Experience

  • Dave is an effective Legislator. In the 2005 session, no other freshman legislator passed more bills than Dave (6). In the 2007 session Dave was elected Minority Whip.
  • Early-endorsed by the MEA-MFT (the Teachers union) January 2008.
  • 100% voting record with the Montana Conservation Voters. Endorsed in April 2008.
  • Endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice (May 2008): Dave believes the choice should be between a woman and her doctor.
  • Dave helped write I-149, which created new health insurance programs for small business employees and owners.
  • Dave helped AARP design the prescription drug assistance funded by the new tax on cigarettes.
  • A longtime supporter of the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP), Dave would like to get more Montana children health insurance through CHIP.
  • Dave voted for the job training investment funds, which brought 1,200 new Direct TV jobs to Missoula.
  • By supporting Gov. Schweitzer’s educational funding increase during the 2005 and 2007 Sessions, Dave not only gave education a historic 27% increase in state funds, his vote actually took pressure off local homeowners property tax bills. More needs to be done, but it will take time to repair the damage to K-12 ed funding in past decades.
  • Dave supports Gov. Schweitzer and his effort to get corporations to pay more of their fair share of taxes, which in recent years have been shifted onto homeowners. As a member of the Tax Committee he has provided the leadership to close those loopholes.
  • Dave thinks neighborhoods should be preserved through appropriate zoning standards. That is why he managed Sen. Cocchiarella’s bill in 2005 to enforce local zoning on the House floor and got the support of 18 Republicans and all 50 Democrats to pass the bill.