Jason Small

Jason Small is a Republican Senator in Montana and a Northern Cheyenne tribal member who was born and raised in Montana and resides south of Busby on a small ranch with his wife Lacey and raises two young children.

    Jason graduated from High School in Colstrip Mt and attended MSU Bozeman then received a degree in welding and metallurgy in Sheridan Wyoming and makes a living as a Boilermaker, handyman, and livestock producer.
    Mr. Small, is an advocate for job creation, workforce development, educational opportunity, small business development, sustainable agriculture, responsible resource development, and accountable and effective healthcare solutions.  He has served on Senate Health and Human Services, Energy and Telecommunications (Vice Chair), and Business and Labor Committee during multiple sessions and is currently the chairman of the State Tribal Relations interim committee.  He has been recognized as a leader and has been given many awards such as the Montana Farm Bureau Silver Windmill and Montana Chamber of Commerce  Champion of Business amongst others.
    In addition to Senator Small's legislative responsibilities he is the President of Wolf Mountain Search and Rescue and President of Boilermakers Local 11 (Montana).

• Create and protect Montana jobs.
• Promote traditional and non traditional educational opportunities.
• Continue to work on rural healthcare solutions.

Senator Small is extremely engaged in fields related to energy development and has taken every opportunity to advance his personal knowledge on the subject and recently graduated from the Legislative Energy Horizon Institute Energy Policy Planning Program. As the importance of an all above approach to energy development has been adopted he has become very well versed in traditional and non traditional energy production.

    Mr. Small has strived to find solutions in regard to the looming healthcare disparities in rural Montana and has become an advocate for increased mental health resources in remote Montana communities.  His goal is to help people get healthy, mentally and physically so they can become productive and contributing members to their communities.

    Lastly Senator Small has been very passionate about finding solutions to the problem of Missing Murdered Indigenous Peoples.  His journey into MMIP started years ago prior to the establishment of May 5th as The National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls and has helped him write and pass instrumental legislation to help curb the problem.  Mr. Small has also been able to give input on and promote an assortment of committee bills which help correct the issues.

We often hear that we need accountability and integrity as well as fairness to be good public officials and I would agree. I also feel there are other attributes which are equally important. Some people are able to see the big picture and others aren't, people often pick the wrong hill to fight from and in the end could have avoided the fight all together by making an accurate assessment of the situation and working with others for the desired outcome. I feel that being diplomatic and pragmatic are also extremely important and can make you an extremely effective leader.

In the end I want people to look at my legislative career and say that he was capable of getting results anywhere they were needed and was willing to hear out problems and work with anyone to come up with the solutions.

My first job was doing a summer work program through the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. It wasn't much of a departure from doing the remedial farm and ranch work that I was doing at home except the fact that I was actually getting a paycheck. I remember the thrill of opening the first first check which was somewhere in the range of $150 dollars a week. In hindsight I don't believe what that would buy nearly 30 years ago. Times have really changed.

Robert Ruark, The Old Man And The Boy is one of my favorite books. I enjoy the reflectiveness of the tales and the tales of hunting and life.

I believe that relationship building is one of the most important aspects of being successful in the legislature. Men and women are often judged by their integrity as a person and people who understand and trust you and accept you as a friend are more likely to lend you a hand and also help mentor and steer you in the appropriate direction. In my experience having good strong relationships with your peers is fundamental to legislative success.

My first committee is Senate Energy and Telecommunications. I have a vested interest in Energy because I have spent most of my life in the energy production industry. I enjoy the dynamics of the market and want to take part in shaping the energy landscape to try and maintain affordability and help stifle volatility in the market.

    Initially I had some reservations about my second committee which is Public Health and Human Services.  I have been a blue collar worker my entire life and initially felt as though I wouldn't have anything to offer in this area.  I feel in hindsight that I was definitely wrong.  I am able to bring a different perspective to the table than many of my colleagues and have been able to advance healthcare in some of the most rural areas of the state.

    Committee number three is Business and Labor.  This committee is great. Most of the week during session you have the opportunity to shape the landscape for Montana workers and industry.  The topics are vast and often complicated and require tons of studying to make clear informed decisions. Any given day of the week we are listening to subjects which could range from insurance underwriting to redistricting project labor zones. 

    Lastly is State and Tribal Relations.  I have been honored to serve as the chairman of this committee.  You cannot imagine the complexity of navigating the jurisdiction of boundaries between the state and what are effectively sovereign areas which reside within them.  It has been a phenomenal experience fixing issues and bridging gaps between Montana's reservations and the state government.

I have found that you often make extremely tough decisions while holding office and have had many sleepless nights running scenarios through my head. I feel that representing your constituent base is of the foremost importance and takes first precedence over what could be construed to be a minor ideological road block. I tackled a piece of immense legislation that was definitely not looked upon as favorable by many members of my party but was an absolute necessity for my constituent base as well as the health and well being of my family. After months of great trepidation the day finally came when it passed and I was finally able to breath a sigh of relief. I had gone back to my apartment that evening and was sitting in a comfortable chair which had become my home away from home for the past several months and my phone rang. I didn't recognize the number but I answered it and was greeted by a person I hadn't seen since childhood. This gentleman was very advanced in years at this point and he told me "thank you kid, I can't believe you pulled it off if you hadn't passed medicaid expansion I would have lost everything." It was at this point I knew I had done the right thing and maybe the most memorable and impactful thing I will ever accomplish.