Month: November 2022
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Low Water on Mississippi
The low water levels on the Mississippi River as well as higher diesel costs are also driving up shipping costs on the river which is a significant issue for agriculture. Barge rates are up 246% compared with rates from just a decade before and 282% more than they were in 2020. Lack of rain upstream in…
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Letter to the Editor – Regier
Dear Editor, During a legislative session, there are over a thousand bills, amendments and motions a single legislator will vote on over a course of 4 months. It’s our job to accurately represent you, the people of Montana with each vote. However, our Montana Constitution provides for another way for the people’s voice to be…
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Kroger Buys Albertsons
Montana’s Albertsons stores will soon be Kroger’s. Kroger announced plans in mid-October to acquire Albertsons 4,500 stores in 48 states in a nearly $25 billion deal. The expectation that shoppers will move to buying more private label and generic brands is part of what made Albertson’s a desirable acquisition, according to Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen. …
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Gov. Gianforte Unveils Agenda To Improve Health Care
Governor Greg Gianforte recently shared elements of his health care agenda for the 2023 legislative session and the year ahead, emphasizing the need to increase access to affordable, high-quality health care. “Creating greater, and better, access to health care and lowering Montanans’ costs for care are core pillars of our health care agenda for 2023,”…
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Future Visions?
Federal planning requirements, passed down to local governments, have for a number of decades pursued what’s called “traffic calming” strategies aimed at making driving less desirable and pressuring citizens to abandon their personal vehicles. Often tied to qualifying for federal transportation funds, the federal efforts, have more recently, been elevated, but they have encountered a…
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Feds Take Aim at Gig Economy
By Casey Harper, The Center Square The U.S. Department of Labor proposed a new rule in mid-October that would overhaul how independent contractors like freelancers and drivers for ridesharing apps are classified, potentially upending the gig economy that has exploded in growth in recent years. The DOL said in its rule proposal that it would…
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Exxon Sells
ExxonMobil has sold its 63,000 bpd Billings Refinery to Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. in a $310 million sale that included associated marketing and logistics assets from ExxonMobil Corporation and two of its subsidiaries. The sale includes Exxon- and Mobil-branded service stations network, supplied through long-term brand agreements. ExxonMobil has operated the refinery since 1949 and…
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Equipment Tax Reforms Could Attract Businesses
By David Beasley, The Center Square Gov. Greg Gianforte’s plan to provide more relief from the state’s business equipment tax could attract more businesses to Montana, according to one small business advocacy group. The governor said earlier this month that he wants more reforms to the business equipment tax when the legislature convenes next year. In 2021,…
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Court Blocks Student Loan Plan
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel billions of dollars in federal student loans. The action is in response to a petition from six Republican-led states that sought a pause on the proposed student debt relief while the court rules on their request for a longer-term…
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City Plans Rec Facility
After five years of planning, the preliminary plans for a multi-use recreation center for Billings have been released. The proposed $98.7 million facility would be located adjacent to Amend Park at the corner of King Avenue East and South Billings Boulevard, on property that the city acquired through a tax increment finance district. The plans…