 78-19 vote, yet is was vetoed.

Unfortunately, vetoes of pro-growth, pro-taxpayer bills aren’t unique.

Other vetoes included a bill that would have significantly reduced income taxes on Social Security income, letting Montana seniors keep more of their money. Another vetoed bill that would have helped create new jobs paying at least $45,000 per year by providing incentives for hiring new employees and a bill that would have allowed the Land Board to extend state coal leases, supporting good-paying jobs and providing more revenue for public schools.

These bills represent a very small sample of the many pro-growth, pro-taxpayer bills that have been vetoed during the past eight years.

The 2020 election is critical for Montana. For 16 years, one party has held the governor’s office and effectively held our state’s enormous potential hostage. Despite Republican majorities in the House and Senate, commonsense measures to boost Montana businesses, promote job creation, grow wages, and protect taxpayers have died from the ink of a Democrat governor’s veto pen.

Greg Gianforte is the most qualified candidate in this race. Greg brings his unique experience as a business leader, job creator, and consistent conservative to the table. Greg is best positioned to win in November and end the 16 years era of Democrat rule in Helena, which is why I’m proud to endorse Greg Gianforte for governor.

­—Rep. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, is Montana Speaker of the House.