The Democrat candidate for House District 80 is Melissa Romano, she currently represents House District 81.
Romano told MTN she is running as a Helena native to give back to the community where she grew up.
The top issues Romano wants to be addressed by the next Montana legislature are supporting and ensuring quality education, healthcare affordability, and property taxes.
House District 80 comprises the western part of Helena, including the neighborhoods near Carroll College and Capital High, and extending into the valley with the neighborhoods near Forestvale Cemetery. The Republican candidate is Rachel Burright, you can learn more about her here.
Watch our full interview with Romano
Q: Why are you running for the legislature?
"That's a great question. I am running for the legislature for a couple of reasons. One, I want to let folks know that I am a Helena native. This is where I grew up. And I was raised here not only by my parents, but by this community. And by and large, I want to give back to this community, that community that helped raise me."
Q: What are three key issues you believe need to be addressed by the next Montana legislature?
"Yeah, I have had the honor of knocking hundreds and hundreds of doors this summer, and there are several issues that come up time and time again. And they're the things that are important to me because I'm representing you. And those things are education, health care and property taxes. In terms of public education, I want to make sure that every child has access to a quality public education.
And so I will be championing that bills that make sure everyone has access to public education and that it's a quality public education. I am Montana's 2018 Teacher of the Year. Education is important to me. I still work in the school system, and so I have a real good idea about what's happening in schools today. I'm interested in working on our school funding formula.
When I'm knocking on doors, I hear time and time again that folks here, they're concerned about making sure kids have access, but also that that education is quality. I'm sure it won't be a surprise to you, but there's been stories in the paper about how public education in Helena right now has gone through some changes due to funding. And so last spring we saw articles about reducing force in the teacher force. We saw possible changes with how education was delivered. And so those things are important to me and it's what I hear on the doors. Folks can count on me to be advocating and working tirelessly to make sure we have a school funding formula that works for us and for our kids in terms of health care.
And so last spring we saw articles about reducing force in the teacher force. We saw possible changes with how education was delivered. And so those things are important to me and it's what I hear on the doors. Folks can count on me to be advocating and working tirelessly to make sure we have a school funding formula that works for us and for our kids in terms of health care.
I'm sure that is also not a surprise to you. Folks are concerned on the doors about their increase in property taxes, and I'm really excited to get to work on day one and work across the aisle because that is definitely going to be needed to come up with some solutions about how we can make sure that everyone is paying their fair share and that we do have a fair property tax system, not like the regressive tax system we have right now.
Q: Housing and property taxes are a key issue for many Montanans, what actions if any do you think the legislature should take?
"Great question. So you're absolutely right. I hear about property taxes on the doors day in and day out. I think that there are probably going to be solutions that I'm not aware of at the moment. But I a couple of the things that I'm thinking about is a true homestead exemption act where we could possibly lower the property tax value of homes. I think that we need to have a fair tax system. I think that our current tax system is regressive. I think that you know, if you're affording multimillion-dollar homes, that you should be able to pay your fair share. And our current tax system, I believe, disproportionately impacts our working families. And I am going to be advocating for tax systems and tax fairness for all Montanans so we can all stay here, thrive and benefit."
Q: This fall Montanans will be voting on access to abortion. What do you think the legislature’s role regarding abortion should be following that vote?
"Look, I am the candidate in this race that is here to protect Montanans privacy. I don't believe that the government should be telling us what books to read or who to love, or the number of guns in my gun safe. And I don't believe that government belongs in health care decisions. Those decisions belong between a woman, her family and her doctor and I will be a staunch advocate for protecting Montanans' privacy."
Q: Another issue impacting Montana families is childcare, are there actions you think the legislature could take to address the issue?
"That is such an important issue. In fact, I just came back from a trip to Washington, D.C., centered around child care. It's an issue that is near and dear to my heart and one that I've been advocating for since I was elected last term. I think there are a couple of things that we can look at when it comes to child care. I'm really interested in finding solutions and sponsoring bills that can increase the number of seats we have available for child care. I'm interested in increasing the pay that our child care workers receive right now. Many of our child care workers are at poverty level and rely on public assistance, and that's not right. So I'm interested in finding solutions.
Last session, I ran a bill that would have provided a tax credit for child care workers to be determined if I our run a similar bill. But I'm interested in continuing to look at solutions like that. And one of the big things I'm really interested in, in exploring for this next session is a possible child care trust fund. And so you can stay tuned for further information about that. I don't want to give away all my secrets yet, but I'm interested in definitely increasing access and affordability."
Q: Is there anything else you want to say that we haven't covered so far, or that you think voters should know?
"Yes, I would love people to just have a plan to vote. If you are not sure if you are registered to vote, please go to my website. Melissa from Montana dot com. You can find out all about how to make sure you're registered, where to go, how to vote. Everything that would be important to you on Election Day to make sure that your vote matters. I appreciate the time you took today to watch this interview. Please feel free to reach out any time. Again, my website is Melissa for Montana dot com. It is me on the other end and I look forward to having continued conversations."
