Author: Press Room

Coalition Urges Reversal of Gas Car Ban

20 May 2025
Press Room
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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
Press Room
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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.”

Billings New Business Permits – April 2025

20 May 2025
Press Room
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Shoot Pool And Relax, 4104 Buchanan Ave, (406) 855-3671, Muhs, Sarah, Real Estate Rental, 59101

Big Sky Bakery LLC,  dba Great Harvest Bread, 907 Poly Dr, (435) 512-7725, Lamont, Bart, Restaurants, 59102

Youtherapy PLLC, 3640 Mount Rushmore Ave, (406) 534-9201, Grubbs, McKenzie, Service, 59102

Crown Autoglass LLC, 1573 Nottingham Pl #1, (406) 894-3207, Longsioux, Jonathan, Service, 59105

Allison’s Cookie Jar, 33993 County Road 146, (406) 219-1244, Glisson, Allison, Retail Sales, Culbertson, Mt, 59218

Angel Happy Hearts, 710 1/2 N 30th St, (360) 303-1838, Honey, Alexandra, Service, 59101

Desert Ridge Construction LLC, 2167 Beloit Dr, (406) 690-2792, Marak-Heafner, Tanner,     General Contractors, 59102

Big Sky Bladez, 1310 Hardrock Ln, (406) 850-5995, Blackburn, Jake, Service, 59105

Penny R Levy, 1411 Emma Ave, (406) 860-8554, Levy, Penny, Real Estate Rental, 59105

Next Level Tutoring LLC, 708 24th St W, (406) 634-4949, Bott, Charles, Service, 59102

Effortless Co LLC, 848 Main St, (406) 384-3005, Sanchez, Michael, Retail Sales, 59105

DPK LLC, 5108 Hidden View Pl, (406) 671-7724, Wilkins, Trevor, General Contractors, 59105

Future Artist Management, 9 Prairie View Dr, (406) 694-2630, Rykowski, Mikaela, Service, 59102

Darta LLC, 1813 Norwood Ln, (406) 598-9212, Van Beck, Darin, Service,   59102

CM Custom Services LLC, 7232 Frey Rd, (406) 210-2644, Mann, Corey & Christy, Service, Shepherd, MT, 59079

N + N LLC, 20 Broadwater Ave, (956) 638-4347, Hernandez, Ignacio, Real Estate Rental, 59101

The Cleaning Lady, 2406 Brentwood Ln, (406) 591-9492, Olds, Julianna, Service, 59102

Two Hearts Suite, 6022 Norma Jean Ln, (406) 690-3228, Steingraber, Sam & Kristin, Real Estate Rental, 59101

Midgard Cleaners, 14 N 29th St, (406) 209-7040, Lopez, David, Service, 59101

Mowin ‘ And Blowin’ Seasonal Services, 7604 Neibauer Rd, (406) 591-2699, Young, Tara, Services, 59106

Peak Performance Diesel Corp, 5443 Knox Ave Unit B, (406) 839-8172, Johnson, Lukea, Auto Business, 59106

Stauffer Properties LLC, 706 Avenue F, (406) 697-5948, Stauffer, Caleb, Real Estate Rental, 59102

Hodges Landscape and Fence, 511 Eighth Avenue, (406) 861-1258, Hodges, Preston, Service, Laurel, MT, 59044

Gameday Men’s Health Billings, 993 S 24th St W Suite A, (406) 218-4933, Sessions, Tiffany, Retail Sale, 59102

IMEG Consultants Corp (N 27th St), 175 N 27th St Ste 1312, (763) 595-3104, Breher, Patti, Service, 59101

Klein Construction Dba Klein Industries, 2510 Longfellow Pl, (406) 894-8718, Klein, Eric, General Contractors, 59102

IMEG Consultant Corp (N 34th St), 200 N 34th St, (763) 595-3104, Breher, Patti, Service, 59101

Dance To Live Foundation, 209 N 29th St, (406) 561-8400, Weis, Jeff, Service, 59101

Emiliano Bustillo, 3496 Monad Rd, (406) 694-7314, Bustillo, Emiliano, Real Estate Rental, 59102

Scott D Abrams, 2901 Silverwood St, (406) 672-7144, Abrams, Scott, Real Estate Rental, 59102

Cindy Lorenz Str, 5060 Maple Ridge Circle, (406) 591-1849, Lorenz, Cindy, Real Estate Rental, 59106

Terry L Henneberry Dba Henneberry’s Janitorial, 4423 Bowman Dr, (406) 690-4478, Henneberry, Terry L, Service, 59101

Johnson Hauling LLC, 1747 Cody Dr, (406) 694-7404, Johnson, Dylan, Service, 59105

Tie Dyez By C&B LLC, 1738 Broadmoor Dr Apt 4, (406) 861-3026, Villanueva, Angel & Barbara, Retail Sales, 59105

Kleinsasser Premium Lawncare LLC 6817 Frey Rd #3, (406) 855-0181, Kleinsasser, Tom, Service, 59101

Tee2green LLC, 2901 State Ave, (303) 668-6693, Krieger, Curtis, Real Estate Rental, 59101

Accomplish Cleaning Svs, 1602 Wicks Ln, (406) 861-6562, Cox, Michelle, Service, 59105

Hospital Corridor Apartment, 821 N 24th St, (406) 855-8642, Smelser, Theresa, Real Estate Rental, 59101

Yellowstone Blinds LLC, 1240 Timbers Blvd S, (406) 696-2374, Hanson, John, Service, 59105

Tyners Airbnb,  2632 Broadwater Ave, (406) 839-1001, Tyner, Ivy, Real Estate Rental, 59102

Montana Terrazzo Co, Lockwood Precast, 345 Lomond Ln, (406) 245-4635, Wallette, Crystal A, Retail Sales, 59101

Handi Nickoli LLC, 638 Howard Ave, (406) 208-2542, Bouchard, Nicholas, General Contractors, 59101

Parks Place Str, 2353 Gleneagles Blvd, (406) 390-4976, Parks, Kaycee, Real Estate Rental, 59105

SK Security LLC, 208 N Broadway #348, (913) 732-0633, Kile, Sidney, Service, 59101

Stop N Shop 2, 1219 Main St, (478) 442-2490, Soni, Chirag, Retail Sales, 59105

Simmons LLC,    1212 Central Ave, (406) 894-2211, Simmons, Jaidyn, Service, 59101

Steve Loy And Martha Rowe, 3218 Viola Ln, (406) 647-2317, Loy/Rowe, Steve/Martha,   Real Estate Rental, 59102

Elmo Bentley LLC, 3319 Jack Burke Ln, (406) 652-9208, Durrett, Steve, Real Estate Rental, 59106

Associative Properties LLC, 127 Lewis Ave, (406) 794-4581, Russell, Clark, Real Estate Rental, 59101

Dimension Edge Inc, 43 1/2 Yellowstone Ave, (406) 694-7261, Felt, Robert, Real Estate Rental, 59101

Big Sky Blade’s, 814 Cook Ave, (406) 839-0917, Creitz, Randi, Retail Sales, 59102

Black Mountain Motors LLC, 5229 King Ave W Unit B4, (406) 208-9810, Beeman, Peter, Auto Business, 59106

C&D Customs, 1270 Lockwood Rd, (701) 339-3037, Shaw/Michels, Darin/Corinna, Service, 59101

Kootenai River Rustics LLC, 3039 Ocotillo Rd, (406) 780-0368, Dierman, Darby, General Contractors, 59102

Platinum Style Mobile Detailing & Lot Washing, 215 Broadwater Ave, (406) 598-5998, Smith, Trabias, Service, 59101

Orion Planning Design, 1105 Village Way, (419) 297-1604, Mouch, Allison, Service, Missoula, MT, 59802

Fix Maintenance and Repair, 4190 Blackpool Trl, (406) 633-1811,      Walker, Logan, Service, 59106

Monets Garden LLC, 31 Jubilee St, (406) 413-8827, Bjerken, Monet, Retail Sales, 59105

Anya Anokhina, 1624 Virginia Ln, (406) 530-4495, Anokhina, Anna, Real Estate Rental, 59102

Jacklyn Bushman Short Term Rental, 1032 Miles Ave, (406) 939-3444, Bushman, Jacklyn, Real Estate Rental, 59102

Billings Oak Construction, 8241 Hofferber Rd, (702) 283-1146, Moran, Daniel, General Contractors, Shepherd, MT, 59079

Diamond Blacktop & Dirt, 2808 Roundup Road, (406) 697-9686, Koch/Endy, Dale/Colter, General Contractors, 59105

Baggage Airline Guest Services LLC (Bags), 1901 Terminal Circle, (407) 849-0670, Stacy, Shannon, Service, 59105

Meier Properties, 2510 Terrace Dr, (406) 671-8991, Meier, Kelsey, Real Estate Rental, 59102

Quincy Dwaine Harris, 821 N 27th St Suite C 366, (406) 794-5759, Harris, Quincy, Retail Sales, 59101

Monsterz Plumbing Inc, 31644 147th St, (763) 843-9957, Winskowski, Michael, Plumbing Contractors, Princeton, MN     55371

TI Wellness Co, 3772 Crescent Lake Rd Ste 4, (406) 690-6679, Taylor, Tyrel L, Service, 59101

Nickolas Wangler, 22 Grand Ave, (702) 218-9590, Wangler, Nickolas, Real Estate Rental, 59101

J & R Excavation and Construction LIIP, 295 Clear Creek Road, (406) 998-9033, Ferster, Russel, General Contractors, Roberts, MT, 59070

Adullam House (210 1/2 S 29), 210 1/2 S 29th St, (406) 670-7835, Cottrell (Director), Ken, Service, 59101

Tracy Tracey Designs, 8 Queen Victoria Pl, (406) 998-8408, Tracey, Tracy, Retail Sales, 59105

Teleios Counseling-Jeremy Swaim Biblical Counseling, 3145 Sweet Water Dr, (406) 331-0002, Swaim, Jeremy, Service, 59102

The Bin Store, 1827 Grand Ave, (406) 200-3834, Harris, Megan & Timothy, Retail Sales, 59102

Billings Best Garage Door, 3385 Granger Ave S Apt 23, (406) 331-0002, Swaim, Jeremy, Service, 59102

Lil Legends Youth Soccer Academy, 6603 Cove Creek Dr, (406) 698-9274, French, Jessica, Service, 59106

Rimrock Mall, 300 S 24th St W, (406) 656-3398, Rimrock Mall Realty Holding LLC, Retail Sales, 59102

Lucky Beaver LLC, 2968 Daystar Dr, (406) 927-3225, Walstad/Fischer, Ryate/John, Real Estate Rental, 59102

Neighborhood Gadget Guy LLC, 2009 McKay Ln, (406) 412-5722, Poynter, Mark, Service, 59102

Direct Pallet Racking, 2211 Trade Dr, (469) 269-8159, Serrato, Carlos, Service, Waxahachie, TX , 75167

Tub Tenders LLC, 1230 St John’s Ave, (406) 591-3200, Frank, Ian, Service, 59102

Maid Marisha LLC, 922 Yellowstone River Rd #B6, (406) 503-2254, Matte, Paige, Service, 59105

Soda Station (Main), 669 Main St Suites, (303) 229-3376, Larsen/Barton, Annie/Cassie, Restaurants, 59105

SRS Building Products, 719 Dunham Ave, (406) 481-8585, Ferrell , Kristina, Retail Sales, 59102

S.S. Homes, 820 Arlington Dr, (406) 647-6778, Walker/Scales, Jerry/Michael, Service, 59101

Captain Scurvy’s Black Dragon Pub, 2601 Minnesota Ave, (406) 647-0779, Haak, Ken, Restaurants, 59101

Apricot’s Services, 6734 Skycrest Dr, (406) 861-8325, Ness, Jason, Service, 59106

Studio 520 ½, 520 1/2 Clark Ave, (406) 425-5524, Hofer/Oleary, Linda/Rondald, Real Estate Rental, 59101

Silver Tech Solutions, 2005 Beech St, (406) 608-9812, Gross, Danessa, Service, Huntley, MT, 59037

Cory Sittner, 5338 S Castle Stone Sq, (406) 690-4709, Sittner, Cory, Service, 59106

EFP Construction LLC, 1001 S Main St Ste 600, (515) 779-0909, Perry, Bobby, Service, Kalispell, MT, 59901

Billings Lawn and Home Care, 1714 St John’s Ave, (406) 694-9282, Reed, Tyler, Service, 59102

Azure Bluet Creations , 751 Nottingham Cir Apt 4, (406) 794-2696, Geetz, Bradley, Retail Sales, 59105

Healing Arts Institute, 813 16th St W, (406) 281-8445, Buchanan, Chas, Massage Facility License, 59102

B. Nelson, 640 Lake Elmo Dr, (406) 652-4941, Nelson, William, Real Estate Rental, 59105

Beartooth Digital LLC, 3215 Peregrine Ln, (406) 647-0648, Van Waes, Mark, Service, 59106

Firewater Repair & Estimating, 6903 Backcountry Ave, (406) 579-4301, Davis, Ben, General Contractors, 59106

Gorilla Grip Moving and Hauling, 114 S 38th St, (406) 647-8385, Martinez, Anthony, Service, 59101

Lighthouse Tax and Bookkeeping, 385 Jefferson St, (406) 927-4451, Dibbell, Bruce, Service, 59101

Bluebonnets and Maple, 2901 Beech Ave, (406) 601-0438,  Sharp, Anna, Retail Sales,  59102

Sunny Scoops LLC, 511 Custer Ave, (406) 671-4692, Beeler, Scott,  Restaurants, 59101

Alex Miller, 1313 Grand Ave Unit 9, (406) 672-0834,  Miller, Alex, Service, 59102

Peak to Prairie Properties LLC, 1025 Yellowstone Ave, (319) 939-7487, Bellows, Dylan, Real Estate Rental, 59102

Culver LLC,  2606 E I Rd, (406) 794-5364,  Culver-Godfrey, Caleb,  General Contractors, Ballantine, MT, 59006

Patrice Oloughlin Rental, 722 Parkhill Dr, (406) 861-3534, Oloughlin, Patrice, Real Estate Rental, 59102

JV Construction LLC, 7 Prospect Dr, (406) 861-5823, Velasquez, Junior, General Contractors, 59102

Davison Irrigation and Design, 408 Everett Dr, (307) 202-1714, Davison, Colby, Service, 59102

The Cowboy Cabin, 2955 Rockrim Ln, (719) 588-4408, Matheson, Kate, Real Estate Rental, 59102

Argent Gold & Coins, 1314 24th St W, (406) 371-5500, Washington, Mark, Antique & Second Hand Stores, 59102

Stensby Tree Services, 1808 Wyoming Ave, (406) 860-9443, Stensby, Craig, Service, 59102

Made With Love, 2905 Grelck Ln, (406) 927-3007, Keever, Adrianna, Retail Sales, 59105

Monica’s Air B&B, 435 Kathy Ln, (406) 860-4070, Foss, Monica, Real Estate Rental, 59105

Ditch Kid’s Gallery, 2822 3rd Ave N #208, (406) 591-1859, Bartsch, Emmit Bentley, Retail Sales, 59101

Razor Creek Construction, 1 Razor Creek Rd, (406) 860-2230, Serrano, Will, General Contractors, Roundup, MT, 59072

Concept MMA, LLC, 101 Moore Ln, Martinez, Michael,  Service, 59101

Black Bear Design LLC, 2009 16th St W, (406) 579-2844, Feldner, Adam, Service, 59102

Jennifer Jones Air Bnb, 1921 10th Ave N, (406) 661-5495, Jones, Jennifer, Real Estate Rental, 59101  59105

The Millennium Group of Delaware Inc, 550 N 31st St, (732) 469-2900, Murphy,  Letty, Service, 59101

Mik Brewer, 6036 Mollie Rose Ln, (541) 610-3632, Brewer, Mikiyas, Real Estate Rental, 59101

Paul Tutokey Full Spectrum Psychiatry PLLC, 2048 Overland Ave Ste 203aa, (406) 413-1945, Tutokey, William Paul,          Service, 59102

Shenanigans Youth Theater, 2809 Belvedere Dr, (406) 702-0737, Wissenbach, Carrie, Service, 59102

MT Redolence LLC, 1708 Shepherd Acton Rd, (406) 598-6502, Turley, Candace, Retail Sales, Shepherd, MT, 59079

Bessent Prediction: “Pro-Growth Win for the American People”

19 May 2025
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From Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council

The process for advancing a reconciliation bill continues to chug along, which can’t come soon enough for entrepreneurs and small business owners who urgently need a tax package that makes permanent expiring provisions of the 2017 “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” and restores key measures that encourage investment and growth.

For now, talk of a big tax hike among some Republicans and in isolated corners of the White House has generally subsided. There is no way that a tax hike on entrepreneurs and small businesses would make it to the President’s desk. President Trump is indeed correct in noting that American taxpayers (read: capital) would take flight if taxes were raised. Moreover, a tax hike out of the Trump Administration and Congress would undermine the diligent work of the states that have been cutting taxes to promote business-friendly and taxpayer-friendly climates, and helping Main Street businesses compete more effectively. In mid-April, SBE Council joined our allies in the small business community and signed a letter to Congressional tax writers that opposed tax hikes on so-called high-income earners and “millionaires.”

Penalizing productive economic activity is not good policy, which also means that increasing taxes on carried interest is a bad idea. This bad idea is still percolating. As SBE Council chief economist Ray Keating wrote back in February when the idea surfaced:

“Increasing taxes on investment will negatively impact business startups and growth, and will inflict broad damages on incomes and jobs for workers, on entrepreneurship, on competitiveness, and on economic growth. Putting aside the political rhetoric, that’s the harsh economic reality if taxes are increased on carried interest.”

Consistency and certainty on policy across the board are vital to U.S. economic growth and competitiveness. Reducing, not increasing, government burdens and costs will support efforts to keep the United States the best place in the world to start and grow a business.

Secretary Bessent Very Optimistic. Today, on Day 100 of President Trump’s tenure in office, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is bullish on a tax bill. In a post on X, Secretary Bessent notes that the “Big 6” Hill leaders who are meeting on the tax bill are making great progress. He adds:

“I’m happy to announce that they are in substantial agreement and that this is going to be a very big, pro-growth win for the American people.”

A pro-growth win on taxes and positive progress on the trade/tariff front would certainly help to soothe worries and concerns about a possible recession. Experts are mixed on whether that will happen.

In a preview event on the “global economic outlook” hosted by International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, and attended by SBE Council President & CEO Karen Kerrigan, Ms. Georgieva predicted slower growth for sure, but not a recession.   

16 States, DC Sue Trump Over 2021 EV Charger Funds; Most Haven’t Built Chargers

19 May 2025
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By Kenneth Schrupp, The Center Square

A 17-state-and-territory coalition led by California, Washington and Colorado is suing the Trump administration to maintain access to $5 billion in EV charger funding passed by Congress in 2021 but put on hold by the current administration.

A majority of the coalition, including lawsuit leaders California and Washington, has failed to build any chargers using $3.3 billion in awarded funds over the past four fiscal years.

Following President Donald Trump’s order to eliminate electric vehicle mandates, the Federal Highway Administration suspended the approval of state EV charger network plans submitted for federal grants under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law in 2021. It provided $5 billion in National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grant funding.

The FHWA’s notice said that “until new guidance is issued, reimbursement of existing obligations will be allowed in order to not disrupt current financial commitments.”

According to the NEVI dashboard maintained by the National Association of State Energy Officials, $3.3 billion has already been awarded. That means the suspension mainly impacts the $1.7 billion in unallocated funding that would have otherwise gone out through fiscal year 2026, but are required by the IIJA “to remain available until expended.”

Forty-four states and territories, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, issued at least one solicitation for NEVI funding. Of the 44 soliciting states and territories, 38 have been issued funding, of which only 16 have at least one operational NEVI station, despite four years of funding between fiscal year 2021 and fiscal year 2025.

The lawsuit filed by 17 attorneys general requests that the courts block the withholding of NEVI grants, citing the explicit congressional mandate in the IIJA.

In its plan suspension notice, the FHWA say the NEVI program is “unique in that this Program requires the Secretary to approve a plan for each State describing how the State intends to use its NEVI funds,” and simply “has decided to review the policies underlying the implementation of the NEVI Formula Program.” 

This suggests that while the IIJA may have required the FHWA to disburse $5 billion in NEVI grants, that it’s also true the IIJA grants the FHWA the power to temporarily suspend NEVI plans for review. 

The lawsuit says that “The Secretary must distribute to each State its share of NEVI Formula Program funds unless the State fails to timely submit its State Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan or if the Secretary determines a State has not taken action to carry out its State Plan.” 

Despite having secured $302 million in NEVI funding since fiscal year 2021 of the $384 million it requested, California is yet to have completed a single NEVI-funded charger. Washington has been awarded $56 million, but also has no completed NEVI chargers. Of the 17 states and territories filing suit, only eight have completed any NEVI chargers.

The lawsuit says the IIJA creates clear guidelines for the FHWA to follow if it determines a state is not carrying out its plan, including identifying actions to rectify concerns and providing at least 90 days to address those concerns, and providing notice of 60 days of its intent to withhold or withdraw funds.

Should courts find that the IIJA’s explicit procedures were violated in excess of the powers available to the FHWA, it’s likely the FHWA will have to reinstate the rescinded state plans and at some point resume the awarding of NEVI funding.

While gasoline-powered cars take two minutes to refill, a 60-kilowatt-hour Tesla Model 3 requires eight to 12 hours to charge at a Tesla Destination charger, 40 minutes to reach 80% on a 150 kw charger and 20 minutes on a 250 kh charger. 

These rapid technological advancements mean significant investments in current EV charging technology may soon become obsolete, challenging the value of taxpayer investments in the sector.

Wind Industry Tax Rates Under Fire

21 April 2025
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By Christina Lengyel,  The Center Square

A bill aimed at removing a 2007 tax break from wind energy producers has West Virginia legislators at odds over the supremacy of coal in West Virginia’s economy.

Senate Bill 439 would clarify that “wind power projects are not pollution control facilities,” which are taxed at salvage value. The clarification would subject them to real property taxes.

Supporters of the bill say the change would add millions in tax revenue to the state and take away an unfair advantage over the coal industry. Those who oppose it say the wind industry, which employs West Virginians and is an essential component of a clean-energy future, would suffer a huge blow.

Sen. Glenn Jeffries, R-Putnam, argued for an “all energy” policy, encouraging the incentivization of all energy production, including coal, rather than disincentivizing wind power production.

The bill’s sponsor and chair of the Senate Energy, Industry, and Mining committee Sen. Chris Rose, R-Monongalia, said the wind industry profits “at the expense of our hardworking coal and natural gas industries,” which he called “a slap in the face to the men and women who have powered this state for generations, digging coal and drilling gas to keep America running.”

Stronger Wood Developed

21 April 2025
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A new self-densifying technique for creating super-strong wood could bring about a new stronger building material.

 Individual wood fibers are made up mainly of cellulose, along with a binder material known as lignin. This mixture forms the wall of what is essentially a long hollow tube – the fiber – which runs lengthwise within the larger piece of wood. The hollow space inside the tube is called the lumen, and it is what limits wood’s strength. A team from China’s Nanjing University recently set out to address that shortcoming, by developing the new process.

It begins by boiling a block of wood in a mixture of sodium hydroxide (lye) and sodium sulfite, removing some of the lignin. That block is then immersed in a heated blend of lithium chloride salt and a solvent known as dimethylacetamide.

This causes the cellulose (and remaining lignin) to swell, expanding inwards to fill the lumen. In a final step, the processed wood is left to air-dry at room temperature for 10 hours. As it does so, it uniformly shrinks inwards from all sides, but maintains its original length. 

The resulting material is claimed to exhibit “ultra-high” tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact toughness – much more so than natural wood. It even surpasses wood which has been compressed by traditional methods, in which the fibers are just mechanically flattened in one direction.

Revised Regs Dictate Private Property Use in County

21 April 2025
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County regulations on how private property is used by owners, which were rewritten a couple of years ago, are being tweaked by the city/county planning department, to correct errors, spelling, grammar, etc. and make changes that weren’t working, according to Nicole Cromwell, Zoning Coordinator for the Planning Division of the City of Billings.

The 96 page document with its changes was approved by Yellowstone County Commissioners. The county’s regulations, which are laws mandating how property owners may develop and use their property, are different than those imposed inside the city boundaries.

Restrictions on how a property owner may exercise his rights to determine how to use a property, ostensibly exist to assure “public health and safety” but they often extend into issues of esthetics, environmental preferences, consistency, compliance, or the majority sentiments of neighbors.

Cromwell reviewed some of the more significant changes before the commissioners during their regular weekly board meeting.

Included in changes are details about where a property owner must store garbage, ie. “must be located in either the rear yard, or interior side yard;” it may be located inside the building  with “access doors off the rear or interior side façade. . . “doors must be opaque, screening a minimum of 80 percent of the opening.”

Added to the document are regulations dictating maximum height of a building does not include “spires, belfries, cupolas, antennas, water towers or tanks, chimneys or smokestacks, power transmission lines, cooling or elevator towers” etc. To exceed height limits a property owner must seek approval by submitting an “approved application for Administrative Relief” or a “Variance.” Signs must be approved . . . trees trimmed up 8 feet clearance. . . canopies are covers “attached to and supported by the structure to which it is attached . . .”

Minimum requirements for arterial setbacks are included. “No building or structure shall be erected or maintained within fifty feet of the centerline of an arterial street.” “. . . no required parking area or portion thereof, including driving aisles, shall be constructed or located within forty feet of the centerline. . .”

The number of buildings (residents) allowed on a lot was increased from one to two, with up to three accessory buildings. Details on where a property owner can locate a driveway or a garage are also included.

Due to a change in state law the zoning regulations can no longer discriminate as to manufactured homes, so all language that did so in past regulations has been struck. Regulations that dictated that a two-unit building must be “ located perpendicular to the street in a U-shaped configuration with a courtyard or shared yard,” was eliminated.

However, it now restricts that garage entrances located on the front façade be limited to 50 percent of the front façade width. Eliminated was the mandate that only one entrance may be located on the street from the garage, now two entrances are allowed by the regulators.

If a property has no alley or other rear entrances, the law will allow the property owner to put a garage on their property fronting onto a street so long as it has  “. . . single-wide garage entry door of ten feet in width or less. . .” If a property owner wants two garage doors, not only must each be no more than ten feet wide but they must share the driveway, that can be no more than 25 feet wide. Front entry garages are prohibited from taking up more than 40 percent of the front of the lot, and the garage doors must be set back at least 8 feet behind the front door.

Also eliminated was a 20,000 square feet minimum size of a “parklet” or landscaped open space, which still is mandated to have 70 percent living plant material and extend at least 20 feet along street frontage. A “green” must extend as much as 50 feet along a street. A “natural area” is a large area “to conserve a natural feature, such as a stream, wetland or woodland” must also extend 50 feet.

How far different kinds of structures must be set back from a property line are also dictated.

In “mixed-use” permitted areas a restriction that dictated that only “upper stories” could accommodate residential and/or office uses, was struck in the revised regulations, and now a property owner may use any story of the property he owns for such purposes. Also struck were restrictions on allowing dwelling use below the ground floor level.

Another change stipulates that manufactured homes may not be used for any commercial use or as an office for a manufactured home sales area.

The regulations grant permission for either private or public ownership of amusement and recreation facilities, and they grant permission for such entities to charge fees. Ice arenas, playgrounds, picnic shelters, community centers, gardens and orchards and nature preserves were added to the list of acceptable amusement and recreational facilities.

The rules further restrict how storage facilities may be used, disallowing any business activity, mandating fencing and where it must be, and that stacked stored items cannot exceed the height of the fence. And shipping containers shall be screened from view from any public right-of-way.

Agriculture, commercial and industrial zones have been included as allowable users of “Antennas co-located on existing stealth communication facilities or existing antenna support structures which have previously received all required approvals and permits shall be permitted . . .”

Other regulations restrict the size and number of detached accessory structures, depending on lot size.

There are extensive additions to regulations pertaining to expanding by fifty percent or more the gross building square footage, requiring that it comply with current mandates. Many of the esthetic changes are only required if they front the street.

Some of the mandates regarding how the outside of such a remodeled building should look, require replacing existing front-facing façade with up-to-date approved materials and dictating the size of windows. Also the roof, should it need to be changed, would have to be changed to meet new standards. Lots larger than 1.5 acres will have to have a plan prepared by a licensed landscaper, and owners of smaller lots will be strongly urged to consult with a professional landscaper. Regulations note that a list of appropriate plant species for Yellowstone County can be obtained from the Planning Department.

“All multifamily residential projects, manufactured home parks, and all mixed-use and non-residential projects shall include on the landscape plan, a detailed drawing of enclosure and screening methods to be used in connection with mechanical equipment, trash bins, recycle bins, storage yards, service areas, loading docks, and other equipment storage areas on the property.”

“Any fence greater than a height of three feet and equal to or less than 7 feet in height shall require a fence permit.” Added to the planners’ list of acceptable fencing materials are “corrugated and uncorrugated metal panels framed in wood, vinyl, composite, brick or stone. Metal panels shall be coated with a non-reflective material . . . “

Changes have also been made to regulations dictating signage requirements for businesses and when they are required.

Montana Tops GDP

21 April 2025
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In a report from the Ninth District of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Montana is at the very top in terms of our Gross Domestic Product – or how much we produce, as compared to the other states in our district. The Ninth District is comprised of five states, including Montana.

The latest data, which is third quarter of 2024, shows that Montana has a GDP of 117.7 as compared to the next highest state, South Dakota at 111.7. We are also producing at a higher level than the US average at 114.5 – also we have had a very steep incline in the increase of our GDP, ever since COVID – exceeding all other states in the district.

Montana also has the highest percentage employment per 100 people than other states in the Ninth District and it has been steadily rising. Montana’s ratio is 111.3 as compared to the next highest, again South Dakota at 106.5. The National average is 106.3.