The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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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...
The 2023 Montana legislature began its legislative session with an unprecedented surplus, mainly due to the over-collection of state taxes from Montana taxpayers. Since this is ultimately taxpayers' money, I - along with other conservatives in the legislature - were determined to return money to Montana taxpayers and to reduce your taxes in the future. Tax relief has long been an objective of mine, like in the 2021 session when I passed a bill that effectively moved Montana's...
There is a reason Montana is the Last Best Place in the country. Over the last decade, the Montana Republican Party has made tremendous progress in advancing our priority of protecting the future generation. This continues to be a priority for House Republicans as we advance SB 99 this legislative session. SB 99, a bill that prevents gender transition surgery until our children become adults is an important step in safeguarding our youth. Within the last few years, the...
Montana's state Legislature is proposing a host of extreme anti-wildlife bills despite widespread, diverse, strong, and credible opposition to these unnecessary measures. The onslaught on wildlife by locally elected officials began in 2021 and continues in this legislative session with the introduction of bills that go from bad to worse. Snaring and night shooting wolves, placing bounties on a hunt, loosening stipulations for killing grizzly bears, hounding black bears - the...
Republicans' number one goal this legislative session has been to provide financial relief to Montanans struggling with Joe Biden's inflation and the high cost of living. An early, priority package of eight pieces of legislation is aimed at delivering on that mission. Together, these bills combine to immediately put money in Montanans' pockets, provide long-term tax relief, and reduce taxpayer obligations into the future. House Bills 192 and 222 return over $700 million of...
Apparently, somebody won something last week, because MEIC and other anti-coal groups are claiming a VICTORY! On Friday February 10, 2023, Donald W. Molloy, US District Court Judge, Missoula, ordered that mining cease at Bull Mountains Underground Mine (north of Billings) in the 5 sections of federal coal that have been leased since 2012, until a new environmental report is written (20 months). This is not a new or future mining area. This "expansion" area has had all the...
The grizzly bear is a unique and vital part of Montana's wildlife heritage. Our state animal, the great bear once roamed throughout the plains of central Montana, before being extirpated from the flatlands by settlers, and relegated to the mountainous country of western Montana. Now, after decades of protection and conservation work-catalyzed and supported by its protection under the Endangered Species Act, the grizzly bear is beginning to recover in at least two out of six...
All Montanans have seen the bumper stickers and heard the chatter warning potential newcomers against changing Montana. This proud defense of our state often emanates from folks a lot like me; from hunters, anglers-people who love to hike our mountains and camp in the backcountry. Most of us have been quoting those bumper stickers assuming that any change would probably come from interlopers in rainbow-painted VW vans, or maybe from dangerously liberal urban yuppies with their...
Raising the minimum wage is one of the many policy ideas peppered with tradeoffs, but one of the few that have such a direct impact on businesses and employees alike. Lawmakers in Idaho and Montana have introduced legislation intended to raise the minimum wage. The legislation in Idaho has been introduced by Rep. Steve Berch. House Bill 48 would repeal a prohibition on local governments setting their own minimum wage. Meantime in Montana, House Bill 201 introduced by Rep....
With the holidays behind us and Congress gearing up for a new session, I look forward to continuing my mission fighting for our Montana way of life in Washington, D.C. Under President Biden and Democrat congressional leadership, Montanans are facing the highest inflation rate in three decades, driving up prices of everything from groceries to used cars. In addition, the wide-open southern border is allowing record amounts of fentanyl to devastate our communities, and the...
Submitted on behalf of Speaker of the House Rep. Matt Regier, Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Rhonda Knudsen and Major Leader Rep. Sue Vinton The 68th Montana Legislature is officially in session, and the House has already gaveled in. This year the state faces a unique challenge of deciding how to spend a $2 billion surplus. As leadership of the Montana House, our response to that challenge is supporting House Bill 192, introduced by Representative Bill Mercer of Billings. The bill...
As Montanans, we care for each other. Across the rural-urban divide, generational divide, and Brawl of the Wild divide. Of all our constituents across Montana, the most deserving are our elderly neighbors who are on Medicaid benefits. They have served Montana well, and at this final stage in their lives seek the promise of compassionate, medically appropriate care. Most of them are out of money, have used up their care options with family members and loved ones, and cannot...
The 68th Montana Legislature is officially in session. As Senate leadership, we're excited to see Senate Republicans getting to work on enacting conservative policy for our state. The last time the Legislature met, we successfully passed a conservative balanced budget, cut taxes for individuals and businesses, secured our Second Amendment rights, invested in public access to public lands and high speed broadband, and passed legislation to protect the unborn and further secure...
I'm not a pro-marijuana guy. I voted against Montana's adult-use cannabis initiative (I-190) in the 2020 election. However, since Montanans approved the initiative and recreational marijuana has taken effect in our state, I've been committed to following the will of the voters and making sure our new system works safely and effectively. One of the biggest barriers to that objective is outdated federal law that causes problems for states that have legalized cannabis. In...
The Biden administration has proposed a massive expansion of the IRS. Let's be clear about what that means for taxpayers. Biden's IRS expansion will have more-onerous filing requirements. More Americans will endure invasive audits. More Americans will face lawsuits by their own government. And all of us will spend more time and more money just to ensure we get our taxes right. This is no minor upgrade at the IRS. The Biden plan would increase the IRS budget six-fold and add...
