Author: Press Room

Credit Cards Need Competition

9 August 2023
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The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, released a new video featuring small business owners explaining the impact the Credit Card Competition Act would have on their Main Street businesses if passed into law.

The Credit Card Competition Act seeks to ensure competition in the credit card processing market by allowing small businesses the freedom to choose between multiple credit card networks. Without this legislation, businesses everywhere are subjected to ever-rising interchange fees set by large credit card companies in a closed market free from competition. According to a recent NFIB member ballot, 92% of NFIB member small business owners believe that businesses should have the right to choose between multiple credit card processing networks. This legislation would help preserve their freedom of choice by injecting much-needed competition into the credit card processing market, allowing small business owners to choose the option that is best for their business.

Excerpts include:

“I think one thing people forget about all these costs and fees that they think businesses pay is that it’s the consumers who end up paying these fees. At the end of the day, if we can reduce those fees, we can stabilize costs,” said David Henrich, a small business owner from Minnesota.

“The Credit Card Competition Act, I think, would be very beneficial to our business. We just recently started accepting credit cards, and we have noticed that that ‘swipe fee’ has been very expensive for us,” said Renea Jones, a small business owner from Tennessee.

“I don’t have that free choice to go out and choose who I give my money to. It’s already taken away from me on the third of every month before I have the choice to come back and say, ‘Wait a minute, let’s look at this and negotiate a better rate,’” said Jeff Hastings, a small business owner from North Carolina.

Camping World Opens in Lockwood

9 August 2023
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By Michael J. Marino, Yellowstone County News

Camping World just off Interstate 90 near Lockwood has opened for business, marking the RV dealer’s first store in Montana and its 199th store in the world.

Founded in 1966 and headquartered in Lincolnshire, Illinois, Camping World provides a variety of RV products and services. Devin Card, General Manager of the new Billings store, said that in addition to selling Recreational Vehicles and related items, they have 14 service bays.

With three other RV dealers just a stone’s throw away, one might wonder what strategy Camping World executives could have been employing when they decided to locate in Billings.

Card said he is not aware of all the details behind the company’s decision, but, “Billings draws in a large area of people that are traveling here on the weekends. People come to Billings for its shopping, [and] the hospitals ….I think that’s why you see so many RV places [in Billings],” he continued.

“As we enter Montana, the Billings community is a great place to begin,” said Camping World Chairman and CEO Marcus Lemonis. “It’s our goal to increase our store count by 50% over the next five years, through a combination of acquisitions, new store openings, and manufacturer exclusive locations.”

BLM Releases Oil/Gas Leasing Regulations

9 August 2023
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released a proposed oil and gas rule that would affect how fossil fuels are leased and produced on national public lands. The rule would implement the Inflation Reduction Act’s reforms of the oil and gas leasing system.

BLM claims the proposed rule will cut down on speculative leasing in the onshore program so that rather than producing fuels, those lands can instead be managed for other uses like conservation and recreation. Finally, the rule would reform the bonding rates that oil and gas companies must post in order to ensure public lands are cleaned up when companies abandon wells.

The Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Policy Director Rachael Hamby:

“Congress overhauled the oil and gas leasing system last year. Now it’s up to the Interior Department to make those reforms stick and prevent them from being undermined by future administrations. Today’s draft rule is a major step in that direction. The recent oil and gas lease sale in Wyoming shows that the industry already has more public land under lease than they know what to do with. The least they can do is give taxpayers a fair return when they lock up more acres and profit off publicly-owned resources.”

“It’s imperative that strong bonding reforms make it through the rulemaking process intact. The Interior Department just announced it will spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars cleaning up oil and gas wells abandoned by irresponsible companies. This can never happen again. Drillers must post bonds sufficient to clean up after themselves the next time an oil boom inevitably goes bust.”

Billings Building Permits August 1, 2023

9 August 2023
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Commercial

Rocky Mountain District Of CMA/ The Exterior Design Solutions, 2545 St John’s Ave, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $17,000

Billings Shiloh Hotel LLC/ Pentex Builders, LLC, 705 Henry Chapple St, Com New Hotel/Motel, $14,600,000

McCall Development Inc/ McCall Development, 6204 Norma Jean Sq S, Com New Townhome Shell $350,000

Montana Prime Meats, 524 Liberty St, Com Remodel, $5,000

Humana Inc/ Horizon Retail Construction,  1423 38th St W, Com Remodel $728,812

South Forty Partners LP/ Harvest Solar Electric LLC, 769 Fallow Ln, Com Remodel, $214,000

KRE HCRE 2 Owner 3 LLC/ Bauer Construction, 1739 Spring Creek Ln, Com Remodel , $13,000

Barry, James D/ Sundance Tile & Carpentry, 109 5th St W, Demolition Permit  Commercial, $31,000

Valley Financial Credit Union/ Sprague Construction Roofing Division, 3100 2nd Ave N, Com Fence/Roof/Siding $25,000 

Holton, Russell/ KE Construction LLC, 1320 S 31st St W, Com Footing/Foundation $215,000.00

Holton, Russell/ KE Construction LLC, 1320 S 31st St W, Com New Other $2,000,000

Denny Menholt Chevrolet, 3000 King Ave W, Com Remodel, $130,000

Elevation Church Billings, Inc/ Ralph Dupea Contracting, 711 4th Ave N, Com Remodel, $40,000

Charter Communications Inc, 1860 Monad Rd, Com Remodel, $10,750

Residential

Youngren Remix LLC/ Duane Youngren Contractor LLC, 431 Lewis Ave, Res New Accessory Structure,$15,552

Mike Christensen/ Michael Christensen Homes, 4931 Silver Creek Trl, Res New Single Family, $450,000

Infinity Home LLC/ Infinity Home LLC, 954 Matador Ave, Res New Single Family, $241,855

Billings Best Builders LLC/ Billings Best Builders LLC, 3513 Rachelle Cir, Res New Single Family, $250,000

Billings Best Builders LLC/ Billings Best Builders LLC, 3472 Tahoe Dr, Res New Single Family, $250,000

Goffena, Deborah H/ Jeff Engel Construction, Inc, 154 Stillwater Ln, Res New Single Family, $500,000

Wells Built Inc/ Wells Built Inc., 4624 Toyon Dr, Res New Single Family, $401,019

Vandersloot/ Yellowstone Property Solutions LLC, 575 Winged Foot Dr, Res New Single Family, $600,000

CDH, LLC/ CDH, LLC, 5210 Camp Ln, Res New Single Family,  $279,772

CDH, LLC/ CDH, LLC, 5216 Camp Ln, Res New Single Family, $289,908

McCall Development Inc/ McCall Development, 6204 Norma Jean Sq S, Res New Townhome, $0.00

McCall Development Inc/ McCall Development, 6206 Norma Jean Sq S, Res New Townhome, $0.00

Woods, Barry L & Angela L/ Rock Creek Trim & Design, 2160 Fair Park Dr, Res New Accessory Structure, $40,000

Airport Photos to Showcase Eastern Montana for Visitors

9 August 2023
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Visit Southeast Montana and the Billings Logan International Airport are partnering to showcase the uniqueness and array of visitor opportunities in eastern Montana communities with a new photo installation as the airport continues its $60 million terminal expansion project.

The installation highlights the local communities and outdoor experiences in this part of the state that await the more than 400,000 passengers who use the terminal each year. It features:

* A wallscape of the night sky at Acton Recreation Area with a backlit lightbox that will inspire visitors to view some of the world’s darkest skies along Montana’s Trail to the Stars, which includes more than 45 dark sky viewing locations across eastern and central Montana.

* A 4.5-foot by 8.5-foot image of the Indian Memorial at the Little Bighorn Battlefield, the most-visited location in the Southeast Montana tourism region.

* A cutout of a cowboy riding a bucking bronco, which is a call to the area’s summer rodeo season that kicks off with the World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale.

* A 4.5-foot-tall burger that reminds viewers to bring a hearty appetite and find their favorite burger along the Southeast Montana Burger Trail, which features more than 20 local eateries over hundreds of miles across eastern Montana.

A “dino selfie spot” to encourage visitors to embark on the Montana Dinosaur Trail, where families can dig into paleontology on a guided dinosaur dig or stop at local museums.

Aly Eggar Accepts Position

9 August 2023
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Aly Eggart, MSPR, CATP, recently accepted a promotion to become the Director of Leisure Marketing for Visit Billings, managed by the Billings Chamber of Commerce.

Eggart was hired as the Leisure Marketing, Sales and Social Media Manager in 2016 and has since become an integral part of the Visit Billings team.

“We are proud to promote her into this well-deserved director position for Visit Billings and the destination,” said Executive Director of Visit Billings Alex Tyson. “During her seven years with the organization, Aly has become the leisure marketing leader for Billings. She has elevated this crucial visitor segment greatly impacting the visitor economy for the destination.”

Eggart’s responsibilities will include managing and leading leisure marketing and consumer sales efforts, growing leisure visitation through attendance at travel shows, and fostering the international group tour market. Additionally, she directs and manages the social media, publicity and leisure communications activities and campaigns. Eggart’s work to promote Montana’s Trailhead has been recognized as she led efforts for a campaign that won a bronze Adrian award in 2022 and the 2018 Marketing Campaign of the Year at the Montana Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Recreation.

YCN Takes 13 Awards in Newspaper Contest

26 July 2023
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Yellowstone County News won thirteen awards in the Montana Better Newspaper Contest which were presented at The Montana Newspaper Association’s annual convention in Helena last Friday and Saturday.

The event brings together newspaper publishers, reporters, designers, advertisers and marketers from across the state to discuss the state of their industry, compare notes and share ideas. Weeks ahead of the convention, statewide daily and weekly newspapers submit the best of their work in the past year to be judged by industry leaders in other states.

Yellowstone County News publisher, Jonathan McNiven, was also voted onto the Montana Newspaper Association’s board of directors for a three year term. He already serves of the Association’s Advertising Services Board of Directors.

In Division 3, Yellowstone County News took the first place award in five categories: Jonathan McNiven and Elisa Schlosser won the top award for Best Marketing Campaign; Elisa Schlosser won the Best Ad to Sell or Promote Merchandise Black and White award; Jonathan McNiven won the Best Breaking News Photo, Best Digital Presentation and Best Video.

Elisa Schlosser won second place for the Best Graphic and the Best Ad to Sell or Promote Services Black and White award. Jonathan McNiven won second place for Best Website. Evelyn Pyburn won second place for Best Headline Writing and third for Best Editorial. Michael Marino won third place for Best Headline Writing. David Crisp took third place for Best Column Writing. And, the Yellowstone County News Staff won second place for the Best Niche Publication.

This year’s top newspapers in Montana—winning the General Excellence Award — are: the Boulder Monitor, Choteau Acantha, Belgrade News, Havre Daily News and the Billings Gazette.

Among other awards, The Belgrade News was awarded the Thomas Dimsdale Award for the Best Montana Weekly Newspaper.

Thomas Dinsdale is noted as Montana’s first newspaper editor, who made an amazing impact on the state given that he died at the early age of 35. He was editor of The Montana Post, from September 17, 1864 until August 30, 1866 when ill health forced him to resign. He is probably best known as the author of “Vigilantes of Montana.”

The Mel Ruder Photograph of the Year award was presented to Amy Nelson of the Billings Gazette. Ruder was a Pulitzer Prize Winning Photographer who founded the Hungry Horse News in Columbia Falls, in 1946, and served as its publisher until 1978, when he sold it. Ruder died in 2000 at the age of 85.

The Billings Gazette was awarded the Sam Gilluly Award for the Best Montana Daily Newspaper. Gilluly was born in Billings in 1908 and followed in his father’s footsteps, who was a pioneering Montana newsman. Gilluly served for 28 years as editor of the Glasgow Courier. He served as Executive Director of the Montana Newspaper Association from 1974 through 1978.

The Montana Newspaper Association, of which Brian Allfrey is Executive Director, also recognized other outstanding leaders in the newspaper industry. Charles “Chuck” Johnson, a veteran Montana reporter for 45 years, was named to the Montana Newspaper Association’s Hall of Fame. Johnson unexpectedly died in March at age 74. He was known as the “dean of the capitol press corps,” and Gov. Greg Gianforte called him “a giant in political journalism.”

The recognition comes of a life time of reporting on Montana politics, government and culture and his mentoring of many young journalists. In May 2022, Johnson received an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Montana State University. At the time of his death a local news report stated that “he had covered 22 Montana legislative sessions, seven governors, nine U.S. senators and 10 U.S. representatives, in addition to countless state legislators, elections, conventions and policies.”

The 2023 Master Editor & Publisher award was presented to Jacques Rutten, who in 2022 was named Regional Editor for Yellowstone Group Newspapers by Adams Publishing Group which acquired that group of newspapers in the past year. Prior to that Rutten was editor and publisher of the News-Argus in Lewistown, where he first began working as a sports reporter in 1997. Edward Renaud was presented with the 2023 Dick Crockford Distinguished Service Award.  Renaud is the Regional Production Manager for the Yellowstone Group Newspapers since its purchase by Adams Publishing Group in 2022. He is noted as a dedicated pressman and became Pressroom Foreman in 2004 and then Production Manager for the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

Shafer Named Treasurer

26 July 2023
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In a unanimous vote, Yellowstone County Commissioners named Marci Shafer, Billings, as the Treasurer for Yellowstone County, replacing Sherry Long who is retiring. Shafer will assume her new position on August 1.

Shafer was one of five people who applied for the position.

The appointment is the fulfillment of a goal for Shafer. Ten years ago she ran as a Republican candidate to be county treasure but was defeated by Sherry Long in the primary. Shafer in fact worked in the County Treasurer’s office prior to that — 6 years in the motor vehicle department and 7 years in the treasurer’s department.

In the interim, Shafer has remained in public service having worked for the past 7 years in the Department of Revenue’s property assessment department.

Shafer commented that she hopes the transition will go smoothly in order to maintain great public service for the taxpayers and to continue good relationship with the departments in Yellowstone County and with the Department of Revenue.

Shafer is a native of Billings, having left the city to live in Huntley a few years ago. She and her husband, Ole, of 44 years, have two children. During her spare time Shafer enjoys motorcycle trips and riding horses and most outdoor activities. 

Among the other candidates who applied for the position was Henry (Hank) Peters, who currently works in the Treasurer’s office. He was among the three the commissioners interviewed, which besides Shafer, included Katherine (Kate) Becker. The other candidates were: Tamara E. Parnell and Lorena (Rena) Rickard.

Rosendale Comments – BLM Conservation Lease Plan

26 July 2023
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US Congressman Matt Rosendale commented to the Department of Interior and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on their proposed Conservation and Landscape Health rule that will lock up swaths of public land for “conservation leases”.

“This rule is just another example of the Biden Administration weaponizing the government to appease radical environmentalists at the expense of the people of Montana,” said Rep. Rosendale. “This expansive rule will limit recreation, timber, grazing, and important energy development on public land. Even more consequential is the impact this will have on cattle ranching, which will require Montana ranchers to compete with coastal corporations for the limited number of available leases.

He sent the letter on June 28 to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning objecting to the proposed Conservation and Landscape Health Rule claiming the rule will negatively impact the people of Montana.

“The BLM has limited public input on this disastrous rule by only allowing five public forums in urban city centers rather than the communities that would be impacted and did not even provide concerned stakeholders with the opportunity to ask questions to federal employees. I seek to remind Secretary Haaland and the Bureau of their “multiple use” obligations and implore them to look toward the devastating impacts this will have on my state. I urge BLM to immediately withdraw this harmful rule.” said Rep. Rosendale.

The BLM’s Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, proposed in April, will establish conservation leases that will lock away large areas of land that could be used for outdoor recreation, grazing, timber, and energy development.

The rule, said Rep. Rosendale, is in direct violation of the Taylor Grazing Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, which requires a “multiple use” policy on public lands.

Changing the BLM’s multiple use mandate without the proper input from Congress or state and county governments is an unprecedented power grab, he said. It will empower the Bureau to approve acreage limitations that could limit critical vegetation management and harm the people of Montana.

NFIB Filed Briefs in Seven Cases, Six Decided in Favor of Small Business

26 July 2023
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From National Federation of Independent Business

The U.S. Supreme Court concluded its 2022-2023 term on June 30. Overall, the term was a convincing success for small business. NFIB filed amicus briefs in seven cases this term. Of these, six cases were decided in favor of small businesses. From civil penalty prosecutions to the jurisdiction of federal agencies, many of these decisions will have an immediate and positive impact on the small business community.

“In many ways, the U.S. Supreme Court acts as a final safeguard for the rights of small business owners,” said Beth Milito, Executive Director of NFIB’s Small Business Legal Center. “Burdensome mandates, inconsistent regulations, and costly penalties can make it impossible for small businesses to thrive. Thankfully, the Supreme Court agreed this term and acted largely in defense of the small business community. In several decisions, the Court reinforced the importance of small businesses nationwide to their communities and the national economy.”

Bittner v. United States

In this case, the Supreme Court protected small businesses from incurring numerous penalties under the Bank Secrecy Act. The case questioned whether the failure to file a required report is considered a singular violation in itself or if an individual should incur multiple violations for each unreported account. Ultimately, the Court concluded that violations under the Bank Secrecy Act should not result in multiple, extraneous penalties. This will benefit the many small business owners who mean to comply but lack the resources to navigate the complex regulatory requirements.

Wilkins v. United States

This case questioned whether the Quiet Title Act’s statute of limitations is a jurisdictional requirement, which would prohibit small business owners from filing a suit against the government after the 12-year time period expired. Instead, the Court agreed with NFIB that the statute of limitations was not jurisdictional and was instead a claim-processing rule. This decision reinforced the importance of property rights and the balance between the government and property owners, ensuring that small business owners could have their day in court.

Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency

Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency was perhaps the most awaited decision from this Supreme Court term for small businesses as it coincided with the enactment of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) and the Department of the Army’s final rule on the waters of the U.S. The case concerned whether wetlands are considered “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act. Before this decision, small business owners had no clear way to determine if their land was under the jurisdiction of the EPA. This impeded their ability to run their businesses or improve upon their land. Thankfully, the Court unanimously rejected the standard courts and the government have used to expand the EPA’s jurisdiction over private property in favor of a narrower test. The decision creates a clearer picture of WOTUS and the authority of the EPA and the Department of the Army, saving many landowners from bureaucratic confusion and unfair penalties.

Tyler v. Hennepin County

The case questioned whether the Takings Clause prevents the government, after seizing and selling a person’s property to collect back taxes, from keeping the surplus amount collected from the sale. This government practice is commonly referred to as “home equity theft.” The Court unanimously ruled in favor of Tyler on her Fifth Amendment takings claim, ensuring that small business owners are protected from this unfair government practice.

Glacier Northwest, Inc. v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters

In our amicus brief in the case, NFIB argued that multiple court precedents had already determined that the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) does not immunize unions from state tort suits involving the intentional destruction of private property. The Supreme Court agreed, solidifying the established balance of power between labor unions and employers. This decision ensures that small businesses have the right to seek compensation via legal action following the vandalism of their property.

Coinbase Inc. v. Bielski

In Coinbase Inc. v. Bielski, the Supreme Court considered whether the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) requires trial courts to halt trial court proceedings once a party appeals the court’s decision on a motion to arbitrate. In answering that it does, the Court saved business owners from enduring the costly litigation that they seek to avoid by requesting arbitration in the first place.