By Jeffrey Durham Pioneer Editor Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton met with government and business people in Big Timber during a two-day “Things that Matter” tour on Dec. 12 and 13. Saying he “had a great time” in Sweet Grass County, he sought feedback from business people about how the state and particularly his office can help them to thrive. His tour included speaking to a lunchtime chamber of commerce discussion group at the Grand Hotel. He told the group that the state is “going digital” with its business registry. He also noted that his philosophy is to develop resources on state trust lands instead of “the government locking up lands.” The Republican, a former state senator from Billings, also praised the turnout and success of the Nov. 6 General Election count in Montana. Sweet Grass County is one of “about six” counties in the state that continue to hand-count ballots, calling that a surefire way to defend against computer hacking of ballot counts. “You can’t hack what’s not online,” he added. “I was very impressed. We had a really high turnout and some long lines some places, but I thought it went very well,” Stapleton said. “All the…
