Bryce Bennett

BRYCE BENNETT

CURRENT OCCUPATION: Montana State Senator CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: www.bennettformontana.com

Arrow-Circle-Right Briefly introduce yourself. I’m a fifth generation Montanan and State Senator. I worked with Republicans and Democrats to defend access to our public lands and promote our outdoor economy, protect healthcare for over 90,000 Montanans, invest in shovel-ready infrastructure jobs, and I was recognized by the Montana Chamber of Commerce for my pro-business record.

As Secretary of State, I will bring small businesses and entrepreneurs to the table to make sure government is responsive to Main Street and listens to the needs of Montana’s job creators.

The Montana Ambassadors named me their ‘Legislator of the Year’ for my effective work to battle dark money and ensure our elections are always accountable to the people—not out-ofstate special interests.

I grew up in Hysham, a town of less than 400 people. I understand Montana doesn’t need more partisan politics, Montana needs a Secretary of State who can bring people together to get things done.

Arrow-Circle-Right What makes you the

pro-business candidate for this

office? We need a Secretary of State who understands Main Street is struggling and uses their office to help them recover instead of placing more burdens on them.

I was proud to be recognized by the Montana Chamber of Commerce in 2019 and will continue the work to make sure business leaders always have a seat at the table.

Every minute a business owner has to spend wading through state bureaucracy is less time focused on their business and less time to put food on their family’s table. As Secretary of State, I will save small businesses time and money by cutting red tape to make government more efficient and transparent.

The Secretary of State’s Office cannot be another bureaucratic hoop to jump through. While my opponent has cut critical customer service making it harder for entrepreneurs to register and maintain their businesses, I’ll keep my focus on transforming this office into the gateway to Montana’s economy.

We need an advocate for the needs of Main Street as our Secretary of State.

Arrow-Circle-Right What will you do to further

streamline business services in

this position? This campaign has focused on listening to Main Street businesses, farmers, and ranchers about the challenges they face with today’s Secretary of State office. Our plan will make this office more business friendly than ever before. We will:

Create a unified business portal where businesses can see every step required to start up a new business across state and local government

Support business leaders and entrepreneurs by cutting red tape and needless bureaucracy Create a business council so business leaders always have a seat at the table Meet Montanans where they are by allowing for electronic and paper filings Fix the Secretary of State website and streamlining online filing so Montanans of all web proficiency can quickly register or renew a business Use customers information for business services only, not political grandstanding

Arrow-Circle-Right Like most elected officials,

Secretaries of State can bring their own projects or initiatives to the job. What would you do that’s outside the formal

job description? The first step an entrepreneur takes is registering with the Secretary of State, but it should not be the only service this office provides. I’ll work with Main Street businesses to cut bureaucracy and red tape and give them a one stop shop to grow and thrive.

We will partner with business leaders from across the state to build a Business Council allowing our office to know exactly how we can best give businesses the tools they need to succeed - especially in these difficult times.

We will build an online business portal where new businesses can find every link, form, and resource they will need, at the state and local level, for each of the steps to start and maintain their business. No more confusion, no more unnecessary website changes, and no more political grandstanding - just simple, straightforward answers for busy people.

We are eager to work with you to help Main Street recover and get Montanans back to work. stop