AG Austin Knudsen answers questions on KGVO Talk Back Show

Montana’s Attorney General Austin Knudsen appeared on the KGVO Talk Back show on Friday to answer questions from listeners, something Knudsen says he enjoys.

Knudsen said his chief mission at this time is tackling the problem of illicit drugs pouring into the state from the southern border.

“I think it’s the most pressing issue in the state of Montana,” said Knudsen. “It's driving up all of our violent crime rates and it's driving them up significantly; up to 50 percent  in some cases, and that's huge. We've got a huge, violent crime problem. It's mostly in our urban centers. You folks are seeing it there in Missoula. Billings is really seeing it. Bozeman seeing an uptick, and Helena for sure, in addition to the Flathead Valley. That's where the people are. That's where the people are flocking to. And that's where the cartels are really focusing their activities.”

One listener asked for Knudsen’s take on the man nominated to head the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, David Chipman.

“If you are any kind of a second amendment supporter, then a guy like David Chipman should terrify you,”he said. “This is the first openly hostile to the Second Amendment proposed director of the ATF ever. Even Barack Obama's former ATF director, has reservations and doesn't think David Chipman should be the head of the ATF. This guy is bad news.”

Knudsen noted the efforts of Missoula officials to house and care for homeless persons, and had this comment.

“I think that's a common theme in a lot of Western U.S. cities that have become kind of magnets for the homeless problem,” he said. “You see a lot of crime and you see a lot of drugs that come with it. You see a lot of other problems and it's because you've got a progressively liberal ‘feel good’ city council that wants to pander and coddle people rather than enforce the law like they're elected to do.”

One of the success stories that Knudsen is most proud of is the progress of providing customer service in the Department of Motor Vehicles.

“Everyone knows we've had some problems at the Motor Vehicle Division,” he said. “No one likes going to MVD. No one likes having to pull the number and stand in line or make an appointment months out. I have to give credit to our new administrator and Motor Vehicle Division, Laurie Bakari. She is doing an amazing job Laurie comes from the private sector. She absolutely believes in customer service and we want to treat Montanans like our customers at MVD.”

Knudsen appears on Talk Back once a month to answer questions from KGVO listeners.