Ballotpedia: Ralph Foster

Ralph completed his mortician’s degree at the State of Kansas Regent System.  He also pursued further studies in religion and ethics at Friends University. Ralph and his wife have two adult children. He is a Christian. 

Ralph is a licensed mortician and owns Foster Funeral Home and Crematory in St. Ignatius.

Ralph Foster ran for State Representative to represent District 93 in 2020 and to represent District 15 in 2022, but did not win. 

Candidate website

The candidate's website says, "Look to the past for solutions. Until Roosevelt’s New Deal it was common for employers to offer and build housing for their employees. By making appropriate housing accommodations to retain employees, large businesses would benefit with tax deductions."

Supports tax deductions for businesses who build and offer housing for employees. 

Said, "In order to offer long term property tax relief would be to freeze the value of your primary residence at the purchase price... Inherited property is subject to reevaluation unless it becomes the primary residence of the heir."

Supports freezing the value of a primary residence at the purchase price for the evaluation of property taxes, which would not apply to inherited property unless it is the primary residence of the heir.

Opposes the right of the state to levy property taxes on individuals on Native reservations.

Supports the expansion of the Montana Snap Program to allow purchases of toiletries and cleaning products.

Supports the consideration of a state safety net for a housing deposit, childcare or approved unexpected expenses.

Supports accountability measures for able-bodied recipients of state welfare.

Supports expanded SNAP benefits with restrictions as to what the recipient may use their discretionary funds for, including prohibiting items that cause health dangers and gambling, which would require ID checks when using a SNAP card.

- Supports tax deductions for businesses who build and offer housing for employees. 
- Supports freezing the value of a primary residence at the purchase price for the evaluation of property taxes, which would not apply to inherited property unless it is the primary residence of the heir.
- Opposes the right of the state to levy property taxes on individuals on Native reservations.
- Supports the expansion of the Montana Snap Program to allow purchases of toiletries and cleaning products.
- Supports the consideration of a state safety net for a housing deposit, childcare or approved unexpected expenses.
- Supports accountability measures for able-bodied recipients of state welfare.
- Supports expanded SNAP benefits with restrictions as to what the recipient may use their discretionary funds for, including prohibiting items that cause health dangers and gambling, which would require ID checks when using a SNAP card.

Economy

Supports increased communication between federal, state, and native entities about wildlife movement patterns.

- Supports increased communication between federal, state, and native entities about wildlife movement patterns.

Energy & the Environment

Supports expanded healthcare access, including through the Affordable Care Act.

Supports amendments to the Uniform Donation Act, including that if a hospital participates in the program that they need a morgue/cooler to store the deceased in and that when the patient checks in they provide a signature allowing donation or denying it.

Supports a requirement for death certificates to be be initiated by the certifier within 72 hours from time of death, sent to County Registrar in the county of death, then released by the registrar to the mortician for completion. This would replace the need for families to handle the death certificate legal work.

Supports eliminating income requirements for medical assistance to those with a chronic or a possibly terminal medical condition.

- Supports expanded healthcare access, including through the Affordable Care Act.
- Supports amendments to the Uniform Donation Act, including that if a hospital participates in the program that they need a morgue/cooler to store the deceased in and that when the patient checks in they provide a signature allowing donation or denying it.
- Supports a requirement for death certificates to be be initiated by the certifier within 72 hours from time of death, sent to County Registrar in the county of death, then released by the registrar to the mortician for completion. This would replace the need for families to handle the death certificate legal work.
- Supports eliminating income requirements for medical assistance to those with a chronic or a possibly terminal medical condition.

Healthcare

Supports the availability of chip driver's licenses to replace Real ID's which would allow travel to Mexico and Canada.

- Supports the availability of chip driver's licenses to replace Real ID's which would allow travel to Mexico and Canada.

Public Safety

Supports a bill that would bar a politician from running for office for the next two terms if they miss more than ten days of session.

Supports a bill to require that elections in the State of Montana may only be voted on by residents of the locality and all candidates must reside in the locality being voted on.

- Supports a bill that would bar a politician from running for office for the next two terms if they miss more than ten days of session.
- Supports a bill to require that elections in the State of Montana may only be voted on by residents of the locality and all candidates must reside in the locality being voted on.

Voting & Elections

As of September 17, 2024, Ralph Foster’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Education

Ralph Foster

- Your State Representative participates in the legislative process at the state level. They are one of 100 members of the Montana House of Representatives. The Montana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Montana State Legislature (the state's lawmaking body).
- Your State Representative drafts laws, approves budgets, has oversight of the state executive branch, and debates and votes on proposed laws.
- In addition to drafting and voting on bills, your State Representative can serve on committees. This is important because many bills can be stalled in committee, preventing them making it to a vote.
- Your State Representative is responsible for representing your interests. They also are responsible for helping you navigate the state's services and bringing back resources to your district.
- State Representatives are elected to a 2-year term. Individuals can serve no more than 8 years in a 16-year period.