MATT GOURAS Associated Press Writer GREAT FALLS
Outgoing Sen. Conrad Burns vowed Thursday to continue his involvement in important Montana issues after he leaves office, telling farmers here, “You haven’t heard the last of us.” In his first major public speech since losing the Nov. 7 U.S. Senate election to Democrat Jon Tester, Burns told the Montana Grain Growers Association convention that he planned to remain involved in issues such as litigation reform, taxes and fighting environmentalists both in his last month in office and through a coalition he is helping organize. “These are the challenges I will work on til I draw my last breath,” he said. Burns told farmers he believes taxes on the wealthy are too high. “Everyone says you have to tax the rich and give to the poor. If you’re into wealth redistribution, that’s fine,” Burns said. “How much class warfare do you need?” Burns said he plans to spend the last month in office concentrating on addressing grain shipping rates for farmers and getting funding for an agricultural sciences building. At times, his comments sounded a bit like a campaign speech, although he later said he had no intention of running for office. “I’m to the age where I’d like to enjoy my granddaughter,” Burns said of his plans for the future. Burns, a Republican seeking his fourth term, lost to Tester in a very close race. Burns never made a public concession speech following the loss, instead issuing a brief written statement. He managed to joke about his loss, telling the convention: “That night, I slept like a baby I woke up every hour and cried.”
