Monday, February 23: Monday was a full one. Over in Winnett, the Methodist Church held its annual pancake dinner fundraiser, and it was well attended. I don’t always get the chance to make it out that way, so when I do, I take the opportunity to sit down and visit with folks. It’s good medicine.

Later that same day, the Grass Range Community Coalition held its board meeting. The agenda was straightforward — nominate and elect officers — and we got that done. This group has a real purpose: working to identify and pursue projects that benefit the community of Grass Range. I’m glad to be a part of it, and we’ve got work ahead of us.

Tuesday, February 26: Sometimes the most important thing a person can do is get back to the ranch. That’s what Tuesday was. I don’t get those days very often, so when the opportunity comes along, I take it.

Wednesday, February 25: Wednesdays start early and run long, and this one was no different. The morning began with the homeschool Constitution class over at Harvest Fellowship Church. I always figured there were about 20 students in that class — counted them this week for the first time. Eighteen. Sharp young people, every one of them.

At noon, I met up with my website designer, my treasurer, and several other folks involved in local civic life for lunch at the Yogo Inn. Good food, good conversation, and good people — that’s about all you can ask for.

At 5:30 that evening, I stopped in on a Lewistown Downtown Association meeting. Getting to know what they’re working on is important to me. If there’s something I can do as their representative — whether that’s carrying legislation in Helena, advocating for them on an interim committee, or just making a phone call — that’s my job. I’m glad to do it.

Thursday, February 26: Thursday morning I was on KXLO radio for a live update, then headed over to Central Baptist Church for the second homeschool Constitution class of the week. Eight students in that group, plus one of the mothers who participates right alongside them. Her input adds a lot to the discussion.

That evening, the Class C divisional basketball tournament at Fergus High School for the Winnett-Grass Range team commenced, and Winnett-Grass Range squared off against Absarokee and won! The score didn’t come close to showing how hard that game was. Those kids played tough. The win moved them into Friday’s semifinals against Denton-Geyser-Stanford-Geraldine, the combined school known as DGSG, where Grass Range won again on Friday and punched their ticket to the championship game Saturday night. The boys Roy-Winifred basketball team squared off against Park City and won! The win moved them into Friday’s semifinals against Melston, where Roy-Winifred won again against Melstone. That’s right, both teams in the Boys Class C Divisional Championship game on Saturday night are from our 7C Disrict right here in Central Montana. We have a tough district.

Friday, February 27: Friday started at 3:30 in the morning. I was out the door by 4:30 and on my way to Billings for the Montana Aeronautics Conference, a three-day gathering for pilots, aircraft owners, and aviation professionals from across the state.

As many of you know, I spent 32 years flying helicopters and airplanes. Aviation is in my blood. So when I came across an issue during my time in the legislature that directly affected pilots and aircraft safety, I paid attention.

The issue involves a technology called ADS-B — Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast. It’s the so-called “black box” that pilots and aircraft owners were required by the federal government to install. The whole point of ADS-B is safety and efficiency: it helps pilots and air traffic controllers know where aircraft are, in real time, with accuracy. It works. It works well.

The problem is that third-party companies have started purchasing that government-derived data and using it to charge pilots landing fees. Airports have begun signing agreements with these companies. Here’s the trouble with that: once pilots figure out that the device they were required to buy is now going to cost them money every time they land, they’re going to turn it off. And when they turn it off, the safety benefits disappear along with the savings.

I ran a bill in Montana to prohibit the use of ADS-B data for invoicing purposes. It passed. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association — AOPA, the national organization — supported the effort. Now similar bills are working their way through legislatures in Arizona, Oklahoma, and Florida. There are also two bills in Congress, one in the House and one in the Senate, aimed at doing the same thing at the federal level.

Going to that conference mattered to me. I wanted to meet the people who are helping move this effort forward. The vice president of AOPA is a woman from Centerville, Montana — accomplished, sharp, and very supportive of what we’ve been trying to do here. It was good to meet her in person.

That evening, we listened to the Grass Range–DGSG semifinal on the radio. Grass Range won again, earning their spot in Saturday night’s championship game against Roy-Winifred.

We couldn’t attend in person, because we were hosting a retirement party at home for a neighbor who recently retired from his career in trucking. His wife has been holding everything together while he was on the road — taking care of the animals, keeping the place running. She’s more than earned the blessing to have him home. We were honored to celebrate that milestone with them.

Saturday, February 28: The championship game: Grass Range versus Roy-Winifred. Grass Range won, 64–41.

I know what that score looks like on paper. It looks like a comfortable win. It wasn’t. It was a hard-fought, well-played game from start to finish, and those young people left everything they had out on that floor. Central Montana should be proud of them.

Wrap Up: That’s the week. I hope this finds you well and keeps you informed. Not everyone watches video, not everyone listens to the radio, not everyone reads a paper, and not everyone uses social media. I’m trying to reach you wherever you are.

You can find me at “ShaneKlakkenn.com, on Facebook at “Shane Klakken for Montana”, on Instagram, X, even TikTok. I also now have a YouTube channel “Shane Klakken for Montana”. I’m also putting together a weekly newsletter — if you’d like to receive it, sign up through the website and I’ll make sure you stay in the loop.

Thank you for the privilege of representing you. Have a good week, and I’ll see you next time.

Shane Klakken of Grass Range is the House District 37 Representative