Community Voices: Hertz let down HD 96 by voting against infrastructure bill

I'm a 23-year-old UM student  who cares about the state of Montana. That's why I was disturbed during the 2017 legislative session that Rep. Adam Hertz voted against the infrastructure bill HB 645 and it failed by one vote.

I heard him  say on a local radio show that the bill would have only helped the Historical Museum in Helena and a building at MSU. This is absolutely false. There were at least 50 different projects ready to go, and many of them included public schools.

These projects would have brought jobs to  almost every community. Underperforming  aging infrastructure remains a drag on the economy and costs every Montana family. The final language of  the bill also included  a much-needed  veterans home  in Butte.

Mr. Hertz said there wasn't anything in the bill for his district. That is a fundamental  misunderstanding about what  counts as good government, to my thinking. It's not bringing home the pork for your district, it's working to create an environment where all can succeed and where we can work together on issues that affect the welfare of all Montanans.

Vote  for Tom Winter for HD 96.