Kiwanis Club Hosts Knudsen At Meeting
Montana Attorney General candidate Austin Knudsen stressed the damaging impact of meth in Montana during a presentation at the Sidney Kiwanis Club on Thursday, Oct. 22.
The club also invited Democratic candidate Ralph Graybill to participate in the program. Graybill planned to take part through video conferencing until a conflict occurred that day. Knudsen is currently the Roosevelt County attorney. He is a farmer/rancher in the Culbertson/Bainville area. Knudsen has practiced law in Montana for more than 12 years.
He was elected to the Montana Legislature in 2010 and served four terms including two as Speaker of the House. He says he became interested in becoming the county attorney after a drive-by shooting occurred in Culbertson during 2017. “We’ve been really, really busy,” Knudsen said about the Roosevelt County attorney’s office.
The Republican noted that 90-95 percent of the prosecutions in Roosevelt County are either regarding meth or are meth related.
“The real pandemic facing the state of Montana right now is methamphetamine,” Knudsen said. “We have a real problem.”
He explained that violent crimes in Montana have increased by 36 percent since 2013. Aggravated assaults have increased by 33 percents since 2013.
Knudsen said the meth is coming into our area through cartels. The meth is 98-99 pure and is inexpensive. “This is what we’re dealing with folks,” he said. “It leads to assaults, robberies, sexual assaults and human trafficking.”
He added that he is a fiscal conservative and he believes the Department of Justice is currently top heavy as far as spending. Instead, he says more fiscal decisions need to be made at the county levels.
“The counties are in better position to determine where funds should go than Helena,” Knudsen said.
He did commend the Fort Peck Tribes for their aggressive approach in fighting the drug epidemic.
After Richland County Commissioner Duane Mitchell asked about the time that inmates spent at the county jail waiting to be transferred to Deer Lodge, Knudsen said, “It isn’t because the jails are overfilled.”
Knudsen explained the State must pay $140 daily for an inmate in the state prison. The State pays only $68 if the inmate is located in a county jail. He said the new governor should address the problem because the Department of Corrections answers to the governor.
