Issues
Brad Johnson works across party lines to get the job done for Montana. Across the board, he delivers real results on a wide variety of issues that matter to people.
Montana elections are among the cleanest, fairest elections in the nation. In large part that’s because of the dedicated, talented county election administrators who do the hard work of making them happen.
Our laws are just as much a fundamental part of our election system. Brad Johnson worked closely with Rep. Brady Wiseman (D-Bozeman) on the law that required paper ballots for all Montana elections. While other states experience controversy and difficulty over their electronic voting machines, every single Montana vote is counted from a paper ballot.
Brad also implemented the Statewide Voter Registration database, which helps prevent voter fraud and reduces the need for provisional ballots. When an individual registered in one Montana county moves to a different Montana county and wants to register and vote on the same day, the Statewide Voter Registration System enables county officials to change their registration right away, rather than requiring them to cast a provisional ballot and verify their change of residence later.
When he first ran for Secretary of State, Brad pledged to bring the office into the 21st century. Since being sworn in, he has implemented online candidate filing, saving postage and travel expenses for political candidates as well as office costs.
Common-sense Natural Resource Policy
Brad Johnson sits on the state’s five member land board. There, he has consistently voted for wise development of our natural resources. He’s been a strong voice for developing timber, wind energy, and coal and other minerals. Brad is a strong supporter of private property rights.
Brad is pro-life, period. In his address to the 2008 Republican Party Winter Kickoff, he quoted Ronald Reagan: “Our liberty springs from and depends on an abiding faith in God.” The Secretary of State’s office works with families adopting new children, and Brad’s speeches often make reference to how quickly that process will teach one the value of life.
The Secretary of State’s office is funded entirely by business fees, and Montana maintains among the lowest business fees in the nation. During Brad Johnson’s tenure, not one business reporting fee has been raised. By focusing on online services, Brad saved the fee-paying businesses of Montana more than $100,000. In a second term, Brad plans to move more and more business services online, continuing his drive to bring the office into the 21st century.
Brad Johnson is a gun-owner, a life member of the National Rifle Association, and a stalwart defender of our right to keep and bear arms. He often says, “The Second Amendment means what it says. Period.” He recently worked with the Montana Shooting Sports Association to urge the Supreme Court to overturn Washington, D.C.’s ban on handguns. Gun shows are a frequent stop for Secretary of State’s office staff, encouraging voter registration among gun owners. And Brad has a history of donating a rifle to be auctioned at local NRA banquets bearing the message, “Our right to vote protects our right to keep and bear arms, and our right to keep and bear arms protects our right to vote.”
In conjunction with Chairman Carl Venne of the Crow Nation, Brad Johnson recently completed an historic, first-of-its-kind agreement between the Crow Tribe and the Montana Secretary of State’s office. Because liens are filed in the Secretary of State’s office, Brad was able to work with Chairman Venne to make liens enforceable on the reservation for the first time. This will make it easier and safer for banks to loan money on the Crow Reservation, which will make it easier to start a small business and easier to create new jobs.
As Secretary of State, Brad Johnson plays an important role in civic education for Montana schoolchildren. He organized “Constitution Day” in 2006 and “Liberty Day” in 2007, both opportunities for students to study America’s founding documents and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
As a member of the land board, Brad has voted over and over again to improve funding for education without raising taxes. Money raised by leasing state lands goes to the school trust. At a time when Montana’s education system finds itself repeatedly sued for not funding schools equally, Brad has a record of improving funding without burdening the taxpayers of Montana.
Brad Johnson is a friend to Montana’s business community. Under his tenure, mandatory annual reporting for businesses has moved largely online, saving businesses time. It also saves on fees assessed by the office, which has enabled Brad to maintain his record of not raising business fees while he’s been in office. For the future, Brad plans to offer even more services to business online as a means of reducing the paperwork and hassle that businesses experience when working with the government.
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