Skip to main content
A Podcast Runs Through It

A Podcast Runs Through It

By Montanans For Montana

From Livingston, Montana, on the banks of the Yellowstone River, a group of seasoned political progressives gather at SoundColor Studios to cook up factual, informative, and thoughtful conversations with politicians, those who hope to be politicians, historians, artists and other interesting people. The main ingredient is politics, but occasionally a splash of Montana flavored culture and history is on the menu.
Available on
Apple Podcasts Logo
Google Podcasts Logo
Overcast Logo
Pocket Casts Logo
RadioPublic Logo
Spotify Logo
Currently playing episode

Money Changes Everything

A Podcast Runs Through ItFeb 01, 2020

00:00
01:20:09
Montana Local Candidates

Montana Local Candidates

In the Montana 2020 General Election the good citizens of Park and Sweetgrass Counties have an opportunity to elect two qualified and experienced Democratic candidates to the Montana House of Representatives. In this episode we interview Dan Vermillion running for Montana House District 59, and incumbent Laurie Bishop running for her third term for Montana House District 60.

Oct 20, 202059:13
Montana Statewide Candidates

Montana Statewide Candidates

In the 2020 General Election Montanans have an opportunity to elect a slate of the most  qualified, experienced, authentic, and dedicated group of Democratic candidates into Montana federal and statewide offices. In this episode we interview three of the Montana statewide candidates, Raph Graybill running for Attorney General, Bryce Bennett running for Secretary of State, and Melissa Romano running for Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Oct 17, 202001:02:00
Jon Tester - Montana U.S. Senator

Jon Tester - Montana U.S. Senator

In this interview we talk with Montana’s senior, three-term U.S. Senator Jon Tester about his new book, “Grounded, A Senator’s Lessons on Winning Back Rural America”. Also discussed are his views about the extreme partisanship of today’s political climate, what’s at stake for Montana and  the country in the upcoming 2020 elections, and the importance of voting in this election. And there was an interesting phone interruption......

Oct 11, 202042:21
Montana 2020 General Election - Part 4

Montana 2020 General Election - Part 4

Superintendent of Public Instruction and U.S. Senate -

This episode includes a breakdown of the two offices and information on the candidates, Melissa Romano (Democrat) and Elsie Arntzen (Incumbent Republican) running for Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Steve Bullock (Democrat) and Steve Daines (Incumbent Republican) running for U.S. Senate.

Sep 13, 202001:01:37
Montana 2020 General Election - Part 3

Montana 2020 General Election - Part 3

Public Service Commission District 3 and U.S. House of Representatives -

This episode includes a breakdown of the two offices and information on the candidates, Tom Woods (Democrat) and James Brown (Republican) running for Public Service Commission District 3, and Kathleen Williams (Democrat) and Matt Rosendale (Republican) running for U.S. House of Representatives.

Aug 28, 202001:03:25
Montana 2020 General Election Series - Part 2

Montana 2020 General Election Series - Part 2

Attorney General and Governor/Lieutenant Governor -

This episode includes a breakdown of the two offices and information on the candidates, Raph Graybill (Democrat) and Austin Knudsen (Republican) running for Attorney General, and Mike Cooney/Casey Schreiner (Democrats) and Greg Gianforte/Kirsten Juras (Republicans) running for Governor/Lieutenant Governor.

Aug 22, 202001:14:10
Montana 2020 General Election Series - Part 1

Montana 2020 General Election Series - Part 1

Secretary of State and State Auditor and Securities and Insurance Commissioner - This episode includes a breakdown of the two offices and information on the candidates, Bryce Bennett (Democrat) and Christi Jacobsen (Republican) running for Secretary of State, and Shane Morigeau (Democrat) and Troy Downing (Republican) running for State Auditor and Securities and Insurance Commissioner.

In this 4-part series we will cover the federal and statewide offices that will be on the ballot in the 2020 General Election. Our intention is to provide information about the offices so you, the voters, understand how the office serves you. We will also provide information about the candidates, where they stand on issues, their political experience, and whether or not their background record lines up with what they say they will do for you if you give them your vote.

Full disclosure, ours is not a non-biased or non-partisan point of view. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the healthcare, economic, racial equality, and climate crisis our state and country are facing, this will be the most important election of our lifetime. We need to elect politicians who are experienced, intelligent, and know how to use the tools of government to find solutions to these critical problems based on reason and science, not self interest or ideology. After extensive research of both the Democratic and Republican candidates, it was clear to us who would better serve the citizens of Montana.

Aug 07, 202001:01:55
Dan Vermillion - Candidate for Montana House District 59

Dan Vermillion - Candidate for Montana House District 59

In this remote interview we talk with Dan Vermillion who is running for Montana House District 59, a mostly rural district comprised of parts of Sweetgrass County and Park County outside of Livingston. A lifelong Montanan and avid hunter and fisherman, Vermillion is co-owner, along with his brothers, of Sweetwater Travel which runs sustainably managed fishing camps and lodges in Mongolia, Brazil, Alaska, British Columbia, the Bahamas and Montana. He also served twelve years on the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission, and as a commissioner worked extensively with ranchers and farmers, sportsmen, outdoorsmen, and business owners from both sides of the aisle to find solutions to the problems Montanans face to preserve and protect our wild places and natural resources while promoting economic opportunities.

We discuss the challenges of running a political campaign in the age of COVID-19 and how the pandemic will intensify the issues Montanans are already facing such as healthcare, mental health and social services, affordable housing and unemployment. We talk about the economic effect the virus will have on Montana’s second largest and growing industry, travel and tourism, and how in this time of political polarization it’s important to work together in a bi-partisan way to address these issues and not settle for short term solutions at the expense of jeopardizing Montana’s great outdoor heritage by relaxing regulations to increase mining and logging instead of promoting tourism. “You can find gold in other places, you can find copper in other places, but there’s no other place in the world where you can find a Yellowstone Cutthroat.”

Jun 01, 202001:00:41
American Civil Liberties Union Montana

American Civil Liberties Union Montana

Since 1920, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a bi-partisan organization, has fought tirelessly to protect the rights and liberties enshrined by our Constitution to every individual in our country. In the 100 years since its founding, the ACLU has expanded to include over 4 million members and supporters and has chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C.

In this, our second remote interview, we talk with Alex Rate, Legal Director for the Montana chapter of the ACLU. We begin our conversation with a discussion about the case brought by the Montana ACLU regarding the threat of COVID-19 to Montana’s incarcerated population. Also discussed are important cases involving indigenous voter rights, the Border Patrol detaining two women for speaking Spanish, and an LGBTQ transgender rights case. We also talk about a shocking case involving fully armed bounty hunters bursting into the bedroom of a sleeping Montana family in the wee hours of the morning to collect a $115 bond. Perhaps most alarming, we discuss the cases involving the Keystone XL Pipeline construction in Montana and the secret and weaponizing preparations state and federal agencies are taking to treat protesters as terrorists. We also talk about how the ACLU chooses which cases to pursue, and in the Trump era, there are certainly a great deal of challenges to our Constitutional rights to keep up with.

So long as we have enough people in this country willing to fight for their rights, we’ll be called a democracy.” - ACLU founder Roger Baldwin

To learn more and to join ACLU MT : https://www.aclumontana.org/

May 10, 202001:00:55
“Natural Rivals” a Conversation with Author John Clayton

“Natural Rivals” a Conversation with Author John Clayton

In this, our last live interview before COVID-19 and social distancing required us to go remote, we sat down with John Clayton, to talk about his latest book, “Natural Rivals”, subtitled “John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, and the Creation of America’s Public Lands.” John shares how he came across an account of Muir and Pinchot camping together in 1896 at Lake McDonald in what is now Glacier National Park. He realized they were not fighting but were collaborating on finding a solution to the crisis of how to define and protect the idea of public lands, national parks, and national forests. A political battle was raging. Corruption and dysfunction in government were rampant. Robber barons were building political and financial power at the expense of human and natural resources and were degrading the environment. Scientists were being ignored. At the same time, the public was growing more and more alarmed about the loss of natural habitats, wildlife, and resources. Vast expanses of the nation’s forests were being cleared at an unsustainable rate, the passenger pigeon had gone extinct and it looked as though bison would soon follow. It was at this time that the two men, in spite of their differences, came together to form an alliance that would result in the 1897 Organic Act, a law that established the legal idea of public lands and out of which the U.S. Forest Service would emerge. Describing their different philosophies, John says, “Preservation and conservation have a lot more in common when both are set against the wanton exploitation of natural resources for immediate private gain. But they also have some conflicts with each other if you are going to preserve a spot in nature as Muir would have encouraged you to do. It would look a lot like wilderness.” We talk about how the conflict of preservation -vs- conservation continues to this day, with wildly varying views about public land use and expanding wilderness areas. Complicating the argument, the Trump administration has placed a man known for wanting to get rid of all public lands, William Perry Pendley, at the head of the BLM, the very agency that is charged with protecting and managing them. We also discuss the parallels between the division created in the crisis of the 1890’s and what our country is facing today with the climate crisis and the misery it will cause on a global scale. Again, corporate greed and wanton environmental degradation is rampant. Governmental corruption and dysfunction prevail. And again, science is being ignored.

Apr 26, 202043:04
Covid-19 In Montana: April 6, 2020

Covid-19 In Montana: April 6, 2020

In this, our first remote interview, we talk with Raph Graybill, Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Steve Bullock who’s work on the Governor’s Coronavirus Task Force involves the Governor’s Directives in response to the crisis such as closing schools and businesses, stay at home directives, all mail ballots in the June primary, and other actions necessary to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 in the state. In this interview Raph gives us a look inside the decision-making process that informs the actions Governor Bullock has taken to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.  He explains how, prior to declaring a State of Emergency in Montana on March 13, 2020, Governor Bullock established the Coronavirus Task Force. The Task Force is made up of representatives from the Department of Military Affairs (the agency that runs both the Montana National Guard and the Department of Emergency Services), the Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Labor Department, the Department of Education, the Montana Chief Medical Officer, epidemiologists, doctors and other public health officials. He describes how the Governor’s office and various Montana agencies have been monitoring the coronavirus since it emerged out of Asia, began spreading across the globe, flared up in western Washington state, and continued to spread across the United States. By setting up the task force in advance and through surveillance gathering from the time Covid-19 first emerged, the Governor’s Coronavirus Task Force has set up a structure to quickly respond to the issues this pandemic presents to the health and safety of all Montanans.

For a comprehensive overview of the Governor’s Coronavirus Task Force and to get the latest information regarding Covid-19 visit the website:  https://covid19.mt.gov/

Note: For more on Raph Graybill listen to APRTI Episode 17, February 17, 2020, Raph Graybill, Candidate for Attorney General.

Apr 11, 202051:60
Montana Conservation Voters

Montana Conservation Voters

Editor’s note: When this interview was recorded on 03/12/20 Montana had just reported our first case of Covid-19. Since then we’ve entered a strange new world of school and business closures, social distancing, stay at home orders, hundreds of cases of Covid-19 and sadly, deaths. Please take care of yourselves and others by following Covid-19 public safety protocols and please stay informed.

Montana Conservation Voters (MCV) has been the leading guardian of environmental and conservation values in Montana for over 20 years. Over 70% of Montanans - Democrats, Republicans, and Independents - identify as conservationists who care about public lands, clean water and clean air, and MCV serves as their political voice and advocates on their behalf. We sat down with Executive Director, Aaron Murphy, and Deputy Director, Whitney Tawney, for a lively conversation about the work MCV is doing through their various branches. The MCV Education Fund, a non-profit, non-partisan organization focuses on involving citizens in the democratic process by educating voters about critical conservation and environmental issues, promoting non-partisan civic engagement, and holding elected officials accountable at every level of government from the courthouse to Congress. Their PAC’s, MCV Action Fund and MCV Federal Action Fund work to elect, support, and hold accountable candidates running for and holding elected positions who support protecting the environment and our public lands heritage. We talk about how voters can use their MCV Legislative Score Card to see how their elected officials follow through on their commitment to protecting public lands and the environment before casting their votes. We also discuss the Land and Water Conservation Fund which collects revenue from offshore oil and gas developments and funnels those critical funds into public lands through the Interior Department. While Montana’s federal congressional delegation all refer to themselves as champions of public lands, Senator Tester has worked to insist Congress allocates full funding, while Senator Daines and Congressman Gianforte have failed to stand up for Montana’s public lands. We also discuss MCV’s Montana Engagement Project which beginning in spring of  2020 will be conducting a field program, “The Keystone Canvass”, a boots on the ground operation in Eastern Montana which will focus on the impact of the Keystone XL Pipeline on communities along the route and will work directly with voters to address their concerns and build a conservation voter movement. A Podcast Runs Through It is proud to say we fully endorse Montana Conservation Voters and encourage our listeners to join their organization in the fight to protect Montana’s clean water, clean air, and public lands.

Link to MCV’s Top 10 Projects of 2019- 2020:  https://youtu.be/zcguZ3TmCpM

Apr 04, 202054:36
Whitney Williams - Candidate for Governor

Whitney Williams - Candidate for Governor

Montana candidate for governor, Whitney Williams sat down with us to talk about why she decided to enter the arena. She talks about her experience as founder and CEO of williamsworks, a strategy and management consultancy where the motto is “We believe anything is possible. And that we can improve countless lives by partnering with extraordinary people to help realize their most ambitious visions.” She says her business experience gives her a unique perspective in management and problem solving. By bringing everyone to the table, including unlikely allies, and asking the right questions while listening to all concerns to find common ground, she says she has what it takes to solve the problems challenging our state. She talks about growing up in a household with a rich history of political service. Her father, former Congressman Pat Williams, was Montana’s longest serving member of congress. And her mother, Carol Williams, was the first female Minority and Majority Leader in the Montana Senate. Whitney says her politically influenced background, her business experience, and her determined commitment to find solutions to the problems Montanans are facing give her a unique perspective to take on these challenges. We discuss several issues including healthcare, transparency in drug pricing, education, moving to a clean energy future, universal pre-K, pathways to better paying jobs, protecting public lands and promoting Montana’s outdoor industry, affordable housing, and money in politics.

Mar 18, 202001:04:51
Tom Winter - Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives

Tom Winter - Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives

Tom Winter, incumbent Montana District 96 House member, and candidate for U.S. House of Representatives (whose campaign is the first in Montana history to unionize), talks about what motivated him to jump into politics. After watching a family member with a chronic illness struggle to manage day to day life, and then hearing his local state rep refer to people on Medicaid Expansion as “freeloaders”, he decided to run for office. What followed was a life changing and successful campaign in a Republican district followed by his first legislative session in which he introduced 24 bills and passed 4 of them. He describes his experience in politics as and the hardest thing he’s ever done, yet he finds it truly fulfilling. On his philosophy of public service, he says, “Government can be a force for good, and we don’t need to apologize for that.” In this very personal interview we cover a broad range of issues including a deep dive into health care, the question of why should it be so difficult to pass the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women Act (MMIW), the real economy and jobs, and a need to change the way we do things in politics. “Government done well expresses the will of the people and the will of the community, and the will of the community and the will of the people should be their own wellbeing.”

Feb 29, 202001:03:54
Raph Graybill - Candidate for Attorney General of Montana

Raph Graybill - Candidate for Attorney General of Montana

Raph Graybill, Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Steve Bullock and candidate for Attorney General, talks about his experience going from a kid growing up in Great Falls to patrolling the streets of New York City as a volunteer auxiliary police officer while attending Columbia University. On the role of Attorney General, he views it as enforcement focused and a counterbalance to power and says he will protect Montanan’s privacy rights and work to lower prescription drug prices. On the issue of money in politics, dark money, he says, “I think it’s sort of a bottleneck issue that if we don’t figure out, we’re not going to get meaningful change on anything else.” He talks about how in 2013 he helped write the Trace Act which later became the Disclose Act. He also discusses his role in the Espinoza -vs- The Montana Department of Revenue case which recently came before the U.S. Supreme Court. He talks about writing Governor Bullock’s executive order protecting net neutrality in Montana which became a template that other states have used, and his role in helping to pass Montana’s first-in-the-nation statewide ban on foreign influence in elections. On the importance of protecting Montana’s public lands, he talks about  winning a recent Montana Supreme Court case to protect “Habitat Montana”, a 30-year-old open space program that benefits landowners, sportsmen, and outdoor recreation through conservation easements on hundreds of thousands of acres throughout the state.

Feb 17, 202056:45
Mike Cooney - Candidate for Governor

Mike Cooney - Candidate for Governor

We sat down with Lieutenant Governor, Mike Cooney, to talk about his candidacy for Governor and the issues that are important to him. He shares his views about healthcare, prescription drug costs, improving public education including a pre-K program, protecting Montana’s aging population, and addressing climate change. On protecting Montana’s public lands and outdoor heritage he says, “I want the same thing for all Montanans that I want for my kids and grandkids, to be able to be given a better Montana than what I was given, and pass it on to the next generation in even better shape.”  We also discuss his long history of public service in Montana beginning in 1976 when he was elected to the Montana House where he served two terms, followed by several years working for U.S. Senator Max Baucus at the state level and in Washington, D.C., then on to three terms as Montana Secretary of State, followed by his work for the nonprofit Healthy Mothers where he helped Montanans gain access to the CHIP program, then two terms in the Montana Senate where he was elected president, followed by several positions in the Montana Department of Labor. In 2014 he was tapped by Governor Steve Bullock to be Lieutenant Governor. It’s his broad experience in both elected positions and state agencies that he feels make him uniquely qualified as governor, “I know how to push government to make it work, and I know how to make sure people’s voices are heard.”

Feb 10, 202055:06
Money Changes Everything

Money Changes Everything

In the age of Citizens United, dark money can influence political races at every level from U. S. President to county clerk. Data mining is being used to strategically target and manipulate unsuspecting voters. Candidates need to raise record breaking amounts of money just to compete. Long held ethical political practices continue to collapse. The 2020 election cycle is in full swing and the rules are already in place, but we want to start a conversation about what we can do going forward to stop this situation from continuing in the future. How do we bring real campaign finance reform into the political conversation?

Earlier this month as we were preparing to post our candidate interview episode featuring Montana Governor candidate Reilly Neill, she contacted us to let us know she was withdrawing from the race. Since campaign financing was one of the reasons she withdrew, we asked her to sit down with us and talk about her campaign experience and her ideas about how candidates and voters can navigate the system as it is now, and work together to change it going forward.

We also asked our local House Dist. 60 Representative Laurie Bishop to join us and talk about her views on the issue from a legislative perspective. She further defines the issue, talks about her own experiences, and offers some great advice to voters on how they can deal with the conflicting information overload they’re getting.


Feb 01, 202001:20:09
Shane Morigeau - Candidate for Montana State Auditor

Shane Morigeau - Candidate for Montana State Auditor

We sat down with current Montana State Senator and Minority Whip, Shane Morigeau to talk about his candidacy for State Auditor, also known as the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance. Quite possibly the least understood agency in Montana Government, Shane explains what the office does, and how he plans to improve the agency to better protect the citizens of Montana from insurance and financial fraud. The first step, he says, is educating the public, “How do you know how to get help from a state agency if you don’t know what they have to offer?” He also talks about the importance of having a seat on the Land Board and his commitment to protecting public lands.

Jan 16, 202001:09:30
Bryce Bennett - Candidate for MT Secretary of State

Bryce Bennett - Candidate for MT Secretary of State

Bryce Bennett, four term Representative in the Montana House and current member of the Montana Senate, talks about his legislative experience and how always being in the minority has taught him the importance of forming working bi-partisan coalitions.  He talks about his decision to run for MT Secretary of State, not as a steppingstone for his personal political future, but as an authentic commitment to improve the lives of everyday Montanans.  On voting, he discusses expanding voter rights, increasing election security by partnering with the National Guard to prevent hacking into the Montana voting system, developing automatic voter registration, and improving the mail ballot system.  On Montana’s business services he talks about making the registration process more user friendly and accessible and giving small businesses a voice at the table.  On the Land Board he talks about the importance of protecting Montana’s public land accessibility and allowing for more public easements that Montana private landowners are asking for.

Dec 31, 201946:53
Livingston Holiday Special Featuring Michael Kardoes, Livingston City Manager

Livingston Holiday Special Featuring Michael Kardoes, Livingston City Manager

We dedicate this special episode of A Podcast Runs Through It to the City of Livingston, and to all who live in the city and surrounding area. We all share a common bond, our gratitude to be able to live in such a beautiful and unique community. We all share a love for the beautiful outdoor spaces that surround us. We enjoy the rich cultural opportunities available to us through the many art galleries, theatres, coffee houses, businesses, bars, and restaurants that make up our eclectic downtown area.   The Park County Museum holds the history of our past. Our many schools prepare the promise of our future. Our houses of worship feed our souls. The historic architecture throughout our community, including our cherished Carnegie Library and our beautiful Post Office Building (listed in the National Register of Historic Places), stand today as a reminder of the vision of those who lived here before us. Finally, and ultimately, it’s the spirit and diversity of the people who love and care for this community that make it the special place that it is.

We recorded this episode live from SoundColor Studios, located in the Lincoln School Foundation Building, during their annual Holiday Sale and Open House. We began with a series of short interviews with some of Livingston’s youngest citizens to get their thoughts on the upcoming Christmas Holiday.

The interviewees in order:  Alice (12) and Annie (10), Charley (13) and Ben (11), Emery (9), Weston (11), Ole (10), and Chloe and Sophia (both 9).

Next, we have our interview with Livingston City Manager Michael Kardoes. We open this interesting and broad ranging interview by asking Mike to explain how our local system, a non-partisan commission  management system of government, works and its advantages. We go on to cover a broad range of issues including taxes, planning, zoning, the impacts of the climate emergency, the 5th Street Crossing, the proverbial  under/overpass, development, and growth. Throughout the interview you can see how his uniquely integrated, intuitive, and 50 to 100 year perspective approach to problem solving has resulted in significant results for the city. Some examples  would be the new Water Treatment Plant, the positions of an Early Childhood Coordinator and an Energy Intern. We also discuss the Livingston Strategic Plan, the need for a new growth policy, and what the city has done with its website to upgrade full public disclosure and encourage public participation.  We also talk about how our community is unique in that the citizens of our community are very much involved in local issues, and how the city values and encourages their input. For those who care about our local governance, there’s a lot of information in this interview and it’s well worth taking the time to unpack it.

Dec 23, 201901:30:04
Casey Schreiner - Candidate for Governor of Montana

Casey Schreiner - Candidate for Governor of Montana

We sat down with Montana House Minority Leader and Democratic candidate  for Governor, Casey Schreiner, who, in spite of being in the minority,  managed to lead a bi-partisan effort to achieve some major legislative  accomplishments in the 2019 session including protecting Medicare  expansion, passing the Firefighters Health and Safety Bill, and major  funding for infrastructure projects. His personal belief that having an  honest, informed, and practical approach to problem solving follows the  manner in which most Montanan’s expect their government to work. He  talks about how his own experiences with inadequate healthcare, being a  parent of a special-needs child, personal job loss, and carrying student  loan debt help inform him about the needs of everyday Montanans. He  feels his personal experience, combined with his legislative and  administrative experience make him uniquely qualified to be Governor.  Other issues we cover include the need for public Pre-K education,  reducing the cost of prescription drugs, creating good jobs with good  wages, and getting money out of politics. On the climate emergency, he  talks about how critical a healthy environment is to Montana’s economy  and quality of life, and says he’ll form a Climate Cabinet that will  include professors and climate experts to come up with policies to  seriously address the issue. On the Land Board he stresses the  importance of preserving and protecting Montana’s public lands and  offers a warning about how the state could lose it’s outdoor heritage,  and other gains the Democrats have fought for, if the Governor’s seat  would be won by a Republican, thus creating one party control in the  state. He finishes by stating that the 2020 general elections,  particularly the Montana Governor election, will be pivotal in deciding  the direction our state, and our country will go in the future.

Dec 16, 201949:54
John Meyer - Executive Director of Cottonwood Environmental Law Center

John Meyer - Executive Director of Cottonwood Environmental Law Center

“You  can do a lot of good work with the law. The natural world is here to  help us if we let it.” That’s what John Meyer, executive Director of  Cottonwood Environmental Law Center said when asked about what inspired  him to use the legal system to protect Montana’s public lands and  outdoor heritage. In this broad-ranging interview he talks about how the  non-profit center got its start, how they choose which cases to pursue,  how the process works, his successes and failures, and what lies ahead.

Dec 01, 201901:01:27
Melissa Romano - Candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction

Melissa Romano - Candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction

Melissa Romano explains the role of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and how she is dedicated to insuring a strong public education system throughout Montana.  An educator for 15 years, she is the recipient of the National Science Foundation’s “Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching” and the 2018 Teacher of the Year.  Her passion for providing a quality education for all Montanans is evident as she discusses the many issues facing Montana’s education system.

Nov 17, 201954:54
Kimberly Dudik, Candidate for Montana Attorney General

Kimberly Dudik, Candidate for Montana Attorney General

Kimberly  Dudik, candidate for Montana Attorney General, talks about how her  experience as a mom, a nurse, an attorney, and an 8-year member of the  Montana House of Representatives informs her integrated approach to  finding solutions for complex problems.  While discussing a broad range  of issues her impressive knowledge and attention to detail show why  she’s ready and more than qualified to take on the role of Montana  Attorney General.

Nov 04, 201955:13
Park County Democrats Lasagna Dinner - Attendee Interviews

Park County Democrats Lasagna Dinner - Attendee Interviews

On October 24, 2019 our team headed down to the  Elk’s Lodge in Livingston, Montana, to attend the “World Famous Park  County Democrats Annual Lasagna Dinner.” The theme for the dinner was  “Montana Must Do Better on Climate Change.” The lively crowd of  approximately 120 attendees cheered on emcee Quenby Iandiorio as she  introduced speakers from the MSU College Dems, the Gallatin Valley  Sunshine Movement, Park County High School’s Green Initiative, MT House  Rep. Laurie Bishop, and keynote speaker MT House Rep. and Public Service  Commission Dist. 3 candidate Tom Woods.

Note: Hear Tom Woods on Episode 3

We  were there to find some voters to talk to about their views on climate  change, voter enthusiasm, and other issues on their minds. The  interviewee’s in order are: Cameron Kroetz, Sara Blessing, Mike Bunker,  Rick Vanaken, Alexis Van Pernis, Tom Woods, Dan Vermillion, Rita  Rosier, and Martha Adkins.

And the lasagna was delicious.

Nov 01, 201950:27
Senator Jon Tester's Town Hall

Senator Jon Tester's Town Hall

On October 11, 2019, Livingston and Park County  residents packed the Dulcie Theatre in the Shane Lalani Center for the  Arts in downtown Livingston to attend a town hall with Montana Senator  Jon Tester. The standing room only crowd, estimated around 165, showed  up at 10:00 AM on a frigid, Friday, October  morning – a fact that  impressed Senator Tester. The range of questions was broad and sometimes  challenging for the Senator, as the current political situation in the  United States is complicated and contentious, yet he answered all the  questions without exception.

Note:  There were some audio issues with the theatre equipment which we  cleaned up as best we could. We feel the opportunity to hear one of our  Senators interact in person, spontaneously, with constituents is one  that most Montanans will never get, so we decided to include the lively  and informative town hall in its entirety without interruption. We  apologize in advance for the sound quality.

Oct 18, 201901:04:52
Livingston City Commission Candidates

Livingston City Commission Candidates

We reached out to the five candidates running for the two seats on the Livingston City Commission to sit down with us for an interview. Three of them, Melissa Nootz (incumbent), Patricia Grabow, and Mel Freidman (incumbent) showed up and shared their views on some of the challenges facing our community, and their vision for the future.

Oct 10, 201901:29:33
John Mues Candidate for U. S. Senate

John Mues Candidate for U. S. Senate

John  Mues, candidate for U.S. Senate, talks about the challenge of growing  up in a low-income single parent household. He stresses the importance  and encouragement of mentors and teachers who enabled him to enter the  U. S. Naval Academy and begin a distinguished career of military service.  After the military, a broad range of private sector experiences  (technology, teaching, entrepreneur) gave him "a unique skill set".  However, he emphasizes that it is not his skill set alone, but his  empathy and compassion that makes him the best candidate to represent  the people of Montana, and a formidable opponent to incumbent Steve  Daines.

Sep 28, 201901:05:57
Tom Woods, candidate for Montana Public Service Commission District 3 talks about where the bodies are buried.

Tom Woods, candidate for Montana Public Service Commission District 3 talks about where the bodies are buried.

From Livingston, Montana, on the banks of the Yellowstone River, a group of seasoned political progressives gather at Soundcolor Studios to cook up factual, informative, and thoughtful conversations with politicians, those who hope to be politicians, historians, artists and other interesting people. The main ingredient is politics, but occasionally a splash of Montana flavored culture and history is on the menu.

Sep 13, 201939:37
US House Candidate Kathleen Williams talks Montana and National Issues

US House Candidate Kathleen Williams talks Montana and National Issues

Former Montana state legislator Kathleen Williams talks about what inspired her to run again, the importance of finding common ground, and fixing a broken Congress.

Aug 31, 201952:55
MT HD60 Rep Laurie Bishop talks 2019 Legislative Session

MT HD60 Rep Laurie Bishop talks 2019 Legislative Session

Laurie Bishop represents Montana House District 60 which includes Livingston.  We talked with Laurie about the 2019 Legislative Session and a variety of other topics.

Aug 16, 201949:42