Governor signs property tax changes into law
Roughly 250,000 homeowners and small businesses are projected to see a break on rising property taxes under legislation Governor Greg Gianforte has signed into law. The amount of money taxpayers will save largely depends on the county they live in and its property tax base. There will be a one-time-only $400 rebate for homeowners this year to offset any increases.
The Board of Regents will soon be announcing if Dr. Brock Tessman is officially the 13th president of MSU.
Last year when current Montana State University President Waded Cruzado announced her retirement at the end of this school year the search for a replacement started. The Board of Regents extended an offer to Dr. Brock Tessman to become the 13th president, and he verbally accepted and is slated to start in July. Deputy Commissioner Government Relations for the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education Galen Hollenbaugh.
Galen Hollenbaugh
The board of regents is meeting today to tie things up and anything short of some major hic-ups we should have an official answer soon on who the 13th president of MSU will be.
Montana Ranks Third Lowest Unemployment in U.S. at 2.7% in April
Governor Greg Gianforte announced today, Montana has the third lowest unemployment rate nationally at 2.7% in April, behind South Dakota and North Dakota. The rate remained steady, near historic lows for 46 months and below the national rate of 4.2%. Total employment decreased slightly by 400, with growth in professional services, healthcare, retail, and transportation offset by declines in construction, accommodation, and food services.
Advocacy groups sue over new election law changes
The Montana Public Interest Research Group MontPIRG has filed suit in Missoula over a law that says people who move to Montana temporarily are not eligible to vote. The law requires prospective voters to self-report whether they’re a temporary resident for work or an educational program. MontPIRG argues the law unconstitutionally discriminates against students. State law says people are otherwise considered residents if they live in a Montana county for more than 30 days.
Montana Homeowner Assistance Fund Ends Homeowner Insurance Support
The Montana Department of Commerce has announced the Montana Homeowner Assistance Fund program will no longer provide homeowner insurance assistance. No new homeowner assistance applications for property insurance will be accepted after Friday. Applications that have already been submitted will be reviewed to determine household eligibility for the program and eligible applicants will be funded.
U.S. Census: Gallatin Flathead County add most residents in Montana
The federal government has released the latest population counts for the nation’s more than 3,000 counties as well as all incorporated cities and towns. Gallatin and Flathead were the fastest growing counties in Montana between 2023 and 2024 while the city of Kalispell has grown nearly 25% since 2020 adding more residents than any Montana city.
Montana governor signs bill increasing fines for boats with aquatic invasive species
Governor Greg Gianforte has signed a bill that will increase the fines people can face for negligently or knowingly bringing an aquatic invasive species such as zebra and quagga mussels into Montana on their boats or attempting to avoid check stations altogether. House Bill 242 increases multiple stages of fines that people could face for introducing aquatic invasive species into the state for the first time since the Montana Invasive Species Act was enacted in 2009.
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After 74 years of service Fred Graff Elementary School in Laurel is set to close its doors after this school year. It named after former superintendent Fred Graff and since it was built in 1951 it has shown significant wear over the years and it will be replaced by Laurel Intermediate School.
The Federal Highway Administration has approved a new agreement to award $2.9 million for the replacement of the Lolo Street Bridge in Missoula’s Rattlesnake neighborhood as long as the city and county agree to return any excess funds back to the feds. Its sidewalks and concrete foundation are deteriorating.
The Billings City Council has to deal with $2.3 million in cuts to balance the 2026 budget that was built assuming a 4% increase in property tax revenue over the current year. With a new state law it will now remain flat so spending needs to be reduced to remain revenue neutral.
Several schools in the Bitterroot will be offering free lunch programs to children during the summer months when students are out of school. Corvallis Hamilton Darby and Stevensville schools will be offering free lunch programs while Florence Victor and Lone Rock will not. Funding for the summer food programs comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Service Program.
Senator Steve Daines is calling on the U.S. Department of the Treasury to reverse a Biden-era Internal Revenue Service initiative he and several Republican colleagues argue unfairly targets Main Street businesses. The lawmakers argue it imposes disproportionate compliance burdens on small businesses while raising questions about whether the IRS is prioritizing enforcement over fairness.
