- [Narrator] Montana PBS "Equal Time," offering unedited time to candidates for Secretary of State.

As a member of the State Land Board, how would you balance quality public access with development of natural resources?

- As a member of the State Land Board, I would fully support utilizing all natural resources.

I believe our natural resources are essential for Montanans and our independency from the federal government.

One thing I would work to change is the new Montana law requiring conservation licenses to access most state lands for private use from the public.

Everyone ages 12 and older is now required to obtain a Montana conservation license to access most state lands.

This includes all type of recreation, launching watercraft, hiking, biking, wildlife viewing.

This is wrong, in my opinion, and needs to be appealed.

We can achieve our goals financially from oil and gas leases, coal leases, timber cells, and agricultural grazing leases.

- We have a real issue on our State Land Board, and right now, it's that we have a governor and what seems like four employees to the governor.

Oftentimes, it feels like I'm not running a race against Christi Jacobsen, and more that I'm running a race against an employee of Gianforte.

There are two wings in that state capital.

And if you want to have a veto over what Gianforte does on the East Wing, you need to put someone like me into the West Wing.

We have to have someone who has a history of accountability for both the Republican and Democratic Party.

I've done that as a journalist in our state for decades.

We need to put people in that office who will prioritize the best interest of the people they serve, and I can do that through our Land Board.

- [Narrator] Incumbent Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen declined to participate in this election's Montana PBS "Equal Time" program.

Montana PBS "Equal Time" was made possible by the Greater Montana Foundation.

All "Equal Time" segments are available online at montanapbs.org/equaltime.

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