MARLA DAVIS
Active candidates for House District 66
Republican
Democrat
ON THE ISSUES
Answers here were solicited from legislative candidates via a written questionnaire in April 2024, conducted in collaboration between MTFP and the Montana League of Women Voters. Responses here are presented exactly as submitted, without fact-checking or editing for minor punctuation or spelling errors. Readers can access the league's Vote411 resource here.
Legislative candidates who haven't submitted answers to these questions can do so at any time by contacting montanalwv@gmail.com or calling 406-233-9015.
I was born in St. Louis, MO and will be 54 on election day 2024. I have been a resident of Gallatin County since 2005. My children attended public school in Manhattan, elementary through high school, and are graduates of Montana State University. I have a BS in Physical Therapy from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center where I graduated with honors. I have practiced as a PT for 32 years, and was a rehab coordinator/director for over 10 years. This experience allowed me to balance patient care with staff coordination and administrative responsibilities. This helped hone skills in problem-solving, communication, and organization; qualities that are essential for effective leadership as a State Representative.
As I talk to voters, the most pressing issues heading into the 2025 session are property taxes, affordability of housing/economy, maintaining access to public lands, the medicaid expansion package debate and healthcare accessibility, and education choice, funding, and quality of outcomes. We need to look at all options to best address these issues, ultimately reducing spending where appropriate to reduce the tax burden on Montanans. We need to reduce unnecessary fees and regulations that add costs to housing and reduce restrictions and bureaucratic processes placed on the healthcare and education sectors in order to make them more sustainable, efficient, and desirable. We need to ensure control of public lands remains in public hands.
I will look at every avenue possible and presented in order to provide Montana residents with property tax relief, including reduced spending, and corporate vs individual rates. We should look at lowering tax rates and placing caps for seniors and those on fixed incomes so they are not taxed out of their homes. I would be for returning to a 6 year appraisal cycle instead of a 2 year cycle, with a better market price average and specific percentage restrictions on increases. I would be for increased Homestead Exemption protections that are more inline with current market rates. I do not believe we should be taxed on unrealized gains due to changes in property values and we need to delve deeper on how to capitalize on our tourism industry.
As a healthcare professional, I find this issue very conflicting. As the insurance and government backed reimbursement models continue to expand bureaucratically, full of waste, the costs to patients continues to rise and wages for many healthcare workers has been stagnant for years. For the states, the medicaid expansion "free money" is enticing, but it comes with strings attached to the federal government, creating a reliance, and potentially locking the state into unsustainable financial commitments. The program covers 90 % of the costs of able-bodied adults but only 50-75% of the costs of elderly, disabled, and child recipients. We need full transparency and accountability of how this $$ is utilized to best serve those most in need.
As one who has had multiple family members employed as educators, I understand the complexities involved in this issue. Again, we need accountability and transparency in how funding is utilized as it comes in through the federal government and is allocated at each level. As a country, we spend more per student than most others and yet testing suggests a lack of proficiency. Families are choosing other education models and should have that option. Although we shouldn't hold teachers responsible for socioeconomic challenges that affect student learning, we should reward successful solutions to academic achievement. The funding formula should be reviewed, allocations should mostly be controlled at the local levels.
MTFP COVERAGE
Election outcomes
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| MARLA DAVIS | 1,175 |
Common voting questions
When are Montana’s 2024 elections?
Voters picked party nominees for the November general election in the June 4 primary. The November General Election that will decide the ultimate winner in each race is set for Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Who runs Montana’s elections?
Montana elections are administered at the county level. The process is overseen by county clerks and election administrators, who help to train and monitor the volunteer election judges that staff the polls. Ballots are typically processed and counted at central county locations, with the results reported to the Montana secretary of state’s office via a statewide software system called ElectMT.
Once polls close, the secretary of state’s office provides results through its website. The state-level office also provides guidance to local election administrators to ensure compliance with state election laws. Additionally, enforcing compliance with some laws governing political campaigns, particularly those involving campaign finance, falls to a separate office known as the Commissioner of Political Practices.
Do I need to be registered in order to vote?
Yes. If you’re unsure about your registration status, you can check it through the Montana secretary of state's My Voter Page. You can register to vote by stopping by your county election office any time during regular business hours to pick up an application. After you’ve filled it out, you’ll need to get it back to your county election office by mail or in person (the latter option is strongly recommended close to Election Day to ensure your application is received in time). If you do present your application in person, you’ll have to provide a photo ID or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you happen to be applying for a Montana driver’s license or identification card before the election, you can register to vote at the same time.
Can I register to vote on Election Day?
Yes. The state Legislature has sought to enact an earlier registration deadline, but under a March 2024 ruling by the Montana Supreme Court, same-day voter registration remains legal in Montana. Residents can register to vote or update their voter registration at their county’s election office prior to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Does Montana have voter ID requirements?
Yes, you will be required to present identification when voting at the polls. However, under the Montana Supreme Court’s March ruling, changes made to those requirements by the 2021 Legislature remain blocked. The current forms of identification voters can use at the polls are a current Montana driver’s license, state-issued photo ID, tribal or military photo ID, a U.S. passport or a student ID. If you don’t have a photo ID, you can use a utility bill, a bank statement, a voter confirmation card or any other government document that shows your name and address.
Are there situations where I wouldn't be eligible to vote?
According to state law, you can't vote if you'll be under age 18 on Election Day, are not a U.S. citizen, or have lived in Montana less than 30 days. Convicted felons who are currently incarcerated in a penal facility and people whom judges have ruled to be of "unsound mind" are also ineligible to vote. Otherwise, you're good to go.
Can I vote online?
No, that’s not an option in Montana.
Can I vote by mail?
Yes, you can sign up as an absentee voter by checking a box on your voter registration form. If you’re already registered to vote, you can fill out a separate form and submit it to your county election office.
If you’re registered as an absentee voter, a ballot should be mailed to you a few weeks in advance of each election day. You can make sure your address is current via the My Voter page. County election officials are slated to mail ballots to voters for the November 2024 General Election Oct. 11.
You can return ballots by mail, or drop them off in person at your county’s election office. Either way, the election office must receive your ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day in order to count it.
How do I vote in person?
If you plan to vote at the polls, just be sure you know where your polling location is and head there between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day. You'll need to provide a photo ID or other accepted form of identification and sign the precinct register, at which point you’ll get your ballot and be directed to a voting booth. If you have any technical questions or run into any problems, the election judges at your polling place should be able to help you.
I have a friend or family member who isn't able to drop off his or her mail-in ballot. Can I do it for them?
Yes, you can. The Montana Legislature did make some changes to ballot collection laws in 2021 related to paid ballot collection, but those changes have also been blocked by the Montana Supreme Court.
Who should I vote for?
That’s your call, not ours. We hope the information we present on this guide is helpful as you make that decision for yourself, though.
About this project
This guide was produced by the Montana Free Press newsroom with production by Eric Dietrich, web development by Eric Dietrich and Jacob Olness, editing by Brad Tyer and Nick Ehli and contributions from Arren Kimbel-Sannit, Mara Silvers, Alex Sakariassen, Amanda Eggert and Stephanie Farmer. Questionnaire responses for legislatiive candidates were collected with help from the Montana League of Women Voters, through the league's Vote 411 program. Contact Eric Dietrich with questions, corrections or suggestions at edietrich@montanafreepress.org.
Montana Free Press is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit, reader-supported news organization serving Montana. MTFP's donor base includes supporters from across Montana's political spectrum, including some Montanans who are candidates in this year's election. MTFP's major donors are listed here and a current list of other supporters is available here. MTFP's news judgments are made entirely independently from donor involvement.
This material is available for republication by other media outlets under Montana Free Press' standard distribution terms.