Month: August 2023
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ONEOK CEO to Keynote Petroleum Appreciation Day Luncheon
The Montana Petroleum Association will hold its annual meeting in Billings on August 28-30. Pierce H. Norton, President and CEO of ONEOK, will be the keynote speaker at the Petroleum Day Appreciation Luncheon on August 30, which is open to the public. ONEOK is a leading midstream service provider and owns one of the nation’s…
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Now a Serious Crime to Sell Incandescent Light Bulbs
A serious crime in the Biden Administration is the sale of incandescent light bulbs, the sale of which is now illegal. The Biden administration has enacted a regulation that places retailer or online seller offering incandescent light bulbs for sale subject to severe punishment under the full enforcement of the federal government. The crackdown on…
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NAM Comments on “Right to Repair”
In what amounted to “the agency’s most direct endorsement yet” of the legislation, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan recently backed so-called “Right to Repair” rules, reports POLITICO. However, these regulations constitute “a misguided solution in search of a problem that simply does not exist,” according to the National Association of Manufacturers which has been…
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Montana Highlights August 15, 2023
Whitefish Westside Market, most recently a gas station and market in the west side of Whitefish, has undergone a major renovation of purpose and owner ship. The new owners, Bill and Sharon Kahle along with partner Joe Hess have added hundreds of new items and services. Officials at Glacier National Park are proposing fee rate…
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Montana Enacts Strong Reforms—Now, It’s Time for Sound Property Tax Relief
By Manish Bhatt, Tax Foundation (Editor’s Note: The Tax Foundation recently published a report on Montana’s new tax changes, explaining them and evaluating their potential effectiveness.) Montana is renowned for its vast natural beauty and outdoor recreation, but the state also boasts a competitive tax climate, ranking fifth in our 2023 State Business Tax Climate…
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Montana Brings Another Entrepreneur Home
By Evelyn Pyburn Like so many Montanans who left the state to seek opportunity, Blain Bogar has returned. He returned to Billings last February to open a branch of the company he started in Las Vegas, Big Sky Wealth Management. It’s a move he has always contemplated. Bogar started Big Sky Wealth Management as a…
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KOA Reports Continued Growth
Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA) reports continued growth, sharing that revenue has improved by 2 percent year-over-year. Following years of record-breaking same-store revenue, the company anticipates more positive change, with advanced deposits up 9.5% over 2022. “Our ongoing improvement since the surge in camping popularity during the pandemic is a real testament to the service…
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Governor Opposes BLM Resource Management Plan
Governor Greg Gianforte recently opposed a proposed resource management plan amendment offered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that would restrict responsible coal production in Montana. “Affordable power generated by coal keeps the lights on in Montana and fuels manufacturing across the country and world,” Gov. Gianforte said. “I’m urging the Biden administration to…
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Good & Bad of Montana’s Economy
Evelyn Pyburn Montana led the nation in its rate of economic growth during the first quarter of this year – a little reported fact, according to Dr. Pat Barkey, of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER), during its mid-year economic update at the beginning of August. Despite that report, based upon lower tax…
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Fitch Downgrade Follows Years of Warnings About Federal Debt
By Brett Rowland, The Center Square A congressional watchdog repeatedly warned lawmakers about national spending and debt levels before a second of the Big Three credit rating agencies dropped the United States government’s credit rating down a notch. Fitch Ratings made the decision recently to downgrade the government’s credit rating from the highest level of…