Viewpoint: Roads, landscapes and ag – the promise of SB 442
Rebecca Spring, Lea Bossler, and DeAnna Bublitz
Senate Bill 442 is strong legislation that deserves support, and our Legislators should stand by their constituents and vote for it, rather than play political games.
Our grandparents who live on county roads, those who battle addiction, Disabled veterans and yes, every single Montanan who uses a dirt road to get to their hiking, biking, snowmobiling, off-roading, hunting, and fishing spot needs more sustainable, long-term funding.
The working landscapes, public lands, and public wildlife that define Montana need the increased level of work that is encapsulated in SB 442 to ensure that our farmers, ranchers, forest managers, emergency responders, hunters, and anglers have the tools they need to deal with life in the open country.
Senate Bill 442 addresses these critical needs for funding head-on. By strategically allocating marijuana excise tax revenues, SB 442 promises to revitalize our county roads, significantly boost addiction recovery and veteran support programs, and make unprecedented investments in habitat conservation and public access.
Central to SB 442 is the allocation of 20% of annual marijuana tax revenue for rural county roads. These roads are critical for emergency services, community connectivity, and the lifeblood of our rural and agricultural sectors. Maintaining these roads is essential for hunters who are highly mobile and hunt multiple regions and districts across Montana.
Every Montanan who picks up a bow or a rifle each fall knows that the condition of the roads leading to public land can make or break your trip. Every Montanan also knows that even if you live in Missoula, Billings or Helena, you use the roads in Phillips, Fergus, and Sanders counties.
Montanans are right to ask that their tax dollars be spent where they are needed the most: rural infrastructure, access to public lands, land stewardship and restoration, addiction services, and permanent property tax relief for our greatest heroes and their spouses.
SB 442 is a blueprint for far more than simply spending tax dollars. It’s a blueprint for people finding a way to come together during one of the most divisive times in America’s history. More than 100 organizations who usually find a lot to disagree about came together to support Senator Lang’s efforts. Tens of thousands of Montanans wrote in, testified and called their legislators to ask them to honor the hard work and compromise that truly makes America great.
While some wish to try and kill the bill by making it about something else, the reality is those now seeking to stop Senate Bill 442 are using the same cynical, divisive rhetoric to further divide us. The people of Montana are asking those legislators to stop playing games with our lives, and simply vote to override the Governors’ veto - and return your ballot by 5:00p on April 18th.
Rebecca Spring is a Mineral County Hunter, Biologist, Wife, and Mom; DeAnna Bublitz is a Missoula County Hunter, Outdoor Recreationist, and Founder of DEER Camp - MT; Lea Bossler is a Missoula County Wildland Firefighter, Hunter, and Educator