Category: Government
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Lawmakers Propose Reform to Help Farmers Amid Mass Deportations
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.…
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Income for Montanans
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…
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Election Tough on Levies
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…
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Coalition Urges Reversal of Gas Car Ban
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…
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Bipartisan FEMA Reform Bill Would Streamline, Depoliticize Disaster Relief
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…
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Bessent Prediction: “Pro-Growth Win for the American People”
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…
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16 States, DC Sue Trump Over 2021 EV Charger Funds; Most Haven’t Built Chargers
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…
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$16.6 billion State Budget
The Montana State Legislature concluded its business for the 2025 session. It passed over eight hundred bills, many of which await action by the Governor. Over the last 20 years, the average number of bills adopted was 614. The legislators approved a $16.6 billion budget, which is about 15% more than the 2023 budget. It…
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Wind Industry Tax Rates Under Fire
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…