Looking forward...

Happy New Year all. I hope you had a healthy and happy holiday season and are now finding yourselves ready to take on 2022.

Wow, it's hard to believe it's already 2022 - every year there is a bit of awkwardness around saying or writing a new year, somehow it just doesn't feel normal. That having been said, if we've learning nothing from the past two years, it's how to function with hiccups and uncertainties: having to cancel plans with family and friends, how to work on Zoom meetings instead of face to face, and for many, how to get work done with our kids around, learning and doing in front of us. The new year is always a time to think back on the highs and lows of the last year, and the hope of the new.

This year I look forward to solving some problems for you, specifically high taxes. As you know, we need good roads to keep us safe as we travel and to keep the economy strong (I think trucks and tourists). We need to support our strong public schools and maintain good health care for our elderly, veterans, families and individuals. We need housing for workers; there are some ways government can help there, through grants or tax breaks to lower rent and mortgages. I'm on Revenue Interim Committee which meets again later this month. We are taking deep dives into these issues and ways to lower property taxes.

I've also helped start an American-Irish Caucus and now I am on the national board for the American-Irish Legislative Caucus. My goal is to support the culture and love of Ireland in Montana but also to bring together Republicans and Democrats to focus on a common goal. Truth is, as I've mentioned before, I think we have much more in common than not, and if we focus on those things and stop pointing fingers, we'll get much more done for you.

Not sure how many of you had the chance to attend the Griz-Cat game in November, it was fun for me because I'm a Griz but it was also a great time for all of us to set aside our differences and enjoy life.

As always, don't hesitate to reach out to me: my cell is 406-274-3805 and my email is shannonformontana@gmail.com. I can't represent you well if you don't share your ideas and thoughts or questions with me. Together, we can make our world just a little bit better in 2022.