Glasgow's Burns seeks HD 33 seat

Republican Michael Burns is relatively new to Glasgow. Having grown up in Texas, the 27-year-old candidate for House District 33 migrated northward to be near his parents, who have resided here in town since 2011. The candidate sat down with the Courier recently over a plate of wings at the Cottonwood to discuss his personal history, road to politics, and life on the Hi-Line as an conductor for BNSF.

After graduating with a degree in pre-law from University of North Texas in Denton, Burns traveled to Colorado Springs, Colo ., to live with brothers Ryan and Brandt while looking for work. While living in Colorado, Burns received a knock on the door from then-candidate for the Colorado House of Representative Gordon Klingenschmitt. Burns was quickly pulled into campaign activities and eventually volunteered for the Klingenschmitt campaign, which was ultimately successful.

A job with the railroad brought Burns to Glasgow. Once here, he settled into the role of conductor. "My favorite run is Minot," Burns explained. "Heading from Glasgow, we stay the night and turn right around and come back."

In August of 2015, Burns was furloughed and eventually took a job in Information Technology at Glasgow's Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital, where he is currently employed. Asked about his prospects with BNSF, Burns replied, "I don't think they're going to move me out of town anytime soon."

Burns is a self-starter politically, and set about mounting his campaign after seeking and receiving encouragement from Rep. Mike Lang and others.

The chummy chit chat soon switched to a conversation about the issues motivating Burns' run for office.

"This election is about defending the constitution," he said via follow-up email. "We have a right to provide for ourselves in decent ways, we have a right to protect ourselves, our freedom of speech and self-defense. Our forefathers were afraid of a government so centralized that it did not meet the needs of our states. This election is about balance."

On the subject of "free-roaming" bison release efforts in the region, the candidate is firmly on the record. In a Feb. 24 opinion column for the Courier titled Montana's Bison Burden, he says, "Montana has a rising wave of conservationists from near and far choking the interests of our state's historical and economical foundation. Squeezing slowly, our governor, the American Prairie Reserve and Bureau of Land Management have tightened their grip, choosing the health of bison population over the well-being of one our state's most important contributors, our farmers and ranchers." He goes on to echo Rep. Ryan Zinke and others by saying, "The BLM's recent prefatory approval given to the APR regarding grazing permits for bison is a scary foreshadowing of further decline of the use of private and public lands."

Other issues close to Burns' heart include the defense of First and Second Amendment rights, land-use policy reform, and combating President Obama's clean energy EPA policies.

Burns faces competition from Malta's James Knudsen, and Democrat Michael Finley of North Havre.