Government

Montana DPHHS Gets Grant for Behavioral Health

22 May 2023
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Together with Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Charlie Brereton, Governor Greg Gianforte  announced Montana has been selected for a grant to support the implementation of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC).

“Instead of turning our backs on those struggling with addiction, we’re investing in hope and opportunity as they get clean, sober, and healthy,” Gov. Gianforte said. “CCBHCs are another tool in the toolbox to expand access to quality mental health and substance use services for our neighbors and build safer, stronger, healthier communities.”

Montana is one of 15 states selected for a $1 million federal grant to support a 12-month planning process for the implementation of CCHBCs.

Brereton said DPHHS is proactively working with 10 community behavioral health providers to determine community readiness and behavioral health needs as the state begins the planning process. 

“Under this model, clinics in other states are closing treatment gaps by offering a comprehensive range of behavioral health services through enhanced reimbursements,” Brereton said. “There is growing demand for services in our state, but capacity of the current system is limited. This is another way that we are transforming Montana’s behavioral health system for future generations.”

The year-long planning phase assists states in developing certification criteria for CCBHCs, crafting technical assistance and training models to complete the certification, establishing a prospective payment system for Medicaid reimbursable services, and preparing an application to participate in a four-year demonstration program.

In 2024, 10 of the 15 states that received planning grants will be selected to join the demonstration project, which provides enhanced federal Medicaid reimbursement for the full cost of covered services provided by CCBHCs.

The certification requirements establish a basic level of service at which a CCBHC should operate and must follow six key program areas that include staffing, availability and accessibility of services, care coordination, scope of services, quality measurements, and consumer representation.

DPHHS will also develop a collaborative workgroup to design Montana’s certification process and related supportive training.

“We look forward to engaging clients, providers, communities, and stakeholders on the state’s grant efforts and activities,” Brereton concluded.

House Panel Squabbles over ESG Definition, Standards

22 May 2023
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By Kim Jarrett, The Center Square

The fight over ESG policies has occurred mainly at the state level, where legislatures have passed laws banning financial companies that use ESG standards from doing business with their state. Twenty-six attorneys general, including Reyes and Marshall, sued the Biden administration over allowing companies to prioritize ESG standards when choosing retirement plans.

Reyes called ESG an “undemocratic tax” on the economy and productivity.

“I’m here to warn you about the process involved in effectuating ESG goals,” said Reyes. “No matter how much you may agree with the policy being pushed if you deconstruct the process, it is a flawed and dangerous one and may also be illegal.”

Frerichs had a different definition of ESG, calling it “data.”

“ESG is simply additional information that investment professionals use to assess risks and return prospects,” Frerichs said. “The more data we, as investors have, the better informed our decisions are when selecting investments over the long-term.”

The two parties also disagreed over the costs of ESG. Republicans said ESG-based investments did not perform well. And ESG standards, particularly when it comes to fossil fuels, drive up consumer prices.

“If you look, particularly what’s driven inflation and what’s hit Americans in the pocketbook, including Alabamians, it’s been an increased cost of energy, part of that is attributable to decreased investment in what is currently producing the energy in our country itself,” Marshall said. “But beyond that, particularly, for example, in agriculture, is going to be the attack on agriculture as it relates to their responsibility, according to the left, for increased carbon emissions. The question is going to be do we find farmers discriminated against in their banking relationships, do we see farmers discriminated against in other financial relationships that impact their ability to do their job?

Democrats said state bans on ESG investing have hurt states.

A report from The Brookings Institution released last month said Texas’ ESG policies could cost the state “$300-$500 million in additional interest on the $31.8 billion borrowed during the first eight months following the implementation of the law.”

Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ken., said in a statement after the hearing the committee’s work on ESG was not done.

“No administration should be able to gamble with Americans’ retirements to fund its own political agenda in the private market,” Comer said. “We must expose and investigate the propriety and legality of this coordinated effort.”

Bill Rejects Extreme Regulatory Burden on Energy Projects

22 May 2023
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By Evelyn Pyburn

As a concern to the future of the planet, research on global warming is on-going. Despite the politics of it and the media’s contention that it is a proven phenomenon, it is not. Much costly research has yet to be done and imposing that burden on any single business as a condition to do business is to essentially deny the business to exist. Regulations meant to assure safe and environmentally sound operation of a business were not meant to place such an extreme burden as a condition for permitting.

A district court judge to insert a demand into regulatory law that a Montana business must take on research that would demonstrate that their activity would not impact the climate is an unreasonable expectation. As a result of such a court decision the Montana Legislature has passed HB 971 which Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed into law, that will prohibit the state – agencies like the Montana Department of Environmental Quality —from considering climate impacts in analyzing large projects such as coal mines and power plants.

The proposed legislation was by far the most controversial environmental legislation with those opposed citing polls of what people believe, rather than fundamental evidence that human beings are impacting climate conditions on the planet.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Josh Kassmier, R-Fort Benton, introduced the legislation in response to a 13th District Court Judge Mike Moses ruling revoking the permitting on NorthWestern Energy’s  gas plant at Laurel, which has been strongly challenged by the Montana Environmental Information Center.

Kassmier said that his bill “underscores that it’s lawmakers, not judges,” who set the state’s policies. Supporting the legislation were Treasure State Resources Association and the Montana Petroleum Association, who called the court’s decision as an “unworkable” mandate to measure greenhouse gas emissions and that it belong in federal regulations such as the Clean Air Act.

‘Parents can choose’: Montana School Choice Bill Signed into Law

22 May 2023
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By Chris Woodward, The Center Square

Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed legislation aimed at enhancing educational opportunities for Montana families. 

House Bill 203, sponsored by Rep. David Bedey, R-Hamilton, standardizes open enrollment in Montana’s public schools. Now, parents cannot be denied by their home district if they want to send their children to another school. 

“A child may be enrolled in and attend a school in a Montana school district that is outside of the child’s district of residence at the request of the child’s parent or guardian,” the bill reads.

Gianforte said in a statement that parents  “deserve to have their voices heard and to be a part of their kids’ education, including by pursuing the education that best meets the needs of their son or daughter.”

“I’m proud House Bill 203 promotes parental choice within our public school system while ensuring taxpayer fairness in cases where parents decide to have a child attend public school outside their place of residence,” Bedey said. 

The Helena-based Frontier Institute also applauded the legislation.

“Prior to the signing of HB 203, parents seeking to enroll their child in an out-of-district school faced a litany of barriers,” Frontier Institute Communications and Outreach Director Tanner Avery told The Center Square. “HB 203 represents an important step towards ensuring Montana parents can choose an education option that best fits the needs of their child.”

A New Look for Underpass Avenue

22 May 2023
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The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) construction project at the intersections of Underpass Avenue/State Avenue and 6th Street West/Central Avenue has begun. Riverside Contracting, Inc. has begun work to reconstruct the intersections to enhance traffic operations and safety in the south-central Billings area.

The project incorporates new traffic signals, storm drain, lighting, improved pedestrian facilities, and upgraded signage to improve these intersections, promote accessibility, and enhance safety features.

Work in-process:

* Water mains are being replaced

* The shared-use path is being constructed

* Retaining wall construction will begin next week

* Signals are being removed

Traffic advisories:

* 6th Street underpass between stop lights: While work occurs in the underpass, traffic is reduced to single-lane travel in each direction.

* Underpass Avenue south of State Avenue intersection: The Underpass Avenue/Calhoun Lane intersection is closed while the team replaces the water main under the street. This closure is expected to take a few weeks. Use Orchard Lane as an alternate route.

* Laurel Road west of Underpass Avenue and State Avenue east of Underpass Avenue: While the team replaces the water main under the street, traffic is reduced to single-lane travel in each direction.

* The signals are being removed on the southern intersection. Temporary signals will be used for the next couple of months while the new intersection is built.

Work in-process:

* Water mains are being replaced

* The shared-use path is being constructed

* Retaining wall construction will begin next week

Rail Authority Applies for Federal Grant for Passenger Rail Service

21 April 2023
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The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA) has submitted its proposal for a southern passenger rail in Montana to the Corridor ID Program of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). 

BSPRA hopes the North Coast Hiawatha (NCH) corridor from Chicago to Seattle/ Portland through southern Montana will be one of routes chosen by the FRA for funding, according to Dave Strohmaier, Chairman, Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority. For each corridor selected, the FRA will award an initial grant of $500,000 for preliminary planning.

According to the FRA, “The Corridor ID Program is intended to become the primary means for directing Federal financial support and technical assistance toward the development of proposals for new or improved intercity passenger rail services throughout the United States.”

Its proponents claim that the North Coast Hiawatha will transform the economy of the “Greater Northwest” region, revitalizing rural communities and tribal nations and provide access for underserved citizens to health care, education, other services, and civic resources often unreachable in winter when highways become unreliable or hazardous. BSPRA states that the proposed route will serve as a key catalyst for creating or renewing other passenger rail routes in the American West and Canada and will help awaken a 21st century rail renaissance in western North America.

Strohmaier credited Quandel Consultants and KLJ Engineering with assisting in making application to the federal government.

The North Coast Hiawatha route is already under analysis as part of the FRA’s Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study. The Corridor ID Program will work with that study to complete a service development plan and preliminary engineering—precursors to resuming passenger rail service through southern Montana and beyond.

 Strohmaier said that the project has received letters of support from BNSF Railway, Amtrak, five state DOTs, U.S. senators from North Dakota and Montana, and municipalities.

Some counties in Montana, including Yellowstone County, have not endorsed the proposal due to concerns of costs that might be imposed on the counties and because of concerns about how a passenger line could disrupt rail freight.

The concept of a southern passenger rail line is not a new idea. A similar rail service, Amtrak, already passes through the norther tier of Montana, which is significantly subsidized by the federal government.  Amtrak traverses the entire country and reported $1.6 billion in capital spending in 2017 with operating expenses totaling $4.2 billion. Montana’s Amtrak route, called the Empire Builder, passes through Havre and the Flathead between Seattle and Chicago.

Yellowstone County was first requested to support the concept of a Montana route 13 years ago, according to County Commissioner John Ostlund. At that time, he said the estimated cost was $1 billion, an estimate that is probably double that now.  “Passenger rail service doesn’t make money,” said Ostlund.

 The Montana Department of Transportation website reports that in 2008 Amtrak estimated the capital and up-front costs “…to exceed $1 billion, annual operating cost would exceed $74 million, resulting in a $31 million annual operating loss.”

Klugman Promoted

21 April 2023
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Big Sky Economic Development has announced the promotion of Patrick Klugman to the position of Senior Director of Economic Development Programs. In this new capacity, Klugman will be responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction for Big Sky Economic Development’s core business advising and outreach programs, including the Small Business Development Center, Veterans Business Outreach Center, Procurement Technical Assistant Center, and Member Investor Program. These programs are essential to executing BSED’s mission to support the growth of start-up companies, existing businesses, and economy of Billings, Yellowstone County, and the region. In collaboration with BSED’s business advising programs: unique responsibilities, contracts, and cooperative agreements will be interfaced by the Senior Director of Economic Development Programs with our federal, state, and local partners to effectively serve BSED’s clients and business community.

Since first joining Big Sky Economic Development in 2015, Klugman has served as the Community Development project Manager, then in 2021 became the Director of Development leading BSED’s Member Investor program.

Executive Director, Steve Arveschoug said, “Patrick’s new role with BSED comes as a result of his hard work and the partnerships he fosters in the community. It is also part of a restructuring effort that will include four new Senior Director roles in the organization. Senior Directors are charged with supporting the success of our individual programs and setting the stage for our growth, continuing the impacts we make on the community we serve.”

Klugman holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Montana State University Billings and Bachelor of Arts Political Science and Government degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Property Taxes Increased 3.6% in 2022

20 April 2023
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Property taxes levied on single-family homes in the United States increased 3.6% to $339.8 billion in 2022, according to a new report from a real estate data firm.

That’s up from $328 billion in 2021. The 2022 increase was more than double the 1.6% growth in 2021, but smaller than the 5.4% increase in 2020, according to the report from ATTOM, a property data provider.

The report also shows that the average tax on single-family homes in the U.S. increased 3% in 2022, to $3,901, after rising 1.8% in 2021. The latest average tax resulted in an effective tax rate nationwide of 0.83%. That was down slightly from 0.86% in 2021 to the lowest point since at least 2016. The “effective rates continued to decline even as total taxes rose because home values went up faster than taxes,” according to the report.

When Can You Expect Your Tax Refund?

19 April 2023
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If you are an income tax payer, or property tax payer, in Montana, chances are you have money coming your way.

The Montana State Legislature has approved, and the Governor has signed, bills that will be delivering the biggest tax reductions and rebates in Montana history – – $500 million worth.

So how much do you get and how do you go about getting it?

The process is being handled by the Montana Department of Revenue.

Income Tax Rebate as provided for by HB- 192.

If you lived and worked and paid income taxes in Montana in 2021 you will get a rebate on your income taxes of up to $1,250. If you didn’t pay that much in income taxes you will get a refund on what you did pay. All you have to do is sit back and wait for your refund – sometime in July, probably. All the rebates are to be disbursed by the end of the year.

Those eligible for up to $1,250 rebate are single taxpayers, heads of household or married taxpayers who filed separately. Married couples who filed jointly are eligible for up to twice that amount or $2,500.

Part time residents or people late in paying their taxes will not be eligible for the refund.

The rebate will be sent either electronically or by mail, depending on how you, most recently, paid your taxes or received your refund. The rebate will be sent to the bank account information listed on your most-recently filed Montana Form 2. . If you elected to receive your refund by a paper check or paid your tax bill by check, the rebate will be mailed to the address on your most-recently filed Montana Form 2.

Property Tax Rebate as provided for by HB-222

Home owners in the state who paid property taxes on their principle residence in 2022, and who will do so again in 2023 will receive a rebate of up to $500 for each year. The 2022 rebate is applicable to November 2022 and May 2023 payments, and the 2023 rebate is applicable to November 2023 and May 2024 payments.

Those who qualify for property tax rebates are those who owned and lived in a Montana property as their principal resident for at least seven months of each year and were assessed and paid property taxes on the residence within that rebate time frame.

It takes a little effort to get your property tax rebate.

Taxpayers may claim the 2022 rebate online through the TransAction Portal or by paper form beginning August 15, 2023. The claim must be filed by October 1, 2023. The portal is on the Montana.gov website (https://tap.dor.mt.gov/_/)

Taxpayers may claim the 2023 rebate online through the TransAction Portal or by paper form beginning August 15, 2024. The claim must be filed by October 1, 2024.

Legislature Nears the End

19 April 2023
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By Dan Brooks, Billings Chamber of Commerce

Tomorrow is Legislative Day 71, giving lawmakers 19 more days before legislative business must conclude. And despite having over two weeks left to work, I’d wager they wrap up in April, going Sine Die (concluding the legislative session) without using any days in May. Just a hunch…

Considering the recent holiday, I felt it appropriate to highlight a different rise from the dead. No, I don’t mean to detail our favorite Maiar’s return to the mortal realm of Middle Earth, given new life by Eru Ilúvatar. I want to look at legislative blast motions, the process by which either body, house or senate, can vote to bring a bill to the full floor, giving it renewed life.

 During floor sessions, members of the house or senate can make the motion to take a bill that’s been tabled in committee and place it on the floor agenda for a scheduled 2nd reading, allowing a vote by the whole body, and bypassing the previous decision of the committee. Successful blast motions breathe life back into a bill that had been effectively dead, although many of the bills that receive a second chance will still end up dead in the end.

Billings Strategic Partners and supporters of the One Big Sky District project should remember the importance, and disappointment in, the potential of blast motions. After it was tabled in (S) Tax, SB 340, the 406 Impact Districts bill, failed a blast motion by a couple votes on the Senate Floor, the final nail in the coffin for the bill in 2019.

 As you can see from the information below, each legislative session is different. Legislators have varying appetites for making blast motions, and the bodies differ on whether they want to entertain them, somewhat undermining previous committee decisions.  While the 2017 and 2019 sessions each have over 40 blast motion attempts, the success of the efforts remained limited.

We’ll see how many more blast motions are made this session as legislators make last ditch efforts to save their bills. With lawmakers starting to see the light at the end of the legislative tunnel, it’s unlikely they will want to bring many more bills to the floor.

2023 Legislative Session (thru Apr 7)

Successful blast motions: 4 out of 24

We’ll see how many more blast motions are made this session as legislators make last ditch efforts to save their bills. With lawmakers starting to see the light at the end of the legislative tunnel, it’s unlikely they will want to bring many more bills to the floor.

2023 Legislative Session (thru Apr 7)

Successful blast motions: 4 out of 24

HB 432 – Generally revise abortion laws (Fail)

HB 448 – Revise laws related to right to work (Fail)

HB 515 – Revise property tax payment procedures (Passed)

HB 784 – Revise laws related to school elections (Fail)

HB 837 – Require curriculum transparency in K-12 education (Fail)

HB 953 – Create election security & integrity complaint/enforcement process (Fail)

HJ 5 – Resolution for congressional term limits (Fail)

HJ 13 – Resolution for Article V Convention for a balanced budget amendment (Fail)

SB 15 – Provide for all ages homeowner and renter tax credit (Fail)

SB 110 – Provide property tax assistance to elderly homeowners (Fail)

SB 120 – Establish the Chief Earl Old Person memorial highway (Passed)

SB 141 – Create indigenous people’s day (Fail)

SB 161 – Revise board of investment laws (Failed on both attempts)

SB 194 – Income tax credit for landlords who rent for below market rate (Fail)

SB 233 – Enhance legislative understanding of state-tribal relations (Failed x2)

SB 276 – Revise laws related to prevailing wage (Fail)

SB 361 – Prohibit discrimination by any person/entity because of firearms (Passed)

SB 390 – Provide freedom in school choice (Fail)

SB 437 – Generally revise abortion laws (Fail)

SB 449 – Provide limitations on collections of taxes (Fail)

SB 464 – Revise laws related to eyewitness lineups (Passed)

SB 517 – Establish graduated fee on short term rentals (Fail)

Senate Bill 14 Sen. Greg Hertz (R) SD 6

Revise MEDIA Act film credit cap

Senate Bill 14 raises the cap for the MEDIA Act tax credits from $12 million to $20 million, with 25% of the credits going to a company domiciled in the state. The MEDIA Act was passed in 2019 and then increased in 2021. Incentivizing film production in Montana leads to numerous other benefits, providing manufacturing and trades jobs, increasing tourism, growing local businesses and economies, and diversifying Montana’s mix of industries. This bill passed the senate 30 – 20 and will be heard in (H) Taxation on April 13th. Billings Chamber: Supports

Billings Chamber: Supports House Bill 819  Rep. Paul Green (R) HD 41

Create Montana community reinvest act

The Montana Community Reinvestment Plan Act creates an affordable housing program that distributes funds to communities, proportionate to a counties’ gross domestic product, to fund housing cost buydowns for eligible home buyers—those making between 60% – 140% of average median income. The bill has over 50 cosponsors and passed the house with nearly 3/4 in support. Passing HB 819 would provide one element of a multi-element housing affordability strategy, including reducing barriers and regulations to housing development. This bill will be heard in (S) Business and Labor, April 12. Billings Chamber: Supports

House Bill 652 Rep. Steven Galloway (R) HD 24

Revise UI law related to benefit duration

With almost 60 co-sponsors, this bill revises the duration of unemployment benefits from 28 to 20 weeks. Currently, Montana has one of the longest unemployment benefit durations in the U.S. Our businesses face continual workforce shortage challenges, reflected in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Workforce Shortage Index designating Montana as one of the most severely impacted. A reasonable reduction in the length of unemployment benefits is likely to result in more unemployed people returning to the workforce and helping our businesses. Tabled in committee on April 6, 10-0.

Billings Chamber: Supports

Senate Bill 269 Sen. Greg Hertz (R) SD 6

Consumer protections in litigation financing

This bill provides thoughtful reforms to protect consumers from potential predatory practices in third party litigation financing (TPLF) and increases transparency. TPLF is a relatively new and unregulated practice where hedge funds and other wealthy entities invest in the outcome of court cases. This bill shines a light on TPLF by requiring TPLFs to register, limiting interest rates charged to plaintiffs, requiring disclosure to all parties of TPLF involvement, and capping TPLF’s share of winnings from plaintiffs. Missed deadline. Billings Chamber: Supports

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