Lawmakers approve $250 million for women’s prison
Governor Greg Gianforte has signed a bill that allocates $250 million for a new women’s prison facility and to study other potential changes to the prison system. This comes alongside a separate $150 million investment for the State Prison in Deer Lodge. The Montana Department of Corrections anticipates prison populations to rise in the next 10 years.
MT conservation groups applaud new marijuana tax revenue law
Tax revenue from marijuana sales in Montana will now support a wider variety of conservation projects since Governor Greg Gianforte has signed House Bill 932 into law. About 12 million dollars of annual tax revenue will go into a new “habitat legacy account.” Three-quarters of the money is earmarked for state projects like conservation easements water storage and Wildlife Management Areas and the remaining funds will support wildlife habitat.
MT Approves Ambulance Fee Program to Boost Medicaid Funding
Montana has approved a new law to bring funding to ambulance agencies statewide. Under House Bill 56 ambulance providers will pay the state a 5% fee on their revenue. The state will then use the collected money as matching funds to secure additional federal Medicaid dollars that it will return to the EMS agencies potentially drawing in tens of millions annually to support emergency medical services.
Zinke successful in effort to remove public lands sale provision from massive GOP bill
Representative Ryan Zinke was key in removing a provision in what President Donald Trump calls a big beautiful bill that passed in the U.S. House of Representatives by one vote early Thursday morning that would have allowed for the sale of around 500,000 acres of public lands in Utah and Nevada. In a statement Zinke said he doesn’t support the widespread sale or transfer of public lands because once the land is sold we’ll never get it back and God isn’t creating more land.
Montana’s new second-home tax could shift your property tax bill
According to projections from the Montana Department of Revenue the major property tax relief package signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte is set to bring double-digit property tax cuts to many Montana homeowners and landlords by the time it is fully implemented in 2026. It will bring tax increases in excess of 60% to many residential properties that do not qualify for a new “homestead” exemption aimed at reducing the tax burden on primary residences. Taxes on commercial and industrial business properties are expected to rise this year as the new tax code offers up homeowner relief via interim rates.
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Motorized scooters are now a specifically regulated mode of transportation in the state after Governor Gianforte signed House Bill 588 into law. They now have the same rights on the roadway as a cyclist or someone riding a moped. The law also includes single-wheels which essentially are motorized skateboards.
Commissioners for Anaconda-Deer Lodge County have voted to accept a non-lethal plan for the city’s habituated mule deer from a majority contingent of the Urban Wildlife Management Task Force. Mule deer gather near Warm Springs Creek and Washoe Park in Anaconda and they have fans among residents who enjoy their presence.
Discover Kalispell has ceased advertising in Canada after acknowledging tensions with the U.S. are causing less interest in visiting this country. In Flathead County 2.8 million visitors spent more than $1 billion in 2023. Kalispell area hotels have even reported cancelations from Canadian sports teams and one tour group nixed its reservation for 70 rooms and a 200-person dinner which translates to a $38,000 loss in revenue.
If Helena city commissioners approve a vote in June the city Transfer Station may charge $4 more per ton in tipping fees. The overall goal is to compete with inflation and save money for future projects. Fees are set by both the city and Lewis and Clark County Commission based on a combination of the Transfer Station and county landfill’s rates.
Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Region 7 has released the latest paddlefish harvest estimate for the first week of the 2025 season. The estimated yellow and green tag paddlefish harvest stands at 239 fish. The drop in river flows is expected to slow down the harvest this weekend compared to the opening weekend.
