Government

MSU Billings Fall 2020 Enrollment Data

25 September 2020
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MSU Billings  fall 2020 enrollment data showed an increase in retention and graduate student enrollment, specifically in all mental and behavioral health programs at the undergraduate and graduate level. At its official 15th class-day count, 4,000 students were enrolled with 2,500 at University Campus and 1,500 at City College. This is a decrease of 416 students (9.4%) from fall 2019. Given the uncertainty and financial impact of COVID-19, this enrollment decrease was expected to be greater and is anticipated to be better than the nationwide higher education enrollment forecasts.

Moving the fall semester start date up three weeks impacted some students’ ability to enroll, especially for those who rely heavily on summer jobs and could not afford to conclude their jobs early. Dual enrollment numbers were also affected since School District 2 and other partner schools started their fall semester later than MSUB, making it challenging for many high school students to enroll.

Interim Chancellor Rolf Groseth noted that many MSUB students also have increased family responsibilities as a result of COVID-19, some having to navigate their children’s remote learning and their own remote jobs, or job loss, creating additional enrollment challenges. Groseth reminded that students can still apply for CARES Act funds that can provide some financial relief.

Notable areas of growth for fall 2020 semester enrollment included:

* Increase in one-year overall freshmen retention by 4%

* City College one-year freshmen retention increased by 13.7%

* Overall graduate student enrollment increased by 6.2%

* New graduate student enrollment increased by 44.2%

* Programs with significant enrollment growth included: Human Services 36.8%, Special Education Advanced Studies 36.4%, Psychology 18.2%, RN to BSN 14.8%, Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, MS 10.1%, and School Counseling, MS 8.5%

How to Work with the Government

25 September 2020
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Are you a manufacturer who wants to be a part of America’s COVID-19 response? The NAM (National Association of Manufacturers) continues working with the federal government to help manufacturers meet the urgent need for face coverings and other materials. Director of the NAM’s Creators Respond effort Herb Grant recently led a webinar for the Defense Department on how manufacturers can get involved, including by selling to the government itself. Here are a few of his helpful suggestions:  

* Get a DUNS number: A Data Universal Numbering System number is a unique ID that is required to register with the federal government for contracts or grants.* Register with SAM: The System for Award Management consolidates the capabilities of existing federal procurement systems—and you can register at www.sam.gov.

* Check for contracting opportunities: The webinar covered a range of sites that offer contracting opportunities, including beta.sam.gov, USAspending.gov and Dibbs.bsm. dia.mil.

Indiana Pushes for DAP Remaining Open

24 September 2020
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The Center Square

Indiana’s attorney general wants a U.S. appellate court to allow the Dakota Access Pipeline to remain open while the federal government studies the environmental impact.

Attorney General Curtis Hill said shutting down the pipeline would create public safety hazards, threaten the environment and deliver an economic blow to grain farmers throughout the Midwest.

Earlier, a lower court ordered the pipeline closed by vacating an easement that allowed continued operation. That U.S. district court cited a lack of an environmental impact study.

“The courts should allow the pipeline to continue transporting oil while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prepares an environmental impact study,” Hill said in a news release. “The order by the U.S. district court largely ignores the damage that a shutdown would cause to our economy, environment, food supply and personal safety.”

Hill, working with the state of Montana, joined nine other states in filing a brief with the appellate court.

For three years, the pipeline has carried about 570,000 barrels of crude oil per day from western North Dakota to southern Illinois. Closing it, according to Hill, would force oil shipments to go by rail.

Hill believes shipping by rail would force oil to compete for train space with agriculture, harming Indiana farmers and threatening the food supply during the global pandemic.

“The Dakota Access Pipeline has already been constructed, the oil is flowing and the American economy has come to rely on its benefits as an alternative to rail or truck transport,” Hill’s brief states. “The disruption that will result from vacating the easement is not merely economic. It will affect the food security of all who rely on Midwestern grain producers to ship affordable food through rail transport.”

Five Mile Road Open to the Public

22 September 2020
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The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) announced that Five Mile Road is now open to the public. Finishing work taking place will include epoxy striping in mid-September and final seeding and erosion control blankets in mid-October.

Tax Most Expensive Ingredient in Beer

21 September 2020
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According to the Beer Institute, “Taxes are the single most expensive ingredient in beer, costing more than the labor and raw materials combined.”

Research has shown that approximately 40 percent of the retail price of beer is dedicated toward covering all the applicable taxes.

Tennessee, Alaska, and Hawaii levy the highest beer excise tax rates in the country, while Wyoming, Missouri, and Wisconsin have the lowest rates. Tennessee’s tax is $1.07 per gallon and in Wyoming the tax is 2 cents a gallon.

Montana’s tax is on the low end at 14 cents a gallon, ranking the state 40th.

Meanwhile across the pond in Europe, the EU countries with the highest excise taxes on beer are Finland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

On the lower end, Bulgaria, Germany, Luxembourg, Romania, and Spain levy the lowest rate (EU’s minimum rate of €0.03 per beer bottle).

State Has Enough Fire & General Funding for Fire Season

21 September 2020
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Despite economic setbacks imposed because of COVID-19 concerns, Montana has remained financially resilient, with adequate reserves to meet this year’s fire season, according to Governor Steve Bullock. 

State Government ended the fiscal year under budget which allowed the transfer of $46. million to the fire fund. This puts the fire fund at its statutory maximum of $101.5 million, or 4% of fiscal year 2021 appropriations, for the first time in history, enough to cover nearly five average years of state wildfire suppression costs, said the Governor.

Additionally, the Budget Stabilization Reserve remains at its statutory maximum, which is $114.2 million or 4.5% of fiscal year appropriations. This represents the second year in a row that the Budget Stabilization Reserve has been funded to its statutory cap and it is available to sustain the budget should revenue collections or expenditures vary from projections.

The balances of the general fund, the fire fund, and the Budget Stabilization Reserve total $620 million as the 2021 fiscal year begins.

Public Asked for Input on City’s Downtown Street Plans

21 September 2020
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The Billings Yellowstone County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is seeking public input regarding six feasible alternatives to the downtown Billings traffic system that were identified by a recent study. Public input is being collected on the alternatives in an online survey; the deadline to participate is September 15, 2020. Public input will be used to steer future planning efforts. (The MPO is the same as the Policy Coordinating Committee)

The feasible alternatives being posed for public consideration include:

*North and South One-Way to Two-Way Conversions – Converts remaining north and south one-way streets between Division Street and North 24th Street to two-way operation and provides potential bicycle facilities consistent with the City’s Bikeways & Trails Master Plan.

*2nd Avenue N & 3rd Avenue N One-Way to Two-Way Conversions – Converts the one-way segments of 2nd Avenue N and 3rd Avenue N between Division Street and North 22nd Street to two-way operation and provides potential bicycle facilities consistent with the City’s Bikeways & Trails Master Plan.

*Montana Avenue Road Diet (Division Street to 18th Street) – Reduces Montana Avenue from three lanes to two lanes from Division Street to North 18th Street, provides potential bicycle facilities consistent with the City’s Bikeways & Trails Master Plan, and maximizes on-street parking.

*6th Avenue N Road Diet (Main Street to North 13th Street) – Reduces 6th Avenue N from five lanes to four lanes from Main Street to North 13th Street and provides a potential bicycle facility consistent with the City’s Bikeways & Trails Master Plan.

*13th Street Road Diet between 6th Avenue North and 1st Avenue North – Converts North 13th Street to a two-lane roadway with or without a center turn lane and provides potential bicycle facilities consistent with the City’s Bikeways & Trails Master Plan.

*Broadway Street Seasonal Closure – Creates a festival street by seasonally closing Broadway Street to vehicles between 1st Avenue North and 2nd Avenue North.

Members of the public are encouraged to participate in an online survey available at https:// dowl. mysocialpinpoint .com/ downtown- billings- traffic- study.

The site offers the opportunity to provide specific feedback on the proposed alternatives through an online survey, a budgeting tool to help prioritize how funds are allocated, and a digital bulletin board for other thoughts and perspectives. A link to the full Downtown Billings Traffic Study document and general project information are also available.

Following the public feedback deadline, the findings will be documented in a report and presented to the MPO and community leaders.

Direct comments, questions, or concerns to Lisa Olmsted at lolmsted@dowl.com or by calling (406) 869-6329.

Parks Visitations Drop Dramatically

21 September 2020
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From Montana Institute for Tourism and Recreation 

In 2019, nonresident travelers spent $3.77 billion throughout Montana, a 5.4% increase from the previous year. Over 12.6 million nonresidents visited in 2019.

Research by the University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research reveals a different story in 2020. Nearly all of the second quarter was shut down to travelers this year due to the pandemic, creating a jolt to that yearly injection of money and visitors into Montana’s economy. The second quarter generally accounts for a bit more than 20% of annual traveler spending in the state.

Additionally, the latest available statistics by the National Park Service show big visitation declines in June in Montana’s Glacier and Yellowstone national park. Glacier was down 62% during June 2020, and Yellowstone was down 32% in June compared to that month a year ago. July figures are not yet available for Glacier, but Yellowstone actually experienced a 2% increase in visitors when compared to July 2019.

In general, when the two national parks do well, Montana’s tourism does well. As travelers drive to the parks, they spend extra time in Montana just to get there.

“What we expect to see, however, is a change in nonresident spending patterns for 2020,” said Jeremy Sage, ITRR associate director. “For example, with nervousness about dining in, we expect higher spending in the grocery and snack categories and less in restaurants and bars.”

Fuel always has been a high expenditure by nonresidents visiting Montana, but this year gasoline prices are lower than they have been in the past 20 years.

“The conundrum for fuel spending is that the pandemic actually encourages people to drive around more for sight-seeing while on vacation and spend less time stopping at museums and other attractions because they are either closed or people are uncomfortable being in indoor settings,” Sage said. “So fuel spending could be on par with other years in terms of average daily spending in that category.”

Accommodations, as well as restaurants and bars, are taking a big hit in 2020, ITRR Director Norma Nickerson said.

“A recent survey of tourism-related business – the fourth in a series of surveys – is showing that accommodation owners are still seeing cancellations and fewer reservations compared to the same months last year,” she said.

Seventy-eight percent (121 respondents) of the accommodations owners in the survey reported decreased reservations for August, with an average decrease of 52% compared to August last year.

Similarly, declines in September reservations average 61%, and winter reservations are down 66% compared to the same time last year.

“In general, however, visitors are waiting to make last-minute decisions on travel as they watch the number of COVID-19 cases go up or down and their comfort level of traveling changes based on those numbers,” Nickerson said.

Campgrounds are an exception to the general decrease in accommodation business. Nationally, there are reported spikes in recreational vehicle sales and rentals. Campground respondents in the ITRR tourism business survey basically agree. Twelve of the 14 campground owners (85%) said inquiries are up or have stayed the same.

“So it’s business as usual for the camping industry, except, of course, for the extra cleaning, mask-wearing and social distancing,” Nickerson said.

In normal years, Montana’s six travel regions and 16 of the counties with the highest levels of nonresident spending have shown that visitation and spending is widespread throughout the state and that all regions benefit.

In the most recent 2019 figures from ITRR, the Yellowstone and Glacier travel regions received 34% and 31% of all nonresident spending, while Gallatin and Flathead counties, located within those regions, accounted for 25% and 16% respectively of all nonresident spending in the state.

How different will these numbers be in 2020?

The Glacier and Yellowstone regions, home to Montana’s two iconic national parks, receive the majority of nonresident travel spending, according to Kara Grau, the ITRR assistant director of economic analysis.

“In 2019, both those regions received over 30% of traveler spending,” Grau said. “We expect those regions to continue to lead the state in nonresident spending in 2020 but realize that overall traveler spending will take a big hit this year due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, closures in the parks and consumer hesitancy in travel.”  

NFIB Endorses Rep. Greg Gianforte

21 September 2020
Dennis Pyburn
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NFIB, the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, has presented its most prestigious legislative recognition, the Guardian of Small Business Award, to Montana U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte.

“The NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award is awarded to lawmakers whom small businesses can truly count on,” said NFIB Vice President of Federal Government Relations Kevin Kuhlman. “These Members of the United States House of Representatives are dedicated supporters of the key issues that our members are concerned about and have proven themselves to be real champions for small business. Our policy positions are driven by our members, and we report NFIB Key Votes back to our membership. We are proud to recognize the elected officials from the 116th Congress who earned this distinction by taking pro-small business votes supporting financial assistance programs and tax relief and opposing new regulations and increased labor costs. Small business owners across the country need their support now more than ever during these unprecedented times, and we are grateful to these lawmakers for their leadership.”

Added Riley Johnson, NFIB’s Montana state director, “At no time in recent history has small business needed more reliable and steadfast friends in Congress and state legislatures, and without a doubt, Congressman Gianforte has been one. The mom-and-pop enterprises of Montana’s Main Streets are grateful for the support Congressman Gianforte has given them.”

NFIB’s Guardian of Small Business Award is reserved for lawmakers who vote consistently with small business on the key issues identified by small business owners. Those who voted with small business on key issues 70% or more of the time during the 116th Congress earned the NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award. NFIB informs lawmakers in advance which votes will be considered NFIB Key Votes and asks lawmakers to support the consensus views of our members. We also remind them that the results will be reported back to the NFIB membership. 

North Dakota Court Supports Mineral Owners Rights

21 September 2020
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From Oil Patch Hotline

The North Dakota State Supreme Court last week backed up the contention of mineral owners along the edge of Missouri River near Williston that the state wrongly grabbed their mineral ownership and the result could be a huge payout.

The State does not have any claim or hold title as sovereign lands to any minerals above the Ordinary High Water Mark of the historical Missouri riverbed channel, the court said about the  William S. Wilkinson case brought against the ND Dept. of Trust Lands, Statoil, Brigham Oil and Gas and others.

“I t’s a historic win for North Dakota mineral owners/landowners against the State, said attorney Josh Swanson.  “The Supreme Court categorically rejected all of the State’s arguments, affirmed the fact that the Wilkinsons own the minerals, and is allowing the Wilkinsons to go back to the district court to pursue money damages against the State.”

As much as $1 million could be distributed to 14 mineral owners on 286 acres on the edge of Missouri River.