State Legislature 2022: Emma Kerr-Carpenter - Billings Chamber of Commerce

What is your 'why' behind running for office?

I ran for office the first time because I was worried about what cuts to mental healthcare and would mean for Billings. I keep running for office because I want to make sure that our state is a place where my son wants to stay when he is an adult. Where he can attend high quality schools, enjoy our incredible public lands, and find a job that will support his family.

What are your three most important policy priorities? What do you hope will be the impact of implementing these policies?

Funding public safety in Billings, including more access to mental healthcare and treatment.
Investing in our economy with support for workers, small businesses, and higher wages.
Supporting families with affordable housing, childcare, and lower taxes.

At the end of the day all three of my biggest priorities come down to supporting Billings in being a prosperous, vital, healthy community where families and businesses can thrive.

Do you agree that control and authority should generally be returned to local communities? If so, how? If not, why?

I agree with this. When the legislature oversteps and enacts legislation that micromanages local communities, nobody comes out ahead. When local communities have room to meet the needs of their residents in ways that are appropriate for their citizens, we are all stronger. We also need to remember that there is a role for the state government to play when it supports local communities in tackling big problems or projects that would be too costly or complicated for them to tackle on their own. In Billings, for example, as we tackle remediating the lead in our schools, having the financial resources and expertise of the state would be very helpful. This is a big, expensive problem that, if we dealt with it using only local resources, would create a huge tax burden for local taxpayers.

What do you hope to work on, or see passed, at the legislature to address safety issues in our community?

During the 2021 session, I served on the budget committee responsible for public safety. On the committee, I helped Billings get more probation and parole officers, ensured the Office of Public Defender in Billings received federal American Rescue Plan funds to relieve the high caseloads, and ensured that the Department of Corrections has financial incentive to move state inmates out of our local jail. This coming session I hope to continue to work on the public safety budget. I hope to find a more permanent fix to the Office of Public Defender caseload issue and to find funding for victims’ services.

What can Montana do to ensure we have access to affordable and reliable energy, while planning for and transitioning to a less carbon-reliant energy future?

We need to ensure a level playing field that allows new players (businesses and business models) to be able to compete with legacy players. I would like to see new tax credits and incentive programs to attract new businesses that will flourish in a low carbon world and incentivize carbon-intensive industries to shift to lower-carbon business models.

Montana should position itself to attract the industries of the future. The energy transition will spawn new industries worth hundreds of billions, if not trillions, of dollars in transport, materials, and manufacturing. They will want to locate in places that have a skilled workforce, natural amenities, and access to transmission infrastructure, among other concerns.

Do you think more lodging tax revenue should be returned to the areas that generated the revenue? Or is the money better used elsewhere?

I do think that more of this revenue should be returned to the areas where it is generated. Folks who visit Billings should pay for the impact they have on our infrastructure and community services.

Do you support local option tax authority? If so, what provisions would you like to see in the proposal? If not, how would you address rising property taxes without reducing essential services like public safety?

I support local option authority that excludes necessities such as medicine and food. There should be no restrictions from the state about how a local community spends the money from local option sales tax. Every community should be allowed to determine where to spend their money in the way that makes the most sense for their community’s needs. One community might have large infrastructure needs, another might need the money to help support their public safety services. Legislators from other communities should not be dictating where Billings can spend its tax revenue.

What can the legislature do to incentivize building more housing, streamline the process, and/or make it easier to embrace new housing technologies?

Last session the legislature put a bill on the Governor’s desk that would have unlocked millions of dollars of investment in affordable housing. He vetoed it. Hopefully the legislature can continue to pass bills that invest in building more affordable housing and the Governor will support workers, businesses, and our community by signing them into law.

Additionally, last session the legislature passed a bill allowing C-PACE financing (Commercial Property Assessed Capital Enhancement). Montana needs a similar program for residential property owners. Financing capital enhancements to existing housing through property assessments is an elegant solution that would lower energy and utility bills while allowing new owners to take over payments. This would incentivize current homeowners and landlords to make necessary improvements to the livability and overall quality of their housing without a financial penalty if they choose to sell.