Lotton thanks legislators for work done in Helena

A Havre businessman praised the local legislators during a Havre video conference with them in Helena Wednesday.

"Thank you for what you have done in office, " Brad Lotton said during the video conference. "I realize this Wednesday thing gets into a kind of a complaining thing, but thank you for all you guys have done and good luck in the last week, " he said.

Lotton said he appreciated the work done on several issues, starting with revisions to the state's worker's compensation program.

The bill signed by Gov. Brian Schweitzer was a revision of the bill passed by the House, including components of a bill drafted by a legislative interim committee.

"I was disappointed that the governor wasn't pro-business enough to actually sign the bill the way you originally had it, but anything is appreciated, " Lotton said.

He also praised work done to reduce regulations on landlords — getting things like "carbon monoxide (detectors), ridiculous stuff, and those kinds of things under control, " and in reductions to duplication in state government that will help people on the business front.

"And that you're working on getting the (Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Environmental Quality) and their regulations — if we build a doghouse we have to take care of all these things — I'm glad you're trying to get them under check, " Lotton said.