Archive: November 2024

Top Two Coolest Things

6 November 2024
Dennis Pyburn
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Not long ago The Montana Chamber of Commerce asked the public to submit nominations for “The Coolest Thing Made in Montana.”  The contest was to celebrate and promote the innovation, craftsmanship, and economic impactof Montana’s thriving manufacturing industry.

The Chamber has announced the winners in two categories – – one representing small business and another for larger businesses.

After three rounds of voting and over 15,000 votes cast the winners are Rattlesnake Cable Company and Nomad Global Communications Systems (GCS).

More than 60 Montana-based companies were nominated for the competition, showcasing a wide range of locally-made products, from high-tech innovations to handcrafted goods. The contest, open to the public for voting, highlights the rol manufacturing plays in Montana’s economy, which according to the 2023 Montana

Manufacturing Report by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research, supported 22,700 jobs and contributed $3.3 billion to the state’s economic growth.

Small Business Winner: Missoula-based Rattlesnake Cable Company with four full-time employees, claimed victory in the small business category. Specializing in high-quality, custom hand-made guitar cables, Rattlesnake Cable Company is driven by the belief that every musician deserves exceptional equipment paired with equally outstanding customer service. Known for its premium craftsmanship and dedication to serving musicians around the world, the company has become a go-to brand for those seeking reliable and durable stage and studio cables.

“We are thrilled to be recognized as The Coolest Thing Made in Montana’s small business category,” said Hank Donovan, Co-Owner/Co-Founder of Rattlesnake Cable Company. “Our mission is to not only provide the best cables but to build strong relationships with our customers. This award is a testament to the hard work and passion we put into every product.” Large Business Winner: Nomad GCS in Columbia Falls earned the top honor in the large business category. With a workforce of over 300 skilled professionals, the company engineers and manufactures cutting-edge Connected Mobile Operations Centers (CMOCs) for defense, public safety, emergency operations, and telco organizations worldwide. Nomad’s Tactical Command Vehicle (TCV) is a unique concept in the industry, designed with satellite and cellular connectivity, high ground clearance for off-pavement performance, and Nomad Total Command™ (NTC) software for vehicle management and automation. Trusted by federal, state, local, and private sectorcustomers alike, the TCV reflects Montana’s spirit of innovation, ingenuity, and resilience.

“To be named ‘The Coolest Thing Made in Montana’ by a large business is an honor,” Nomad CEO Will Schmautz said. “Our Tactical Command Vehicle, and every customer solution delivered, represents the best of Montana engineering and manufacturing. Knowing that people statewide recognize our work is humbling, and a testament to the efforts of our stellar team for over two decades.”

“Montana consistently ranks as one of the top entrepreneurial states, and the Montana Chamber of Commerce is committed to keeping us there, said Todd O’Hair, president & CEO of the Montana Chamber. “The Coolest Thing Made in Montana contest highlights the strength and diversity of our economy. On behalf of the business community, congratulations to our inaugural winners, and thank you for choosing Montana as your place to do business.”

Turn off the politicians and Listen to yourself

6 November 2024
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By Roger Koopman

I wonder if it ever dawns on all those well-paid, city-bred consultants who come in to run most of Montana’s major campaigns, that nobody is listening anymore?  Oh, sure.  There are the political junkies, left and right, who thrive on the junk food of campaign advertising, doused with the vinegar of vitriol.  But for most folks, the noise of the election season has reached a decibel level that so numbs the ears, that the messages are no longer getting through.  We just want to be left alone to contemplate real ideas and real truths.

Clearly, it’s time to turn off the politicians and listen to ourselves.

Sure.  It’s fair play for a campaign to point out – honestly – the relevant record of opponent.  Tester, Zinke and Gianforte, for example, all have records that voters should closely examine. Their challengers have records, too.  Candidates have a responsibility to bring out important facts, and draw valid contrasts between themselves and their opponents.  But how much is true, and how much is hyperbole, exaggeration or outright falsehood? 

Voters have a responsibility to do their own research, check the websites of each candidate and draw their own fact-based conclusions about qualifications and fundamental beliefs.  Then get in touch with yourself.  Forget about the “popular political culture” around you, think for yourself and ask in the quiet of your own conscience, what do I truly believe?

Meanwhile, the campaigns will continue to grow more strident and intelligence-insulting.  If we succumb to the sheer volume of political noise, we will just be handing elections over to the ones whose collection of interest groups are the largest and have the most money.  For many decades, this is exactly what has resulted in the election of leftist radicals to what I now call the Montana Extreme Court.  Trial lawyer money flooded the airwaves and mailboxes, and voters didn’t do their own due diligence.  If we aren’t careful, the same thing will happen this time around, where the message of the moderate-to-conservative justice candidates Corey Swanson and Dan Wilson threatens to be obliterated by the liberal legal establishment.  

Personally, I approach the voting booth relying very little on the canned messages of the political campaigns.  Instead, I listen to myself.  I ask these kinds of questions about each candidate:

*  Do they reflect humility and a servanthood attitude?

*  Do they understand that government has constitutional limits, and the human possibilities under freedom and free markets are unlimited?  That government itself creates nothing?  Free people do the creating.

*  Do they understand that government is not a Department of Happiness?  It is a minister of justice.  We create our own happiness when left free.  Not when dependent on the “generosity” of politicians, who can give us nothing that isn’t first taken from someone else.

*  Do they understand that rights are God-given, not government bestowed?  They are non-negotiable.  Not for sale.

Of course, maybe you don’t believe these things.  Perhaps you like being directed, planned and controlled by your government.  Maybe you prefer being pampered and fed by your government, at your neighbor’s expense, rather than asserting personal responsibility for your own life.  Maybe, but I don’t think so.  Not really.  And I suspect you really don’t accept the meaning of “reproductive freedom” as the right to kill the innocent, as if the “new morality” requires putting “body” on higher ground than life itself.  I think you’ve had enough of all that selfishness.  You’re not buying it.   

So when you fill out your ballot, stop and listen to what your heart is telling you.  I’m guessing it still beats in rythym with America’s founders, and is proclaiming life (all life, including the smallest among us), liberty (freedom from injustice and government control), and pursuit of happiness (personal effort and individual responsibility.)  If you can find a Democrat candidate who advances those fundamental principles, please let me know.  I haven’t found one yet.  And yes, some Republicans, once in office, fail that test too.

Turn off the political noise.  Stop looking to government to give you something you didn’t earn, by taking it from someone who did.  Trust yourself.  Trust your neighbor.  Trust your freedom.  And vote accordingly.

A former Bozeman small businessman, Roger Koopman is president of Montana Conservative Alliance.  He served four years in the Montana House of Representatives and eight years as a Montana Public Service commissioner.

Proposed Change in Social Security is Controversial

6 November 2024
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A bill is expected to arrive on the floor of the US House of Representatives this fall which would increase benefits for individuals with earnings that weren’t subject to Social Security taxation and end up costing taxpayers an additional $196 billion over ten years. The bill would repeal Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).

The proposal is controversial, as some Congressmen believe WEP and GPO would unfairly benefit public sector workers at a high cost to taxpayers. WEP adjusts Social Security benefits for workers who have pensions from working for state or local governments and who also qualify for Social Security but with a limited earnings record. The GPO makes similar adjustments for spouses and survivors who worked in jobs that were not subject to Social Security’s taxes.

Congress adopted these adjustments to preserve the intent behind Social Security’s progressive benefit formula, which replaces a higher percentage of preretirement wages for lower-income workers than for higher earners, and to duplicate the dual-entitlement rule that prevents workers from collecting more than one benefit at a time. Before the windfall elimination provision and government pension offset were implemented, certain workers and spouses would receive an unfair “windfall” in the form of higher benefits than Congress intended.

The current approach treats some beneficiaries better than others. When these rules were enacted in 1983, Social Security lacked the necessary data to make appropriate adjustments.

The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 (H.R.82) would repeal both rules, giving public sector workers unfairly high benefits by treating them as if they had been low-income workers 

Outdoor Montana is the Tops

6 November 2024
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Montana has been ranked as the top state in the nation for outdoor enthusiasts.

“Montana is best known around the world for our beautiful vistas and wide-open spaces,” Gov. Greg Gianforte said. “This report confirms what Montanans already know: our outdoor recreational opportunities are the best in the country thanks to our work to boost public access, support our tourism industry, and protect our way of life.”

According to a SmileHub, Montana was ranked number one considering three key factors including outdoor activity access, economic impact and job opportunities, and environmental quality. Montana gained high marks across all three categories, including second in the nation for outdoor activity access and seventh for economic impact.

Increasing public access to public lands is a top priority for the governor. Since Gov. Gianforte took office, Montanans gained access to more than 100,000 acres of public lands through new WMAs in the Big Snowy Mountains, Bad Rock Canyon, and along the Yellowstone River with expanded access at Mount Haggin, and a new state park at Somers Beach.

In August, Gov. Gianforte led the state’s purchase of more than 50,000 acres of habitat conservation leases to increase public access, keep agricultural land in production, and conserve prairie habitats. 

And working together with sportsmen, outfitters, and landowners, the governor last year signed into law several bills to promote public access and increase hunting opportunities for Montanans.

Mountain States Among Most 2nd Amendment Supportive

6 November 2024
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By Chris Woodward, The Center Square

Mountain States are among the most gun-friendly states in 2024.

Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, North and South Dakota all rank high in rankings from ammunition e-commerce and wholesaler company Ammo.com. 

Montana is fourth on this year’s ranking. Like other states in its region, Montana is a Constitutional Carry state with no registration or permit requirements. Meanwhile, Montana does not impose a sale tax on firearms, something Ammo.com said means firearms will “be a bit cheaper than in most other states.”

In a statement, Gov. Greg Gianforte said Montanans are proud of their Second Amendment rights. They also know they have a “responsibility” to preserve those Second Amendment rights. 

“We’ll continue to keep Montana a sanctuary for freedom and free enterprise, and we’ll always defend the rights of law-abiding Montanans,” said Gianforte.

In February 2023, the governor wrote United States Attorney General Merrick Garland to criticize the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to erode the 2nd Amendment rights of Montanans. In January of that year, Gianforte took steps with the Board of Investments to block Environmental Social Governance (ESG) investigating of state funds. 

More than 150 firearms and ammunitions businesses are in Montana.

Wyoming is 12th this year, due in part to the Cowboy State having Constitutional Carry, a governor that is pro-2nd Amendment, and Stand Your Ground Castle Doctrine, and No Duty to Retreat policies. 

Idaho is the 11th most gun-friendly state. As it is in Wyoming, Idahoans can open and concealed carry without a permit.

“Those traveling to Idaho will need a concealed carry (CCW) permit, although the state accepts permits from all 50 states,” said Ammo.com in this year’s report. “The state’s standard sales tax applies to all firearms and equipment, but you won’t have to register your firearms or take additional courses before purchasing.”

North Dakota ranks 10th for reasons such as one needs to only reside in the state for 30 days to partake in open and concealed carry freedoms. Gun owners do have to be at least 18 years of age, have no felony convictions, and face no pending criminal charges. Still, Ammo.com applauds the state for allowing those with prior convictions to get their 2A rights restored in the state of North Dakota.

“Governor Doug Burgum recently declared North Dakota a Second Amendment Sanctuary State,” added Ammo.com.

South Dakota ranked ninth. Governed by 2nd Amendment supporter Kristi Noem, South Dakota currently has no registration requirements for firearms, nor does it have additional background checks. Want an enhanced carry permit for travel? Visit your local sheriff’s department for an application. 

“South Dakota accepts CCWs from all 50 states,” wrote Ammo.com. “You can also apply for a Gold Card to bypass the NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System).”

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Montana Highlights November 1 2024

6 November 2024
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Glacier Park International Airport was awarded another $2.5 million in federal funding recently for its ongoing terminal expansion project. Awarded through the FAA Airport Terminal Program, the dollars will expedite work on the expansion. A portion of the latest grant will go toward a third bag claim device which costs around $1 million.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced recently that the first sections of the 90-inch replacement pipe for the St. Mary Siphon had arrived. This sets the stage for replacing the infrastructure that delivers water to the Milk River Project, a lifeline for north-central Montana. As an irrigation project the Milk River Project and the St. Mary Diversion and Conveyance works were one of the first projects the Bureau of Reclamation was authorized to build after it was created in 1902. The St. Mary Canal Siphon suffered a catastrophic failure June 17, 2024. It was constructed in two phases, with the downstream barrel completed between 1912 and 1915 and the upstream barrel after 1925.

The Stafford/McClelland Ferry will be removed from the Missouri River on October 31.

Whitefish’s Stack Financial Management climbed from #72 to #57 on the 2024 CNBC Financial Advisor 100 list. Stack Financial Management is a nationally recognized, independent Registered Investment Advisor based in Whitefish managing over $1.9 billion in assets for individuals, families and business owners across the U.S.  

The University of Montana has hired Dr. Jeffrey Michael to serve as the next director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research. Michael joins BBER from the University of the Pacific where he has served as director of Public Policy at the McGeorge School of Law. Michael has decades of experience in regional economic forecasting,

Independence Bank has announced the promotion of Lauren Kato to Teller Supervisor and Accountant Relations Specialist. Lauren is a native of Havre.

Independence Bank recently announced the promotion of Sydne Haider to Account Relations Supervisor. Sydne joined the bank October 13, 2021, as an Account Relations Specialist.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has finalized its plan for managing grizzly bears. Last month, FWP Director Dustin Temple formally adopted a 326-page outline for how the state will address conflicts between bears and people, approach an eventual trophy hunt and respond to the state’s growing grizzly population.

Sarah and Rob Ratkowski, owners of the Montana Milk Moovers home delivery service, are now offering   regular access to fresh, local goods through the Neighborhood Market. The market opened recently off Montana 35. The shop offers dairy products, eggs, produce, meat and other pantry items . The market receives its goods through the Western Montana Growers Cooperative.

Stephanie Cole, a fourth-generation Montanan from Bozeman, is the new chief executive officer of Red Ants Pants, the company announced. Red Ants Pants, based in White Sulphur Springs, sells work wear for women.

The Montana Public Service Commission announced that as of Oct. 1, a typical NorthWestern Energy residential electric customer using 750 kilowatt-hours per month saw a decrease of $6.13 or 5.57% of their monthly electric bill. The decrease comes due to a recent submission to the PSC of NorthWestern’s Annual Power Costs and Credits Adjustment Mechanism (PCCAM).

Glacier National Park saw a record number of visitors in September, according to data from the National Park Service. More than 600,000 visitors passed through one of Glacier’s entrances during September, nearly 50,000 more than in 2023. So far in 2024, 3,001,595 people have visited the park, just the third time that number has eclipsed 3 million and a 9% increase over last year.

The Montana Public Service Commission denied an interim rate increase requested by Montana-Dakota Utilities earlier this year. MDU filed a rate case with the PSC in July requesting a natural gas rate increase of 16.4% for residential customers. As the PSC considers the rate case as a whole, the utility company requested an interim rate increase. The temporary increase would bring the cost to the average residential customer using 78 dekatherms of natural gas up $5.17 per month.

Yellowstone National Park hosted 838,458 visitors in September. So far in 2024, the park has hosted 4,349,689 recreation visits, up 5% from 2023. The year-to-date numbers are just 120,000 lower than in 2021, the park’s record-setting year.

Sagebrush Boutique, a new business has opened in Miles City. Owned by Shawna Christofferson, the boutique celebrated its opening on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport set a September record for passenger traffic. In all, 249,773 passengers came through the Belgrade airport in September up 6.5% over the previous mark of 234,589 set in 2023. The busiest month was July, with 322,732 passengers.

 The Treasure Chest of Hobbies and Crafts in Missoula is closing after over 45 years in business.

The Montana Department of Transportation has applied for federal funding to reduce collisions along U.S. Highway 191, one of Montana most wildlife collision-prone highways. The Center for Large Landscape Conservation, a Bozeman-based nonprofit announced that MDT has submitted a grant application.

The Missoula Family YMCA has received a $500,000 matching grant from the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation. The gift was given in honor of Mike Halligan, the foundation’s outgoing executive director, who is set to retire in January of 2025.

Bloom Montessori School in Helena has announced it will close its child care center in December. Bloom is licensed to serve 132 students aged 0-6 years old.

Gov. Gianforte presented his annual Forest Products Award to the Weyerhaeuser Raw Materials Team at their Flathead Valley facility during Montana Forest Products Week. While the forest products marketplace continues to evolve, companies like Weyerhaeuser Raw Materials are helping support our economy and responsibly manage our forests,” Gov. Gianforte said. The honorees of the award included Weyerhaeuser team members Shaney Neuharth, Zack Miller, Milo Funk, and Jacob Parent. Miller and Parent focus on sustainable forest management and raw material procurement to ensure non-sawlog materials are used productively. Funk manages by-product procurement, handling over 400,000 tons annually, and Neuharth leads initiatives to utilize slash material for heating systems, reducing reliance on natural gas and lowering emissions. 

The North Dakota Public Service Commission voted to approve a Certificate of Site Compatibility for Cerilon GTL North Dakota. Cerilon has proposed a gas-to-liquids facility that will transform natural gas into synthetic products. These products include Group III+ base oils, ultra- low sulphur diesel and naphtha. The site, near Trenton ND, was selected for several reasons— its proximity to abundant natural gas supplies, access to road and rail transportation, and existing local infrastructure. It also has access to sufficient electrical power for startup and interconnection to the power grid.

Four landmark properties are for sale in Livingston. They are Riverside Hardware and The Stockman Bar on Main Street, the 49er Diner, Bar and Casino on Park Street, and the former Livingston Enterprise building on South Main Street.

The Cascade County Detention Center in Great Falls is facing many of the same changes as Yellowstone County faces with overcrowding and having to detain inmates who should be treated for mental illness. Typical population numbers are over 400 inmates, occasionally exceeding 500, while the official jail capacity is 372. Officials are instituting two programs that could help relieve the jail of low-level offenders and offering mental health care.

North Dakota and South Korea will work together on energy and carbon capture technologies. North Dakota and South Korean officials signed a memorandum of understanding during North Dakota’s trade mission to South Korea. Their goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030, in part through carbon capture, utilization and storage. One of North Dakota’s largest manufacturers, Fargo-based Bobcat Co., is part of the South Korea-based Doosan Group.

Missoula has been awarded over $130,000 of federal funding to “improve energy efficiency and meet the city’s climate goals.” Missoula city government wants to make its operations carbon neutral by 2025, and to require the broader community be carbon neutral by 2050. The funds will pay for staff to develop new voluntary construction codes for building projects that improve weatherization and electrification above state requirements.

The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission (NDAC) has released its monthly report detailing airline passenger traffic at the state’s eight commercial service airports. With 98,371 passengers boarding flights within North Dakota this past month, it marks the busiest September on record, surpassing the previous high of 92,703 passengers set in September of 2014. The September 2024 figures reflect a year-over-year increase of 7,101 passengers, representing an 8% rise over September 2023. Additionally, this marks the fifth consecutive month of record-breaking passenger numbers for the state. 

Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) Region 7 staff is increasing public access at the Isaac Homestead Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Hysham. The WMA was purchased by FWP in 1969 and was recently expanded with a purchase of a 414-acre parcel, totaling to 1,532 acres of native wildlife habitat and cultivated farm ground. The Montana Outdoor Legacy Foundation (MOLF), acting as Trust Manager for the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust has finalized the sale of a 414-acre tract to FWP from the Lackman Family. The acquisition is located between the two existing units of the Isaac Homestead WMA, connecting the east and west portions and providing the only land-based access to the Yellowstone River.

Montana Knife Manufacturing in Missoula is building a $18 million, two-story, 50,000-square-foot facility that the owner says will eventually house 150-200 employees. Co-founded  in a garage just four years ago, by Josh Smith and Brandon Horoho, the new state-of-the-art facility will include corporate offices, a coffee shop, and a viewing area to observe the knife-making process. They manufacture knives for various purposes, including hunting, professional cooking, and tactical use for law enforcement and the military.

Enrollment at the University of Montana jumped nearly 6% this fall. When including Missoula College, total enrollment at UM increased nearly 5%, marking the largest year-over-year jump in 15 years. In total, the university has 484 more students enrolled this fall when compared to last year, bringing total enrollment to 10,811.

Millennials, Better Financial Condition than Previous Generations

6 November 2024
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By Maggie Davis, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

From coming of age in the wake of the Great Recession to bearing much of the brunt of today’s soaring home prices, many people seem to think millennials have it pretty bad.

Contrary to that belief, the latest LendingTree study indicates millennials are in a better financial position than their Generation X and baby boomer counterparts at similar ages — particularly regarding net worth, assets, income and spending.

Here’s what we found.

Key findings

* When adjusted for inflation, millennials appear to be in a better financial condition than Gen Xers or baby boomers at similar points. In 2022, millennials (ages 26 to 41 at the time) had a median net worth of $84,941. In 2007, Gen Xers (ages 27 to 42 at the time) had a median net worth of $78,333 in 2022 dollars. In 1989, baby boomers (ages 25 to 43 at the time) had a median net worth of $58,101 in 2022 dollars. That means millennials’ net worth was 8.4% higher than Gen Xers’ and 46.2% higher than baby boomers’ at those ages.

* Millennials are more likely to have assets and carry debt than other generations at similar ages. 99.3% of millennials had assets in 2022, while 97.5% of Gen Xers and 93.8% of baby boomers had assets when they were around the same ages. Meanwhile, 88.1% of millennials carried debt in 2022, compared with 86.9% of Gen Xers and 85.8% of baby boomers around that age.

* Midpoint millennials have a higher median cumulative income than older generations. Millennials born in 1989 earned a median of $446,570 between 2014 and 2023 (ages 25 to 34). When the midpoint Gen Xers and baby boomers were 25 to 34, the median cumulative income was $417,700 and $362,330, respectively, in 2023 dollars.

* Still, millennials face significantly higher rent costs and homeownership hurdles. Adjusted for inflation, the median rent in 2024 for midpoint millennials age 35 is $1,481. That’s considerably more than the $1,251 for midpoint Gen Xers in 2008 and the $1,174 for midpoint baby boomers in 1990. Additionally, a 20% down payment on a median home purchase in 2024 is a breathtaking $85,960, compared with inflation-adjusted amounts of $69,305 in 2008 and $57,107 in 1990 — though comparatively low interest rates benefit millennials.

* Looking at overall expenses, millennials spent more money than boomers, but a smaller portion of their income. When midpoint millennials turned 33 in 2022, younger adults ages 25 to 34 spent an average of $67,883 across all items that year. When Gen Xers were of a similar age in 2006, they spent an average of $69,084 in 2022 dollars, and baby boomers spent an average of $63,761 in 1988. But factoring in average pretax income, those millennials spent 75.8% of their annual income — far less than the 83.2% spent by Gen Xers and 91.0% spent by baby boomers.

Matt Schulz — LendingTree chief credit analyst and author of “Ask Questions, Save Money, Make More: How to Take Control of Your Financial Life” — believes prior generations’ struggles have helped prepare millennials.

“I think that the scars from the Great Recession and the pandemic have helped shape millennials’ views on money, forcing them to be more focused on their finances than other generations have had to be,” Schulz says. “That focus has prompted them to learn more about money, get started with investing and savings earlier, become more entrepreneurial and make other financially focused moves that have helped set them up for success. It’s certainly helped that we’ve seen stocks hit record highs.”

Land Board Purchases Property

6 November 2024
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The Montana Land Board has conditionally purchased a 32,891-acre conservation easement to expand public access in northwest Montana. The easement is in the Salish and Cabinet mountains between Kalispell and Libby. This is the first phase of a potentially two-phased project totaling 85,792 acres of timberland and fish and wildlife habitat. The easement will protect wildlife habitat and key landscape connectivity, and provide permanent public recreation access. Forest management and sustainable timber harvest would continue. Additionally, the land will provide a migration corridor and year-round habitat for moose, elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer. Hunters and anglers have used these lands for generations.

In August, the Land Board purchased more than 50,000 acres of habitat conservation leases (HCL) to increase public access, keep agricultural land in production, and conserve prairie habitat. HCLs are a voluntary, incentive-based agreement with private landowners that help ensure high-priority habitats are conserved while traditional agricultural activities, primarily livestock grazing, continue. Landowners commit to retaining wildlife habitats for 30 or 40-year terms.

Increasing public access to public lands is a top priority for the governor. Montanans have gained access to more than 100,000 acres of public lands through new WMAs in the Big Snowy Mountains, Bad Rock Canyon, and along the Yellowstone River with expanded access at Mount Haggin, and a new state park at Somers Beach.

Gianforte Gets an “A” on Cato Report Card

6 November 2024
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Only six governors in the country earned a grade of “A” from the Cato Institute, and Montana’s Governor Greg Gianforte is one of them.

Cato has released a report that grades governors on their fiscal policies from a limited government perspective. Governors receiving an A are those who have cut taxes and spending the most, whereas governors receiving an F have increased taxes and spending the most.

Cato explained the emphasis on governors stating, “Governors play a key role in state fiscal policy. They propose budgets, recommend tax changes, and sign or veto tax and spending bills. When the economy is growing, governors can use rising revenues to expand programs or they can return extra revenues to the public through tax cuts. When the economy slows and budgets go into deficit, governors can respond by raising taxes or trimming spending.”

The report said that Gianforte cut income tax rates and succeeded in a series of bills. In 2021, he cut the top individual income tax rate from 6.9 percent to 6.5 percent and collapsed seven income tax brackets to two. He expanded the standard deduction and repealed tax credits. Further reforms in 2023 cut the top individual income tax rate to 5.9 percent. He has also cut the capital gains tax rate and increased the exemption level for taxing business equipment.

Besides Gianforte governors receiving a grade of A are Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Jim Pillen of Nebraska, Jim Justice of West Virginia, Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas, and Kristi Noem of South Dakota.

Six governors receiving an F are Tony Evers of Wisconsin, John Carney of Delaware, Jay Inslee of Washington, Janet Mills of Maine, Kathy Hochul of New York, and Tim Walz of Minnesota.

All the governors receiving an A on this year’s report are Republicans, and all the governors receiving an F are Democrats.

The report is the 17th biennial fiscal report card, having been issued since 2022. It uses statistical data to grade the governors on their tax and spending records: Governors who restrained taxes and spending receive higher grades, while governors who substantially increased taxes and spending receive lower grades.

To spur growth, half the states have cut their individual or corporate income tax rates in recent years, and some states have converted their multirate individual income taxes into single-rate flat taxes. Unfortunately, many states have also been larding their tax codes with special interest breaks for filmmaking, green energy, and other politically favored industries.

Another trend affecting state budgets is the expansion of school choice programs. More than 30 states now provide support for private schooling through various tax and spending mechanisms. A dozen states have made eligibility for their school choice programs universal or near universal for all students.

Most states are enjoying surpluses today, but they differ in their budget preparations for tomorrow. Debt levels, rainy day funds, and unfunded retirement obligations vary widely by state.

When the economy is growing and revenues are rising, Democrats tend to increase spending, whereas Republicans tend to both increase spending and cut taxes. Recently, state budget surpluses have been so large that both Republicans and Democrats have cut taxes, although the Democratic cuts have often been one-time rebates, which are scored lower on this report than the permanent cuts favored by Republicans.

Tax and spending data for the report come from the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Tax Foundation, the budget agencies of each state, and news articles. The data cover the period from January 2022 to August 2024.1 The report rates 48 governors. It excludes the governor of Louisiana because he has been in office only a brief time, and the governor of Alaska because of peculiarities in that state’s budget.

Feds Subsidize Battery Processing Manufacturing and Recycling

6 November 2024
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Last week the Biden –Harris administration announced over $3 billion in federal grants to subsidize  domestic battery processing, manufacturing, and recycling projects.

“These investments are also going to help end America’s reliance on critical materials from our economic competitors like China,”  said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

Lael Brainard, director of the National Economic Council under the White House, said the investments would address the vulnerability of depending on China for critical minerals and battery supply chains.

China is a dominant player in the global lithium-ion market.

The country’s output was over 940 gigawatt-hours last year, at the same level of estimated global demand. Seventy percent, or $13.1 billion, of the U.S. lithium-ion battery imports in 2023 were directly from China. The percentage increased to over 80 for the first half of this year owing to the market’s anticipation of higher tariffs.

Last week, the Office of the United States Trade Representative finalized its tariffs on Chinese goods. Tariffs on Chinese lithium-ion electric vehicle batteries will increase from 7.5 to 25 percent on Sept. 27, and the lithium-ion non-electrical vehicle battery tariff rate hike to 25 percent will occur at the beginning of 2026.