The Montana Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual conference on Oct. 30 at the Hilton Garden Inn Missoula. Keynote speaker will be Boeing Helena Director Reyna Cardenas. Cardenas will share how Boeing Helena crafted a successful talent pipeline. For details go to Montana Chamber of Commerce website.
Montana Chamber
Montana Chamber Joins CAN
A national organization that aims to completely eliminate the digital divide in rural America over the next five years has expanded its presence in Montana. The Montana Chamber of Commerce has joined Connect Americans Now (CAN), a coalition that advocates for a mixed-technology approach to bridging the rural broadband gap, particularly by encouraging policymakers to clear the barriers so innovative technologies like TV white space can be pursued.
“This country has been working to close the rural broadband gap for nearly two decades, but we can’t fully tackle this problem without removing barriers to innovation,” said Shelby DeMars, a spokesperson for CAN. “We’re excited to be expanding CAN’s broad-base of support on behalf of the thousands of Montanans who remain on the wrong side of the digital divide.”
The Montana Chamber of Commerce is the latest in a growing number of Montana organizations who have joined CAN, including the Montana Rural Education Association, the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, and the Montana Stockgrowers Association, among others.
“Broadband access is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity,” said Bridger Mahlum, Government Affairs Director of the Montana Chamber of Commerce. “Access to reliable broadband is a necessity for our Montana businesses, it’s critical for our residents and students in rural areas that need to access the internet for online education resources and job training, and we owe it to our farmers and ranchers to make the latest and best technology available to them. In an evolving, high-tech marketplace we can’t let Montanans be left behind by not addressing the digital divide.”
CAN also encourages the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to fix how it measures broadband availability in rural states. The FCC has admitted the current methodology is flawed, an issue CAN notes impacts both private and public investments in broadband deployment.
“We should at least know the full scope of the challenge and right now the FCC’s methodology does not reflect the true lack of broadband in rural areas,” DeMars said. “They’ve identified areas as having broadband access where none actually exists.”
In 2018, Microsoft conducted a study comparing usage data to the FCC’s broadband availability statistics. The study found that while the FCC claims 77 percent of Montanans have access to broadband internet, just 33 percent actually access the internet at broadband speeds.
The disparity is particularly large in Wheatland County. The FCC suggests 92.9 percent of the county has broadband connectivity, while the Microsoft study found just three percent of county residents access the internet at broadband speeds.
Court Gives XL a Victory
TC Energy Corporation announced last week that the Nebraska Supreme Court has affirmed the November 2017 decision by the Nebraska Public Service Commission that approved the Keystone XL Pipeline route through the state.
The Montana Chamber of Commerce greeted the news declaring, “This is exciting news, as the Keystone XL pipeline is critical infrastructure that will enhance the energy sector in Montana and North America.” Todd O’Hair, Montana Chamber of Commerce president /CEO, stated, “In addition to providing safe, good-paying and local jobs in Montana, it will be a great economic boost for the state. We are excited to see this project continue moving forward.”
The Keystone XL section of the pipeline, is a $8 billion project that would between Alberta, Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska.
Despite having gone through three major federal environmental reviews, the project has confronted delaying legal hurdles by opponents since 2008. Three more lawsuits still stand in the way of construction.
Keystone XL has permits to construct in all three states along the route, along with a presidential permit.
“The Supreme Court decision is another important step as we advance towards building this vital energy infrastructure project,” said Russ Girling, TC Energy’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We thank the thousands of government leaders, landowners, labor unions and other community partners for their continued support through this extensive review process. It has been their unwavering support that has advanced this project to where it is today.” The pipeline would carry oil from Canada through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, where it would connect to an existing pump station in Steele City, Nebraska. From there it would continue through Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas until it reaches Gulf Coast refineries. Business groups and some unions support the project as a way to create jobs and reduce the risk of shipping oil by trains that can derail.
The pipeline faces intense resistance from environmental groups, Native American tribes and some landowners along the route who worry about its long-term impact on their groundwater and property rights. But in Nebraska, many affected landowners have accepted the project and are eager to collect payments from the company. The Nebraska Supreme Court upheld the decision of state regulators who voted in November 2017 to greenlight a route through the state. The court sided with the Nebraska Public Service Commission saying it is the agency responsible for determining which pipeline route is in the public interest, and that it did so after months of consideration. “We find there is sufficient evidence to support the PSC’s determination that the (alternative route) is in the public interest,” Justice Jeffrey Funke wrote for the court.
An attorney for the opponents said they were weighing their legal options, including a possible federal lawsuit challenging the route the PSC approved.
Where and When July 1 2019
Alter Ego will be the headline entertainment at the Billings Clinic Foundation’s Street Party on Broadway Ave. for the 2019 Billings Clinic Classic, Saturday, Aug. 24. The theme of this year is Urban Classic, playing on the street party setting and classic downtown Billings elements. Proceeds benefit the Sustainable Fund for the Psychiatric Services Residency Program at Billings Clinic, Montana’s first and only psychiatry residency program. Alter Ego, from Montreal, Canada, is North America’s top party band. Kicking off the evening will be Arterial Drive, a six-member band from Billings, who will perform during a festive cocktail pre-party. The 2019 Classic will be held outside on Broadway Ave., between 3rd Avenue North and 4th Avenue North. Billings Clinic Classic tickets range in price from $100-$200.
The Montana Chamber Foundation’s 2019 Governors’ Cup Golf Tournament and Sandbaggers Reception will be held in the Flathead Valley on Aug. 1-3. The reception is on Aug. 1 at the Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell. On Aug. 2 and 3, the Chamber will host the tournament at Eagle Bend golf course in Big Fork, Meadow Lake in Columbia Falls, Whitefish Lake (south). Started as the Centennial Golf Classic during the 100th celebration of Montana’s statehood in 1989, the Montana Chamber Foundation annually hosts more than 400 business and government leaders, representing over 100 businesses from across Montana, the entire U.S., and even around the world through the Governors’ Cup Golf Tournament. The event is specifically organized for networking and to promote the state’s growing opportunities for business and investment, as well as a charitable fundraiser for our various programs. Register at www. montanachamber.com/ event-registration/ 2019-sandbaggers- reception-and-bbq/
