Back in 1997, then State Senator Fred Thomas carried the electricity deregulation bill through the Montana legislature. After
it went into effect, electricity prices skyrocketed, and Montana workers started losing jobs as industries shut down due to unaffordable
electricity. Thomas insisted that deregulation was good for us, and when over 300 miners in Butte lost their jobs, Thomas said, “Let the
market work!”
Montanans are poorer today because of electricity deregulation. The direct cost is at least $50 million in higher electricity bills
every year. This has the same effect as a $50 million tax increase, except all the money goes out of state, and provides no benefits to
Montana.
Now Thomas wants to return to the Montana Senate. Out-of-state money helped him win the June primary. One has to wonder what the
out-of-state interests want from Thomas this time? When in the Senate before, Thomas did more damage to the people of Montana than anyone in the last 100 years! If ignorant voters return him to office, who knows how much more harm he will cause. Beware of Fred Thomas…he is bad news!
The good news is that there is an alternative choice for state Senate District 45 named Dan Metully. I highly recommend him for your
vote.
Kirk Thompson
Stevensville