Author: Press Room

Montana Highlights May 15, 2025

20 May 2025
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Glacier Office Furniture has opened in Evergreen, MT. Glacier Office Furniture offers development solutions for office spaces with an emphasis on chair ergonomics.

Ben Dorrington will take over the position of executive director of the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce this summer when current director, Connie McCubbins, retires.  Dorrington has set goals of economic growth and creating community-driven spaces.

The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce has reported various signs about Canadian tourists no longer visiting the Flathead. Canadian tourists  have long been one of the most significant sources of visitors to northwest Montana. Across the state, hotel bookings by Canadians have dropped by 71%.

Midwest Pyschiatric has opened in Sidney. The home of Midwest Pyschiatric is Bismarch, ND.

On June 23rd-25th, Miles City will host Montana Range Days. During Montana Range Days, youth and adults of all ages will gather to celebrate and learn about the rangelands which cover more than 70% of the state. The main event will be held at the Custer County Event Center at the Eastern Montana Fairgrounds.

Edward Jones financial advisor Jerry Hughes of Sidney was named among the Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors in 2025. He ranked No. 24 in MT.

The Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana is promoting a new initiatives aimed at using an untapped resource – Big Sky Country at night. In Montana, there are already two designated dark sky sites in Glacier National Park and Medicine Rocks State Park, both certified by the International Dark Sky Association. There are more opportunities to explore the night sky in Montana than just its parks

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The Kempton family opened the hotel located on Terry’s Spring Street on or about June 15, 1902 with a total of eight rooms and a large café. Due to an increase people traffic to Terry because of the Northern Pacific and Milwaukee Railroads, hotel building underwent an addition to the east plus remodeling to accommodate with added amenities. The updates took place between 1906 and 1910.

April White and Robert Pope are the new owners of the Silver Dollar Bar in Fairfield. After an interior remodel they hope to open by Memorial Day weekend under a new name, Tumbleweed Bar and Grill.

The Bozeman restaurant Dave’s Sushi has settled its lawsuits with seven food poisoning victims. The settlement amounts to plaintiffs are confidential, though court documents show each claim exceeds $75,000. It has been reported that the total claims far exceed the restaurant’s insurance policy limit.

Tom McGree, chief development officer at Ascent Bank, has been named MoFi’s 2024 Montana Small Business Lender of the Year, recognizing his commitment to small-business owners across the state. In 2024, small businesses referred by McGree received nearly $1 million in financing from MoFi. The loans helped entrepreneurs who couldn’t access traditional financing.

A study this summer aims to track high temperatures across the City of Missoula and other nearby towns in search of data on heat waves and to identify area “hot spots” that can be mitigated by officials in the future. Missoula County, the City of Missoula and Climate Smart Missoula are coordinating with National Weather Service employees to conduct the study with citizen volunteers. The project will be the first of its kind in Montana.

2026 will be the 100 hundred year anniversary of the Mystic Lake Hydroelectric Project which supplies energy to south central Montana including Billings for Northwestern Energy

The owners of the Tap Club, a restaurant and taphouse in Missoula have announced that the business has been purchased by Town Pump, a Butte-based company that operates convenience stores, gas stations, casinos, truck stops and hotels. The Tap Club opened in the fall of 2023 in the old Perkins location. The final day of operation under the Tap Club name was Saturday, May 10.

The Home2 Suites by Hilton Kalispell, an extended stay hotel owned by The Hotel Group, has 107 rooms. It’s located at 454 Rivers Edge Loop, near the intersection of U.S. 93 and Rose Crossing. The hotel includes all-suite accommodations with full kitchens and flexible living areas. The hotel includes a heated indoor pool, outdoor fire pit and grilling patio, and fitness and laundry rooms. 

The Montana Department of Commerce has presented the 2025 “Tourism Destination of the Year” award to the Lewistown Area Chamber of Commerce’s Charlie Russell Chew-Choo dinner train. The Charlie Russell Chew-Choo has been a tourist attraction for visitors in Central Montana and a source of revenue for Lewistown as well. The line has been operating since September of 1914. The Charlie Russell Chew-Choo travels on a spur track, built between 1912-1913, connecting Lewistown and Great Falls through the upper Missouri River Breaks.

An asbestos screening clinic in Libby, Montana, has been shuttered by local authorities. The closing follows a court order to seize the clinic’s assets in order to pay off a judgment to BNSF. The railway prevailed in a 2023 lawsuit alleging the clinic  owed them $3 million because it fraudulently made some patients eligible for government benefits when it knew they were not sick. The railway challenged the validity of over 2,000 diagnoses by the clinic and 337 were ruled false.

March Payrolls Expanded

20 May 2025
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Private-sector payrolls expanded by an estimated 62,000 positions in April, down from a revised 147,000 in March, according to the ADP National Employment Report released on April 30.

Median pay for employees who stayed in their jobs rose by 4.5 percent from a year earlier, down slightly from 4.6 percent in March, while workers who switched employers saw a 6.9 percent increase, up from 6.7 percent, according to the report in Epoch Times.

“Unease is the word of the day,” said Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP. “Employers are trying to reconcile policy and consumer uncertainty with a run of mostly positive economic data. It can be difficult to make hiring decisions in such an environment.”

The report was released the same day that new Bureau of Economic Analysis data showed that the U.S. economy contracted by 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2025, down from a 2.4 percent expansion in the previous quarter and the first downturn since 2022.

ADP’s report found that goods-producing industries added 26,000 jobs. Construction led with 16,000, followed by natural resources and mining with 6,000. Manufacturing payrolls edged up 4,000.

Service-providing companies added 34,000 positions. Leisure and hospitality grew by 27,000, and trade, transportation, and utilities increased by 21,000. Education and health services trimmed 23,000 jobs, information declined by 8,000, and professional and business services slipped by 2,000.

Regionally, the Midwest posted the largest gain, with 42,000 jobs. The Northeast added 10,000, the West 9,000, and the South 3,000, where losses in the West South Central states offset hiring elsewhere.

Mid-sized companies with 50–499 employees hired 40,000 workers. Large employers added 12,000, and small businesses expanded payrolls by 11,000. Among very small companies with fewer than 20 employees, payrolls rose by 20,000, while companies with 20–49 workers cut 9,000.

Pay growth stayed broadly steady. Financial activities workers who remained in their roles received the strongest median increase at 5.1 percent. Annual gains were 4.7 percent in construction, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality. Employees at the smallest businesses recorded the slowest growth, at 2.8 percent.

For comparison, annual wage growth for job stayers averaged about 3.2 percent in the five years leading up to 2020, indicating pay pressures remain higher than pre-pandemic norms even as they ease from peaks seen in 2022.

Economists view the ADP data as a directional indicator rather than a precise forecast of the government’s payroll tally, but April’s slowdown aligns with softer job-opening numbers and reduced hiring plans in recent manufacturing surveys. Private payroll growth, however, remains above the monthly average of roughly 50,000 recorded in the decade before the pandemic.

As of this report the Labor Department has yet to release the April employment data, which provides a broader look at both private- and public-sector hiring.

Lawmakers Propose Reform to Help Farmers Amid Mass Deportations

20 May 2025
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By Tim Clouser, The Center Square

As farmers grapple with the impact of mass deportations, federal lawmakers proposed a bill to reform the H-2A visa program for those seeking a legal agricultural workforce.

Congress established the visa program in 1952 to temporarily allow foreign farmworkers to work in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 42% of hired farmworkers had no authorization to work in the country from 2020 to 2022, down from 55% from 1999 to 2001. 

The U.S. Government Accountability Office asked federal agencies to improve oversight of the H-2A program last year. From 2018 to 2023, the number of approved jobs and visas increased by over 50%, as 84% of investigations into employers found violations affecting 66,819 workers.

“Reintroducing the Farm Workforce Modernization Act sends a clear message to farmers that we are working hard to find solutions that ease the burdens brought on by the current state of the H-2A program,” U.S. Rep Dan Newhouse, R, Wash., wrote in a news release.

Newhouse proposed the bill alongside U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., after she attempted to push it through in 2019, 2021 and 2023. The House of Representatives passed it twice, but the Senate never did. If approved this time, it could create a legal pathway to residency for farmworkers.

The bill allows undocumented individuals who have worked at least 180 days over the last two years to apply for a certified agricultural worker status. If approved, they could stay for about five years before renewing their status, with spouses and children eligible for dependent status.

If a worker has 10 years of agricultural experience before Congress passes the bill, they would qualify for a green card after four more years under a certified worker status. Those with less than 10 years of experience must complete another eight years before receiving a permanent status.

The bill also responds to the GAO’s concerns around the H-2A program, particularly the lack of an electronic processing system for applications. Employers currently have to mail all those documents.

Income for Montanans

20 May 2025
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In almost all categories, earnings in Montana is near the bottom in almost all categories. The following stats, presented by the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank, compare income distribution from 2005 to 2019 in Montana based on race.

Average white earnings in Montana is $31,000 as compared to the national average of all races $35,610. Montana’s average is below that of all neighboring states and in fact is the lowest in the nation.

Average Hispanic earnings in Montana is $24,110 or 78% of white earnings – also the lowest in the nation.

Average Black earnings in Montana is $24,800 or 80% of average white earnings.

Average Asian earnings is $20,780 in Montana, 96% of average white earnings. In 2019, nationally average Asian earnings was $49,520, which was 126% of average white earnings at $39,330 and higher than the overage average earnings in the US at $35,610.

Average American Indian or Alaska Native earnings in Montana is $20,790.

Average Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander earnings in Montana is $29,810.

Ford Continues Losses on EVs

20 May 2025
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In the first quarter of 2022, when the company announced it would spend some $50 billion on electric vehicles, Ford’s stock sold for more than $20. Today, Ford’s shares are trading for less than $11, according to Robert Bryce in substack.com.

The bad news for Ford Motor Company’s shareholders is that the company continues to lose big money on every EV it sells. The soupçon of good news is that those losses appear to be shrinking a bit.

Ford announced its first-quarter results, which include EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) of $1 billion. Those results would have been far better had it not lost $849 million on its Model E segment. Ford sold 22,550 EVs in the first quarter. That means it lost about $37,650 for each EV sold. (h/t to JL.) In a press release, the company addressed the EV business, saying it “remains focused on improving gross margins and exercising a disciplined approach to investments in battery facilities and next-generation products.”

Ford has been hemorrhaging money on EVs for three years.

Expanding Medicaid

20 May 2025
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Under great pressure from hospitals in Montana, that depend heavily from government reimbursements, the Montana State Legislature approved a bill to continue Montana’s Medicaid expansion program. House Bill 245 will subsidize health care for low-income adults between 18 and 65 year olds.  It was supported by the Montana Chamber of Commerce, the Montana Hospital Association, the Montana Medical Association, and other industry associations, and tribal governments. Concerned about costs to the budget, most of the opposition came from Republicans, who worried about impacts on the state budget should the federal government reduce funding for the program. It is also considered by some representatives as a forerunner to socialized medicine. 

Other health care access was provided by other bills, such as House Bill 881, which allows families to buy into Medicaid to access benefits for children with disabilities. Senate Bill 72 grants broader eligibility for Medicaid. Senate Bill 319 funds reimbursements for emotional, physical, and educational support for new parents  through Medicaid, and House Bill 585 increases reimbursement rates for physical therapists and occupational therapists who see Medicaid patients. 

Election Tough on Levies

20 May 2025
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While across the state voters approved increased levy requests for four communities, voters were not so generous in Yellowstone County.

Voters approved levy increases for school districts in Missoula, Bozeman, Helena and Kalispell, while Belgrade voters rejected their request. In Yellowstone County School all four requested levies were defeated in Laurel —  for the elementary building reserve, 1,525 to 1,187; for the elementary general fund, 1,596 to 1,119; for the high school building reserve 1472 to 1,144 and for the high school general fund 1,534 to 1090. Mill levies were also defeated for Canyon Creek School District #4, 394 to 263; at Elder Grove School District #8, 914 to 468.

The levy requested by Elysian School District #23 passed 387 to 347.

The widely heralded STARS Act passed the state legislature which is expected to subsidize pay increases for teachers pay for districts throughout the state.

Coalition Urges Reversal of Gas Car Ban

20 May 2025
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Kenneth Schrupp, The Center Square

Dozens of groups are urging Congress to overturn the Biden administration’s approval of California’s gas car ban, under which new gas-powered cars must be 100% zero-emission by 2035 and 35% for the model year 2026 vehicles already starting to arrive at dealers.

The rules apply not only to California, but Washington, D.C. and the 11 other states that have signed on to adopt California’s gas-car-banning emissions standards, making up 40% of the U.S. market.

The letter’s 26 signatories include the California Policy Center, a center-right think tank, and Citizens for Prosperity, a libertarian advocacy group.

ZEV market share in California declined from 22% in 2024 to 20.8% in the first quarter of 2025, leading Toyota to say the state’s ZEV targets are “impossible” to meet. To hit 35%, ZEV market share would need to increase 68% practically overnight.

Carmakers earn credits for selling qualifying battery-electric and plug-in-hybrid vehicles. Those who don’t have enough credits to keep selling standard hybrid or internal combustion vehicles can purchase credits from those with excess credits, such as Tesla.

But if there aren’t enough credits to go around, carmakers could face fines of $20,000 per non-ZEV vehicle sold for each credit they are short, which has led dealers to warn they may be forced to only offer pricier plug-in-hybrid and all-electric models.

The House resolution is the last option short of a court decision or revision in the California legislature that could reverse the rule. The resolution now heads to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to be scheduled for a vote. 

Building Permits – May 15, 2025

20 May 2025
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Commercial

Riverstone Health |Cucancic Construction Inc, 123 S 27th St,. Com Addition $490,000

Griffin Automotive Enterprises|Dick Anderson Construction, 4432 S Frontage Rd, Com Remodel, $400,000

106 LLC|Lees Construction & Development LLC, 1678 Shiloh Rd, Com Remodel, $125,000

Bar MW Properties LLC|Direct Pallet Racking Properties LLC, 719 Dunham Ave, Com Remodel, $50,000

Murphy Real Estate|Murphy Real Estate LLC, 4220 State Ave, Com Remodel, $44,500

First Interstate Bank|Summit Fire & Security LLC, 1800 6th Ave N, Com Fire Systems $39,869

Yesteryears, 208 N Broadway, Com Remodel, $25,000

3’s Away LLC|Langlas & Assoc. Inc., 2270 Grant Rd, Com Remodel, $25,000

Koinonia Management Co LLC|K2 Civil Inc, 2920 1st Ave S, Demolition Permit, $24,550

Shift Holding LLC|Wolf Development LLC, 2133 King Ave W, Com Remodel, $15,000

5th Am Freebird II LLC|Environmental Contractors LLC, 3815 1st Ave S,. Demolition Permit $14,500

5th Am Freebird Ii LLC|Environmental Contractors LLC, 3815 1st Ave S,. Demolition Permit $8,000

5th Am Freebird II LLC|Environmental Contractors LLC., 3815 1st Ave S, $ Demolition Permit Commercial $582,000

5th AM Freebird II LLC|Environmental Contractors LLC, 3815 1st Ave S,. Demolition Permit, $18,000

McCall Homes |McCall Development , 6206 Rosemary Rd, Com New Townhome Shell, $1,000,000

Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Walmart, 1649 Main St, Com Remodel, $300,000

Billings Clinic |Swanke Construction – Ophthalmology Remodel, 2800 10th Ave N, Com Remodel, $244,000

United Properties Inc|Hardy Construction Co., 490 N 31st St, Com Remodel, $198,460

Northern Plains Resource Council|Onsite Energy Inc, 220 S 27th St, Com Remodel, $77,680

Galaxy Nail Salon |Barger Platinum Plumbing And Construction, 2545 Central Ave, Com Remodel, $70,000

Yellowstone Health Partnership, 123 S 27th St, Com Footing/Foundation, $60,000

Beacon Air Group, 2494 Jetway Dr, Com Footing/Foundation, $60,000

City Of Billings, 2488 Jetway Dr, Com Footing/Foundation, $60,000

Residential

Okerlund Brian Kay|Jorden Construction, 4735 Audubon Way, New Res Single Family, $1,200,000

Douglas Jordan, 1316 Cheryl St, Res New Single Family, $341,074

AZ Construction |A & Z Construction LLC, 443 Montecito Ave, Res New Single Family, $303,888

Infinity Homes |Infinity Home LLC, 2241 Greenbriar Rd, Res New Single Family, $252,640

Koinonia Management Co LLC|Langlas & Assoc. Inc., 117 S 32nd St, Res New Single Family, $153,216

Mccall Homes |Mccall Development, 6239 Eva Marie Ln, Res New Single Family, $147,260

Harris Kevin C|Freyenhagen Construction Inc, 3095 Avenue E, Res Addition Single/Duplex/Garage, $113,280

Lay Bruce L & Pamela A|Mustang Design Garage, 711 N 26th St, Res New Accessory Structure, $80,000

Hanlin Properties LLC |Dynamic Construction Solutions LLC, 1002 N 25th St, Res Remodel Single/Duplex/Garage, $75,000

Hunt Justin & Emily, 911 Ortega St, Res Remodel Single/Duplex/Garage, $54,915

Scansen Caleb & Tia M|Pinnacle Remodeling, 1842 Island View Dr, Remodel Single/Duplex/Garage, $46,000

Leon & Michelle Clause Living|Green Jeans LLC, 1261 Cherry Island Dr, Res New Single Family, $295,000

7012 Copper Bend Blvd, WH Copper Ridge 54 LLC|WH Copper Ridge 54 LLC, Res New Single Family, $256,583

Kunkel Perry Kunkel, 2420 Wyoming Ave, Res Remodel Single/Duplex/Garage, $244,634

Koinonia Management Co LLC|Langlas & Assoc. Inc, 117 S 32nd St, Res New Single Family,  $235,201

Lighthouse Homes LLC |Lighthouse Construction LLC, 1305 Tania Circle, Res New Single Family, $230,003

WH Copper Ridge 54 LLC|WH Copper Ridge 54 LLC,7006 Copper Bend Blvd, Res New Single Family $213,180

Davis Adam S & Stephanie A|Brett March Builders LLC, 1024 Eldora Ln,  Res Addition Single/Duplex/Garage, $150,000

McCall Homes |McCall Development, 6245 Eva Marie Ln, Res New Single Family,  $132,439

Jiff Mcanally |Tyrel Johnson Construction, 10 Stanford Ct, Res Remodel Single/Duplex/Garage, $100,000

Bipartisan FEMA Reform Bill Would Streamline, Depoliticize Disaster Relief

20 May 2025
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FEMA Reform Bill

By Thérèse Boudreaux, The Center Square

Long plagued by inefficiency and politicization, the Federal Emergency Management System could soon see major reforms if Congress passes bipartisan legislation that has been introduced.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves, R-Mo., and Ranking Member Rick Larsen, D-Wash., released draft legislation that would bring transparency, efficiency, and accountability to the taxpayer-funded agency.

The 177-page FEMA Act of 2025 is still in draft form to allow feedback from lawmakers. Graves said the plan “provides the most significant and meaningful FEMA reforms since Hurricane Katrina.”

“We have clearly seen that FEMA is not working as it should for Americans who’ve been impacted by disasters,” Graves said. “This draft bill includes substantive changes that will transform FEMA and our emergency programs to be much more state and locally driven – not micromanaged into ineffectiveness by the federal government.”

One of the most important changes the plan proposes is to return FEMA to a Cabinet-level agency, streamlining government-wide responses to disasters and making the Administrator reportable — and thus accountable — to the President.

At the non-federal level, the legislation authorizes project-based grants to help states speed up rebuilding efforts, prioritize highest-need projects, and not have to shoulder as many costs. It would also enact permitting reforms to speed up rebuilding projects, and allow states to secure pre-approval for disaster mitigation projects.

FEMA would also be required to provide a single, simplified assistance application for disaster survivors and clarify its agency notices.

During the Biden administration, FEMA drew criticism for shifting its focus — and taxpayer-funded budget — away from actual disaster relief to migrant services, climate initiatives, and diversity and equity goals.

Among other actions, FEMA sent $1.4 billion taxpayer dollars to cities nationwide to pay for migrant services. As a result, FEMA ran out of funds for hurricane relief programs in 2024, delaying crucial aid to some states impacted by Hurricane Helene. 

The agency also came under fire for allegedly directing its workers to avoid directly helping Trump supporters in the aftermath of Helene, as The Center Square reported.

In light of that incident, the legislation strictly prohibits political discrimination in disaster recovery efforts. For added transparency, it requires the Office of Management and Budget to create federal disaster-assistance tracking website.

“Republican[s] and Democrats on this Committee agree that it is an important agency in need of reform,” Larsen said. “That’s why I’m proud to partner with my counterpart, Sam Graves, to release draft legislation giving FEMA the tools it needs to simplify its programs and provide quicker relief to disaster-impacted communities.”