Ag, rural issues focus in congressional candidate town hall

Staff and wire report

Some of Montana’s congressional candidates will be participating in a town hall this weekend of special interest to agricultural producers and residents of rural areas and communities, as well as the rest of the state.

The Montana Farmers Union 2022 Congressional Candidate Town Hall Saturday will focus on ag-related and rural community issues and is set to run from 7-8 p.m. at the Delta Hotels Helena Colonial-Marriott as the conclusion to the grassroots farm organization’s 107th Annual Convention.

All candidates for Montana’s District 1 and District 2 U.S. House seats have been invited, with Democrats Monica Tranel and Penny Ronning and independent Gary Buchanan committing as of last week, as has Libertarian Sam Lamb.

Republicans Ryan Zinke — who faces Tranel and Lamb in the general election — and incumbent Rep. Matt Rosendale — who faces Buchanan, Ronning and Libertarian Sam Rankin — declined to attend.

Rankin’s attendance was unknown as of Tuesday.

MFU President Walter Schweitzer said Zinke and Rosendale declining to attend is disappointing.

MFU said in a release that the public is welcome to attend the Town Hall, which will wrap up the two-day convention that has a slate full of policy debate, panel discussions, and workshops centered on family farms and ranches.

The Town Hall will be moderated by veteran political reporter Mike Dennison and will be broadcast on television and radio statewide — thanks to ABC Fox, Northern Ag Network, and their affiliates, MFU said — to give candidates an opportunity to reach as many Montanans as possible before the general election.

“This is one of the only chances for people across Montana to see the candidates live on television answering questions that are not just canned questions and that are not only important to farmers but to people across the state,” Dennison said in a release about the forum.

Candidates will have one minute to answer questions, leaving time to cover a broad range of topics, and the live format provides voters with a chance to see candidates under pressure, Dennison said.

Sponsoring the debate is a natural extension of MFU principles of education, legislation and cooperation, Schweitzer said.

“This is an opportunity for MFU to educate our legislative leaders on the issues that are important to rural Montana,” Schweitzer said in the release.

“Both in Helena and in Washington, D.C., we work across both sides of the aisle to get member-driven policies supported by lawmakers,” he said, adding that MFU is a nonpartisan organization.

Representatives who are supportive of agriculture are key to a beneficial overhaul of the Farm Bill, especially to tackle issues such as corporate control, fair prices and labeling, and sustainability for family farms and ranches, Schweitzer said.

“It’s more important now than ever for representatives from Montana to focus on issues like sustainability and transition of the family farm. Montana’s farm population is aging, and we need to incentivize and encourage the next generation of farmers. The Farm Bill can make that happen,” he said.

Town Hall attendees are encouraged to also sign up to attend events throughout the two-day conferenceFriday and Saturday, the MFU press release said.

More information about the MFU State Convention can be found at https://montanafarmersunion.com .