The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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By Rep. Bob Keenan, DPHHS Director Charlie Brereton, Sen. John Esp No Montana community is untouched by the mental health crisis. Suicide. Addiction. Loneliness. The struggle to find mental health services or appropriate supports for individuals with developmental disabilities. Patients receiving care in places that aren't best for them. The list of challenges facing our communities is long and years in the making, and the time for setting that list aside is over. This...
There are many things that children can't legally do in Montana. They can't smoke a cigar, drink alcohol, die fighting for their country in a foreign war, vote or engage in a variety of transactions. The reason for that is simple: they're children. They aren't developed enough yet to make serious life-altering decisions, with or without parental consent. They haven't had enough life experience yet to adequately weigh the risks or consequences of potentially dangerous...
The recent spate of headlines about grizzly bear attacks and human-bear conflicts highlights the need for the federal government to return management of grizzlies to the State of Montana. Grizzly bears are still listed under the federal Engendered Species Act despite their populations having been recovered, robust, and growing in both the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) for years now. When grizzlies were listed on the...
October 1st is the deadline to claim your $675 property tax rebate for this year. Tens of thousands of Montana property owners have already claimed theirs. If you're a Montana resident who pays property taxes on your primary residence, head to getmyrebate.mt.gov as soon as possible to claim yours. And whether you've already claimed this year's rebate or not, put a reminder on your calendar to claim next year's as well. A second $675 property tax rebate will be available from...
It's no secret that I don't look like most of my colleagues in Washington DC. They don't run a farm when they're back home, you won't find them swapping out duck foot shovels or greasing a combine, and to my knowledge no one else is missing a few fingers from an unlucky childhood run-in with a meat grinder while butchering meat on my family farm. But beyond our differences in appearance, I'm always focused on bringing a healthy dose of Montana common sense and a lifetime of...
We scored a big win for Montanans' privacy and against invasive surveillance technology during this year's legislative session. My Senate Bill 397 severely restricts government's use of facial recognition technology and is now law in the Last Best Place. Legislators conducted a study of facial recognition between the 2021 and 2023 legislative sessions. We learned how state government was beginning to deploy the technology and even discovered that at least one school district...
The state legislature passed $384 million in property tax rebates, the first half of which is currently available to Montanans. The window to claim your rebate-up to $675 on your primary residence-is August 15, 2023 to October 1, 2023. Go to getmyrebate.mt.gov to claim your rebate. The second round of rebates will be available during the same timeframe next year, so mark your calendar. You must file a claim to receive the property tax rebates to verify your primary residence i...
Anyone driving Montana's highways knows the risk of colliding with deer and other wildlife. Hardly a mile goes by without the gruesome reminders of hit animals, broken bumpers, or smashed headlights scattered on the shoulder. According to the Bozeman-based Western Transportation Institute, collisions with wildlife can be reduced by up to 85 percent with the installation of wildlife crossing infrastructure such as fencing and under and overpasses. Such installations have been...
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my neighbors in Senate District 40, in both Lewis and Clark and Powell Counties, for their participation in the recently held Montana Department of Revenue Town Halls. Staff at the MDOR held an open town hall in Deer Lodge on July 17th. About 50 residents, along with a Powell County Commissioner and me, attended to relay our concerns about the new property value appraisals and estimated property tax amounts. Those estimated tax...
As I meet with Montanans in every corner of our state, I hear the same concern often –taxes are too high. And they're right. Taxes are too high and need to be reined in. Two years ago, we enacted a fiscally responsible budget, and as a result, the State of Montana today has a historic budget surplus. Ultimately, that means you overpaid your taxes, and we're giving it back to you. When we released our Budget for Montana Families last November, we again held the line on s...
There's a reason it comes first. Article One, Section One of the U.S. Constitution says, "all legislative powers shall be vested in a Congress of the United States." State Constitutions follow a similar path, vesting first powers in the people via their elected representatives – before anything or anyone else. Policymaking is the exclusive prerogative of the legislative branch of our government. But over the past few decades, a virus of executive overreach and lawmaking f...
As a proud defender and lover of public land, I have cast deciding votes for Montanans to hike, fish, and hunt some of the largest expansions of public land in decades-while keeping Montana farmers and ranchers on the landscape. I was recently made aware of a social media campaign soliciting money claiming to fight for interests that I support and will continue to support: local control and public lands. In reality, this campaign would only line the pockets of liberal lawyers...
Less government and lower taxes!! You hear that political slogan from Republican candidates early and often while they are campaigning. Then comes political reality. How did the largest percentage of Republicans elected in Montana history grow government at the fastest rate in state history – and at the same time raise property taxes on your home? During the pandemic years, the Trump and Biden administrations poured federal funds into states to prop up slowing economies. F...
Nearly all working-age Montanans, more than half the state's total population, are getting some welcome news this month: the state is sending them money. Let's be clear. The money being sent to over 530,000 Montanans is their own money. Montana collected more income taxes, the primary source of revenue for state government, than it needed to fund its obligations during the pandemic recovery year of 2021, leading to a historic budget surplus. The Republican supermajority in...
Property tax appraisals are currently arriving in the mail. It’s important to review the valuation and appeal it if you do not agree with the valuation. The appeal instructions are in the letter that was mailed to you. You only have 30 days, so do not wait. If the value of your property increased by 30 percent that does not mean your taxes will increase by 30 percent. However, generally if the value of your property increased, most likely your taxes will be increasing. Property tax calculations are complex and understood b...
Americans will be celebrating the 247th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence on July 4. While this is undoubtedly the biggest birthday party we will participate in this year (please avoid putting Roman candles on the cake), it is important to remember what the 4th of July is all about. The Continental Congress declared on July 4, 1776 (in part): "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with...
We would wager that nearly every Montana family has struggled in some way with mental health, diabetes, or postpartum health care. The 2023 Legislature made unprecedented investments in all three of those areas that together will positively impact families in every corner of our state. Not only did we both vote for all of these reforms, but one of us (Senator Jason Small) sponsored the diabetes legislation. The other (Senator John Esp) chaired the Senate's influential Finance...
Before the memory of the recent debt ceiling negotiations disappears and we confront the next new drama in Washington, let's pause a moment to acknowledge what just happened. You can debate from here to eternity whether the American people were winners or losers in the deal (I'd say winners because the government didn't default, losers because we had to go through the whole charade in the first place) but what's not debatable is one key point: Congress and the White House...
The United States's health care system is a mess of complex regulations and layers of bureaucracy. It's also expensive. But Republicans in the Montana Legislature have made great strides in recent years to address what problems we can at the state level. We've emphasized improving health care by giving Montanans more options, reducing regulations, and giving doctors more freedom to practice medicine. In the 2021 Legislature, for example, we relaxed regulations on tele-health,...
With the weather finally warming up here for spring time, I've been spending a lot of time out on my tractor finishing up planting. Every year, I plant my fields with crops like wheat, barley, peas, and millet. The days are long – Sharla and I start early in the morning and work late until the job is done – but as Montanans know, hard work is rewarding and always reminds us how lucky we are to live here in Montana. Our Montana way of life is what makes us The Last Best Pla...
I applaud Representative Matt Rosendale for being one of the strongest advocates for fiscal responsibility in DC. As negotiations between the White House and Republicans have had little success, our congressman has continued to voice strong solutions that will keep the US from defaulting on its debt. Both parties admit that defaulting on our nation's debt is the wrong course for the US. But unless Democrats are willing to cut back on their erratic spending, a deal will not be...
HELENA - The 68th Session of the Montana Legislature is one that every Montanan can be proud of. Voters sent a Republican supermajority to Helena and the first thing we did was return overpaid tax dollars to you as well as providing the largest tax cut in Montana state history. As Republicans our primary constitutional duty is to pass a balanced state budget. We crafted a conservative budget by keeping state spending below record inflation and population growth while responsib...
ecently, there have been attacks on the 68th Montana Legislature by the liberal media. Claims that the Legislature started a "culture war" or that we "marginalized the most marginalized" really lack an understanding of the times in which we live. First and foremost, our Legislature is the branch of government closest to the people. Citizen Legislators elected by the people of Montana take their values and campaign promises to Helena every two years, voting as representatives...
The 68th Legislative Session concluded on day 87, or May 2, leaving a few key bills yet to be considered. A total of 4,639 bill drafts were requested by Montana's elected officials (1,303 more than in the 67th Session). Between both chambers, 1,698 bills were introduced; 748 were passed at early count. The motion to Sine Die (adjourn), called by the Senate minority leader, pre-empted additional consideration and amendments. Many bills passed by the Legislature are yet to be...
You may believe that Montana is debt free following actions by the legislature earlier this year to pay off state debt. It is great that we passed legislation to pay off over $100 million of state bonded debt, but there is another debt obligation rarely discussed but costing us dearly. Unfortunately, Montana has accumulated over $4.8 billion in pension debt over the past twenty years (in 2003 our pensions were fully funded with no debt). This debt is equivalent to over $4,300...
