Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/author/um-legis/page/5/)
Legislators hear State of the Tribal Nations address
By Freddy Monares
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Chairman Vernon Finley asked legislators at the State of the Tribal Nations address in the Montana House chambers Wednesday to remember their collective history. He said he’s proud that despite national rhetoric, legislators are able to shake hands and disagree. (more…) Continue Reading →
Expansion of school funding sought
By Freddy Monares
Montana Lawmakers will be considering a bill that would allow schools to receive state funding for a wider age range of students. House Bill 274 would include 5-year-olds and students with disabilities up to age 21 in the Average Number Belonging, or ANB, calculations. Current statute only funds students ages 6 through 19. “The adult programs that are available for people with significant disabilities have long waiting lists,” said bill sponsor Rep. Kathy Kelker, D-Billings. “No school. Continue Reading →
Bill would let lawmakers pack heat in Capitol
By Cole Grant
HELENA — House Bill 280 would allow lawmakers to carry handguns on state property, including in the Capitol during the Legislature. Rep. Randy Brodehl, R-Kalispell, said he would support allowing anyone who qualifies for open and concealed carry to have guns on state property, but that getting support for that broad a bill would be unlikely. “The first thing that we need to do is start with who is the most vulnerable,” he said. “And in the Capitol, I think legislators are.”
Don Jones of MEA-MFT, a labor union representing public employees, said the bill could make the Capitol unwelcoming to visitors. “We shouldn’t do anything to discourage and create some sort of fear with the rest of the public who want to come here and talk to you about issues that they know you might have disagreements with them,” he said. Continue Reading →
Access for outfitters at issue in Helena
By Freddy Monares
HELENA — Lawmakers will be considering a bill that would make it a misdemeanor for outfitters to access state trust lands through private property, even if they have permission from landowners to do so. A violation—on the part of an outfitter or landowner—would result in a $500 fine. Rep. Tom Jacobson, D-Great Falls, characterized House Bill 243 as an equity issue. “I mean, these are our lands,” he said. “They’re not for rent, they’re not for sale, they belong to the people, and when we allow outfitters to use those lands when the public cannot, it’s definitely an unfair issue.”
Nicole Rolf, national affairs director for the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, opposes the bill. “Making a landowner—a farmer or rancher—a criminal, making it a misdemeanor and a big fine like that, for allowing someone to cross their property is a major concern for us,” Rolf said. Continue Reading →
Bill would allow guns at the post office
By Cole Grant
The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on four bills about gun control Tuesday morning at the 2017 Montana Legislature. House Bill 246 would allow firearms on postal service property in Montana, overriding a federal rule that prohibits it. This would include inside the post office, as well as the parking lot. Rep. Seth Berglee, R-Joliet, spoke in favor of the bill. “And even people that concealed carry, to say that you can’t just take it off and leave it in your vehicle, that that too would be illegal, I don’t think that’s really in keeping with the traditions of Montana,” he said. Continue Reading →
Reimbursement for mountain lion kills considered
By Freddy Monares
Lawmakers in Helena are considering a bill that would allow producers to be reimbursed for livestock killed by mountain lions. (more…) Continue Reading →
[View the story “Thousands demonstrate at Montana Women’s March” on Storify] Continue Reading →
Guardianship bill gets a hearing
By Freddy Monares
Republican Sen. Roger Webb is sponsoring a bill that would pave the way for an organization like the Chicago-based Safe Families for Children to set up a network in Montana of volunteer host families where distressed parents could place their children. “Safe Families is a loving, non-judgmental safety net parents can rely on for help, advice, support, without the fear of losing custody of their children,” Webb said. Senate Bill 117 would make it possible for Montana parents to give up guardianship temporarily. Shannon McDonald, deputy chief counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services, spoke in opposition to the bill. “The bill itself contains no protections for children,” she said. Continue Reading →
Higher taxes on gas, oil wells sought
By Freddy Monares
Lawmakers in Helena are considering a bill that would put money back into the state’s main revenue fund by increasing taxes on new oil and gas wells. House Bill 215 would remove what is called a tax holiday, which is a tax incentive for oil and gas companies during the first year of production. (more…) Continue Reading →
Bed-tax diversion draws opposition
By Freddy Monares
A bill that would divert the state’s bed tax money to create a tourism and trade center in Canada is riling filmmakers. That’s because Senate Bill 75 would also cut the budget for promoting filmmaking in Montana from $1.1 million to about $200,000. Sean Becker, the administrator of the Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development, said, “The Department of Commerce is mandated, and I quote, ‘to use bed tax collections for tourism, promotion, promotion of the state as a location for the production of motion pictures and television commercials.’”
Montana Outfitters and Guides spokesperson Jean Johnson was the only supporter of the bill. “We think that $200,000 is not a big price to pay for a Canadian presence and all that it can lead to,” Johnson said. Rep. Bridget Smith, D-Wolf Point, said she has a bill in the hopper that would provide a tax incentive for filming in Montana. Continue Reading →
