House candidate Hutchinson unveils plans before Pachyderms

Darrold Hutchinson is a renaissance man of sorts. He has been a teacher, farmer, business owner, aviator and aerial firefighter.

Now he hopes to add state lawmaker to his already eclectic resume.

"I'm having fun going door to door and visiting people and seeing what their needs are," Hutchinson said Friday as he spoke before a gathering of the local Pachyderm Club.

Hutchinson, 64, of Hingham, is running for state representative in House District 27, which spans from the Canadian border down to the northernmost part of Cascade County.

It's his second campaign for the seat.

Hutchinson mounted an unsuccessful primary challenge against incumbent Roy Hollandsworth, R-Brady, in 2014, losing by 504 votes.

He is running against James O'Hara, a former Choteau County Commissioner from Fort Benton in the Republican primary. The winner will face Ryan Rominger, a Democrat and political newcomer who lives in Floweree in November.

Hollandsworth is unable to seek re-election due to term limits.

A native of southeast Wyoming, Hutchinson graduated from the University of Wyoming with a bachelor's degree in vocational ag education. He taught vocational ag at the Laramie Number 2 School District in 1976. Two years later he moved with his wife, Mary, to the farm she grew up in north of Hingham where they have lived ever since. They have three adult sons.

Hutchinson took up organic farming and learned to fly planes, eventually starting his own crop spraying business. Eleven years ago, when business began to die down, he took a job as a tanker pilot or aerial firefighter, helping extinguish wildfires throughout the western United States.

Hutchinson said his background operating a small business and regularly dealing with state and federal government agencies would work to his benefit in Helena.

If elected, Hutchinson said he does not have much of an agenda.

Two years ago when he first ran, he said people were concerned about the size, scope and cost of government, which he said is still a big concern.

"People would like to see less government, or government streamlined, and that government shouldn't cost as much as it does," he said.

To that end, Hutchinson said rather than go to Helena with an ambitious legislative agenda, his focus would likely be more about thwarting the passage or implementation of what he deems needless legislation that expands state government.

One long-term project he said he would like to work on, however, is a proposal that would allow counties and districts to take leftover money they receive from the state for a given item and put that money in a fund. With the permission of voters at the local level the money could then be used for a local project.

Hutchinson said another concern he has heard about is taxes. He said people are telling him property taxes have risen lately.

He said he wants to look at either revising or doing away with the class A tax on business equipment.

Montana is one of only five states that does not have a state sales tax, according to the Tax Foundation. Hutchinson said he would support the creation of a statewide sales tax.

Hutchinson said he thinks a sales tax is a fair way of generating revenue and is one that can be controlled by individuals when they spend money on products.

"So if they spend money, they pay more taxes the more money they spend, but everybody would pay their share of their tax when they spend money," he said.

However, he acknowledges that such legislation is unlikely to come before the Legislature and the chances are slim that he would ever push for such legislation.

When asked by a member of the audience whether he would support raising the state's 27.75-cent tax on gasoline, which helps pay for the state's infrastructure, Hutchinson was emphatic in his opposition.

"I would not support an increase. I don't care if it's one cent," he said. "I am still adamant, I will not support an increase in the tax of gas and diesel fuels."

Hutchinson did acknowledge that the roads and other infrastructure throughout the state needs to be maintained and repaired, though he does not know yet how that would be paid for.

Hutchinson said he would oppose efforts to bring universal pre-kindergarten programs to Montana. The Treasure State is one of the few that does not offer universal pre-K programs.

"I don't know that we need it, I guess," Hutchinson said. "I got through school without it, my kids got through school without it."

He said while there might be some education benefits to it, he does not know if it is needed and worries that it could eventually turn into a costly child care program.

The Medicaid expansion that passed during the last legislative session is something Hutchinson said will cost the taxpayers "a whole lot of money."

Still, he said, many of the 38,298 who have applied since the expansion began January 1 are already dependent on it for their health care needs. He said he thinks a better alternative needs to be implemented before it is repealed.

Last session there was a spirited debate about whether or not the state should take a larger role in managing public lands in Montana.

Hutchinson said that while the state might be able to better manage those lands, it is unlikely the state would have the money, manpower and infrastructure required to do so.

"It's just mind-boggling the amount of money and resources it would take," he said.

The Republican primary is June 7.