I’m Brett Mills, Republican Candidate for Montana House District 23.

I grew up in a military family and have lived in various regions of the world. I am a 12th Generation American and eventually became a part of the family military tradition that began with Nasby Mills II (1735-1795), Issac Mills (1762-1817) and Nasby Mills III (1763-1834) – three warriors who fought in the American Revolutionary War. My father, who fought in WWII, Korea and Vietnam, started out his career on Omaha Beachhead on June 6th, 1944. He served in three different branches: The United States Navy, the United States Army and and the United States Air Force. He and my mother brought up three boys to continue that military tradition, my older brother being a West Point graduate and subsequently serving in the United States Army, my younger brother served in the United States Air Force, and my own service was in the United States Coast Guard, with my rank being Petty Officer First Class. With my roots deeply embedded in American soil, I believe in a government that serves the people, not the other way around.

If you would like to contribute to my campaign, the information to do that is listed below at the bottom of this page.

Individual Freedom

The birth of our great nation was inspired by the bold declaration that our individual, God-given liberties should be preserved against government intrusion. I believe that same conviction should inform conservative policy decisions in our age in America today. In America, we proclaim the self-evident truths that all of us are created equal and granted by God the same inherent freedoms, such as the natural and unalienable rights to life, liberty, conscience, free speech and the free exercise of religion, and the ability to pursue happiness, own property, build wealth and defend ourselves and our families. The purpose of government is to secure these rights, and the ideas we advance should always aim to maintain and increase the liberty of the American people.

Limited Government

An originalist at heart, I believe individual liberty to be championed, government must be reduced. I also believe, as our founders did, that legitimate government operates only by the consent of the governed, and is more efficient and less corrupt when it is limited in its size and scope. When applied as written, our incomparable Constitution provides important safeguards against government encroachment, a vital separation of powers, and a necessary system of checks and balances. Federalism, decentralized authority, and the elimination of unnecessary regulations and bureaucracy help ensure that government serves the people, and not the other way around. The best protection against government largesse is an engaged and informed electorate. I believe in the sovereignty of the individual states inasmuch as possible. The State of Montana’s government should adhere to this principle and strive to unchain Montanans from the overreach of the federal government.

The Rule of Law

Our nation is “a government of laws and not of men,” and the rule of law is our foundation. To maintain ordered liberty and a civilized society, public and private virtue should be encouraged and justice must be administered equally and impartially to all. Each branch of government must adhere to the Constitution, and the judicial branch must not be allowed to assume or exercise legislative or executive powers. Our Montana court system should follow suit in this endeavor. Activist judges should find no comfort legislating from the halls of justice. Transparency and accountability are keys to good government, and the Montana State Legislature must faithfully perform its constitutional responsibility of oversight.

Peace Through Strength

The first obligation of the federal government is to provide for the “common defense” of the United States by securing our borders and protecting our homeland and our strategic interests abroad. In Montana, our men and women of law enforcement spend their lives on the frontline for us, performing their duties to keep the peace. I fully support law enforcement and other first responders that maintain law and order. In an increasingly dangerous world, weakness invites aggression. We must be fully prepared and capable of defeating any harmful situations and those who mean to do harm to us under any circumstances, at any time. This requires maintaining sufficient investments in our capabilities to deter crime, and properly training, equipment, and support for our law enforcement officers and other first responders and their families, as well as our the veterans of these entities, never forgetting our military veterans and wounded warriors.

Fiscal Responsibility

Because the Montana government has refused to live within its means, Montanans face an ever-increasing tax load to keep pace with the ever-present spending crisis. The State’s tax policies continually remove money from the taxpayers’ purse that those same taxpayers could be putting to good use. It jeopardizes the state’s economic growth, stability and the security of future generations. The Legislature has a moral and constitutional duty to resolve this tax and spend, tax and return, slush fund building mentality; it needs to get spending under control, rationally balance the budget, reform and cut unnecessary entitlement programs, eliminate fraud, waste and abuse, pursue continued pro-growth tax reforms and permanent tax reductions, and restore regular order and accountability in the budget and appropriations processes.

Free Markets

Government often stands as the greatest obstacle to the progress and prosperity of a free people. Free markets and free trade agreements allow for innovation, improvement and economic expansion as risk-takers, entrepreneurs and business owners are given the liberty to pursue the American dream and create more jobs and upward mobility for more people. Competition should be encouraged, and government intervention and regulations should be limited. The People are better qualified to make decisions about their own lives and finances than bureaucrats, and the private sector will outperform the public sector in virtually every scenario. The free enterprise system rewards hard work and self-sacrifice and is the basis and genius of the American economy.

Human Dignity

Because all men are created equal and in the image of God, every human life has inestimable dignity and value, and every person should be measured only by the content of their character. A just government protects life, honors marriage and family as the primary institutions of a healthy society, and embraces the vital cultural influences of religion and morality. Public policy should always encourage education and emphasize the virtue of hard work as a pathway out of-poverty, while public assistance programs should be reserved only for those who are truly in need. In America, everyone who plays by the rules should get a fair shot. By preserving these ideals, we will maintain the goodness of America that has been the secret to our greatest, and remember, Montana is the Heart of America!

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To contribute to the Mills For Montana campaign, mail a check to:

Mills For Montana, PO Box 553, Cascade, MT 59421

Make checks payable to: Mills For Montana

The maximum allowable contribution amount per person by law is $470.00

Please include your employer’s name and occupation as this is how contributions must be reported by law. If you are retired, just list “RETIRED”. Thank you so very much for your help!