For months now, Montanans have suffered a barrage of op-eds from legislators — among them
Josh Kassmier, David Bedey, John Fitzpatrick, Brad Barker, and Llew Jones — defending their
disastrous tax shift and other Democrat bills they passed, not to mention the Republican ones
they killed. Their defense has relied on misdirection and misinformation instead of the reality we
hear about from everyday Montanans, who are seeing higher tax bills and a state government that
doesn’t reflect how red Montana has become.

Here is the real question: are the likes of Kassmier prepared to defend their positions on the
debate stage? Having Democrat PR firms write material defending their bills is easy, but getting
in front of a Republican crowd to debate the heart of the issue is hard, yet exactly what voters
deserve.

The Montana Republican Party is holding its Winter Kickoff in Great Falls on February 6-7. Not
only is it inviting all Republican candidates and grassroots activists to attend, but it’s inviting
voices on both sides of the tax shift issue to formally debate it there.

Kassmier has called on Republicans to hold a hasty special session on the taxpayer dime to
address the tax shift’s consequences, an admission that their property tax bills are flawed. As
much as Kassmier loves using taxpayer dollars, our solution of a February debate is the better
choice. Special sessions have their time and place but holding one before the end of January is
both irresponsible and impossible, and Kassmier knows it.

Contrary to Kassmier’s claims, the Montana Republican Party’s newly founded Red Policy
Committee has been hard at work developing real solutions for property taxes, election integrity,
judicial transparency, and a host of other issues. You can hear about those at the Winter Kickoff
as well.

Let’s not forget: Kassmier spent most of the past legislative session huddling with Democrats
and defending the misconduct of Jason Ellsworth alongside those very same Democrats. Had he
been paying more attention, he would have known there were other property tax proposals on the
table with plenty of time to pass them. Instead, he just helped manufacture drama that obstructed
the work of the Republicans he criticizes.

Both sides seem to agree that policy disagreements are a natural part of our constitutional
republic. Where we seem to diverge is whether candidates should call themselves Republicans
when they repeatedly disregard Republican principles and vote against fundamental Republican
policies.

The call for a special session before the end of January is unserious. Our invitation to debate the
tax shift is genuine. Let us honor the legacy of Charlie Kirk and compete in the marketplace of
ideas on our own dime and our own time — not the taxpayers’.

Representative Tom Millett
House District 2

Published in Lee Enterprises newspapers January 3, 2026
https://helenair.com/opinion/column/article_84039ec7-1640-55cf-a49a-9a0c38858b86.html