I am curious about Jefferson County voters who supported Greg DeVries with their votes. Did they really intend to elect a representative who doesn’t believe in public schools, or did they simply go down the ballot and vote straight party-line for Republicans?
Jefferson County has some of the best public schools in the state and nation. Most Jefferson County people are proud of that fact. Yet they voted for DeVries, someone who was clear in candidate forums and in his written comments that he doesn’t support public schools.
Rep. DeVries has already demonstrated his low opinion of our schools in the Montana legislature. He is one of three representatives, one of 3 out of 100, who voted against the bipartisan school funding bill that passed the House last week. That puts him in a tiny minority. He is the sponsor of HB 303 that would eliminate mandatory school enrollment and attendance. That is a radical proposal that most Montanans would oppose.
As a retired lobbyist who worked over 30 years to build support for schools, I worked closely with Republicans and Democrats. I believe educating our children is a bipartisan issue, the foundation of our democracy and one of the highest responsibilities of government. It saddens me that most Jefferson County voters voted for a candidate who doesn’t share that belief. – Terry Minow, Boulder
