[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6624081,"mediaKeyId","2768605-2438c9b54dbf7acf47d8829d0cd1709f","parentId",2768605,"title","Sponsor pitches broad property-tax rate reductions to neutralize 2023 and 2025 reappraisals; critics warn of shifts and big general-fund cost","audioSeconds",1622,"startMs",7221000,"endMs",8843000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768605-2438c9b54dbf7acf47d8829d0cd1709f&start=7221&end=8843","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768605-2438c9b54dbf7acf47d8829d0cd1709f/thumbnail_7221000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6624081/Montana/Sponsor-pitches-broad-property-tax-rate-reductions-to-neutralize-2023-and-2025-reappraisals-critics-warn-of-shifts-and-big-general-fund-cost","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624081-565fe64e2ecbfb595b89d745714e2683/orig.mp4?Expires=1771112883&Signature=cEHx0ff~JMPM5S7jtE6rDdoLEJJFZfXs8ChdIkagQoDWxP12fd8sjeDEeU4R1nrpgvXoSYw~-tFCRGAo-~33qWbLkKDw67CmatdG31wwpAMIre9DW2K90mp1Sqrrc69z3idOKpSnJkR3RUjbr~KXsRUXVKqbBZpJGNq9HWBqJj8fZ8tdfF80XJtbCojMLChAv~4zHgmMOO4HaniyHoNqBKi64MLLjRjG1u0ddcxKFfNmy8NoPpknnEkC~dbVQWqWdceqgkH~JcgxU9oNCxIFJ2uldqGfdasvwue0rXFMXqQFi9I6IMNZBL5D8OtEF7R0T2Ju55H7-YThYAHWnVt1eQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana Legislature","date","2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","article","Representative Ed Byrne (House District 11) presented House Bill 528, a proposal to reduce class tax rates for residential, agricultural and commercial property to blunt the tax impact of recent and projected reappraisals.

Supporters told the House Appropriations Committee the bill is a straightforward reversal of two recent reappraisal-driven increases: they said the 2023 reappraisal raised statewide values and that the bill would reduce residential and agricultural multipliers and residential rates to bring property-tax liability closer to pre-reappraisal levels. Proponents said the bill requires no application by homeowners and no new FTE.

Proponents pointed to Department of Revenue estimates showing that combined taxable-value increases from the 2023 reappraisal and the expected 2025 reappraisal would raise about $160 million in state collections per year (witnesses described a combined taxable-value increase of roughly $1.6 billion and estimated the state's 101 mills would collect about $160 million). Proponents argued the bill restores revenue neutrality to these reappraisals.

Opponents, including the Montana Taxpayers Association and the Montana Budget and Policy Center, said the bill would produce large general-fund costs because school funding formulas (the guaranteed tax base) shift the effects of taxable-value changes into the general fund. The Departments of Revenue witnesses provided county-level impact tables that showed the taxable-value reductions and resulting mill adjustments, and they noted the bill could create sharp disparities across property classes because multipliers for other classes would remain higher.

At the hearing, Department of Revenue economists explained the mechanics: lowering residential taxable value requires mill-rate increases elsewhere to meet fixed levies, prompting guaranteed-tax-base recalculations that increase general-fund obligations. DOR staff characterized the bill as fiscally disruptive: one DOR witness rated the bill a low-to-medium grade for soundness because it would substantially change the distribution of property taxes.

The committee heard pro and con testimony and DOR analysis; the sponsor urged the bill be advanced. No committee vote was recorded in the provided transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Appropriations - Mar 25, 2025 15:30 - 19:30","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 528 would lower selected class tax rates to offset increases from 2023 and the expected 2025 reappraisal; proponents say it restores revenue neutrality for homeowners, while opponents caution the change shifts costs across classes and creates large general-fund implications for school guaranteed tax base payments.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MT, Montana","taxId",77694,"location","Montana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6624087,"Appropriations hears bill to expand Best Beginnings eligibility for child-care workers' children",1907,5437000,7344000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768605-2438c9b54dbf7acf47d8829d0cd1709f&start=5437&end=7344","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768605-2438c9b54dbf7acf47d8829d0cd1709f/thumbnail_5437000.jpg","/articles/6624087/Montana/Appropriations-hears-bill-to-expand-Best-Beginnings-eligibility-for-child-care-workers-children","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624087-6ce48fcf101878ac76b4c0e79f4d781e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771112883&Signature=BqaLk1jwI6B11eRAdYWoQF-r7TGWl35E4XniqScQkO4OqjMaWwN0Yu42ok7KWajhDLnuJpFOL6S1QsKvftzE6n5q53V8add7afyrfyu8HTPuJNU0xBARg1E4fccJB-FTF573Rw6H8bIo2IXimw5P2YqXSFIfF-2jZMlkWd5d2IHAZEPm0co-iPb~Cj~1KgS0nvkv119eKwcNi7ysKdKyNzAI03e~8rQ2TBox8zA2zLeVu4C42ZwXe-E8KMDcoenef4hOBlWSMqh3HakMbYxQ2o551-0pZo7NN1Vx0xNA1ofK5DM~y8J~YHnFzyNF8LgnwKaYZn8~slMz8BsBpcPrNw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Jonathan Carlin brought House Bill 456 to the committee, saying the bill would expand Best Beginnings child-care scholarships to children of child-care workers so those workers could afford child care and remain in the workforce.

Carlin said the bill includes a general-fund appropriation (around $5.5 million) and that calculations depend on assumptions about how many child-care staff have children aged 0-5 who would become newly eligible. Using one set of assumptions the sponsor described, an estimated 500 children could be served; the fiscal note used a slightly different uptake assumption and estimated roughly 404 children. Carlin told members he would provide the committee with his calculations.

Tracy Moseman, administrator for the Early Childhood and Family Support Division at DPHHS, explained program mechanics: Best Beginnings eligibility is linked to approved activities and hours worked. The department said the program's current requirement for eligibility is 60 hours per month of qualifying activity (about 15 hours per week). The size of the scholarship is determined by an eligibility specialist and is subject to federal rules for families below program thresholds.

Witnesses from Montana Advocates for Children, the Montana Chamber of Commerce, licensed providers and workforce groups testified in support and said the pilot program reduced staff turnover by more than 20% and increased provider stability. Proponents urged the committee to fund the existing pilot's expansion because the pilot relies on federal preschool-development grant funds that expire in December 2025.

Department fiscal staff and the sponsor discussed co-pay assumptions for families and whether federal rules limit state flexibility to change co-pay scales. The department said children of staff below 185% of the federal poverty level are currently funded by federal grant resources; this bill would extend eligibility beyond that group, funded by general fund appropriations in the bill.

Committee members asked for written clarifications: the sponsor said he would provide a written breakdown of his uptake assumptions, and the department said it would confirm any federal-code cross-references used in the bill. The hearing closed without recorded committee action in the transcript portion provided.","House Bill 456 would make children of qualified child-care workers eligible for the state Best Beginnings scholarship, with an appropriation of about $5.5 million; sponsor and department witnesses discussed participation assumptions, a 60-hour monthly eligibility threshold, and use of federal preschool-development funds that expire in late 2025.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6624092,"Sponsor seeks $250 million future corrections fund to address women's prison capacity; advocates urge investment alternatives",2583,2833000,5416000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768605-2438c9b54dbf7acf47d8829d0cd1709f&start=2833&end=5416","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768605-2438c9b54dbf7acf47d8829d0cd1709f/thumbnail_2833000.jpg","/articles/6624092/Montana/Sponsor-seeks-250-million-future-corrections-fund-to-address-womens-prison-capacity-advocates-urge-investment-alternatives","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624092-f873f4cf6067d177e7eac9d8cb3b4757/orig.mp4?Expires=1771112883&Signature=VH23ux2dzSs2L5UU-yFoqK62Bz9x0H9bXHgjSIF4m3MFRqb0yyY8LII97UDzHF-0HBPBT12dXZtwouyxrVh3kmc1F0F9GGhX6lIuitas0KTIcRnxPHzPmiFlWyLVFE~YEi4BbJxuQASiJla1yxK4ShWKvO04impTfHeXvTraZb8iYaVcSBRo5io0EW29wp91xwv~OAx4GeLruwmW8~30aceJ-RSH96XmBa12zucT8rtLxAs0aST3RtzVcsEkLwojSVrt6V26JLo6gqJJFGBp~bpmrJ444mlx2vGqMHmcgpGDPEmmGKckF0koxblNb2nB2w-MNVVM3egAkUUoXxhL9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative John Fitzpatrick (House District 76) told the Appropriations Committee that Montana's two biggest executive-branch capacity issues are corrections and mental health and that House Bill 833 responds to repeated interim findings about prison overcrowding.

The bill would set aside $250 million to develop a new women's correctional facility. Of that amount, $30 million would be available for transition costs, the sponsor said, and $3.5 million would be earmarked for design and architecture work once a siting decision is made. The bill lists three development options to evaluate: state-constructed/state-owned/state-operated; private construction with a state lease and state operation (a model used at existing facilities); and private construction where the state would ultimately own the facility but operate it. The sponsor emphasized the bill does not create a private prison.

Director Brian Gootkin (Department of Corrections) described the system's current pressures: while recent construction and out-of-state placements have reduced male jail holds, the state has little ability to move female inmates out of county jails or to out-of-state placements. He said the department is considering near-term options including repurposing the Riverside facility in Boulder with modest remodeling (estimated $12\u000billion? No: testimony said $12\u00013 million) to create space for roughly 80 to 90 female inmates and installing modular housing at Montana State Prison as a temporary measure.

Proponents included the Montana State Building and Construction Trades Council, the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, and the Governor's Budget Office, which said the bill appears in the governor's budget. Proponents emphasized the need for bed space to reduce jail holds and to free county jail capacity for local law enforcement.

Opponents, including the ACLU of Montana, the Montana Budget and Policy Center, and Catalyst Montana, urged the committee to consider upstream investments instead of long-term prison construction. The ACLU and Catalyst argued that revocations of community supervision and drug-possession admissions are major drivers of population growth and that investments in substance-use treatment, mental-health services, employment and housing supports, and public defenders could reduce admissions and recidivism.

Committee members asked for operational and timeline details. The sponsor and DOC staff said transition actions (modular units and repurposing Riverside) could occur in roughly six to 12 months; full construction and procurement could take several years, and the sponsor said a five-year horizon for having facilities operational is conceivable under an accelerated timetable. The sponsor said the legislative package includes reporting requirements and that the bill requires the Department of Corrections to develop siting, financing, and procurement options and to report to legislative fiscal bodies.

The committee heard extended testimony and questions; no final committee action was recorded in the transcript provided.","House Bill 833 would set aside $250 million to build a new women's correctional facility and fund short-term transition costs; supporters told lawmakers the state lacks capacity for female inmates while opponents urged investments in behavioral health and alternatives to incarceration.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6624096,"Debate over vape-product registry divides Montana committee as sponsor seeks to strip tax",1591,1159000,2750000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768605-2438c9b54dbf7acf47d8829d0cd1709f&start=1159&end=2750","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768605-2438c9b54dbf7acf47d8829d0cd1709f/thumbnail_1159000.jpg","/articles/6624096/Montana/Debate-over-vape-product-registry-divides-Montana-committee-as-sponsor-seeks-to-strip-tax","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624096-6a807add06a63fb19a111f15e63a1aa8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771112883&Signature=KuiCybGmuNrBaipVDmQoDo0LEdRisKNHGWG6ReEf31BalZ06eyFELrdkXYuV2CxCQlwvTQdP8W3rHPAvdn59P9z8gMEbVLM54DTx8lJj7u6CYz1fUEPJu1UzlyHzN~~gI5FGjSx2nO7lSxphMPD8C~YMSKlOZsXLvMPgOUmN9r-N4DkoPEgF2NMcYhU6OiDxAIC2y3ikoxgTPijoBWkqRTBCL2-UjBxc9hp9hmpFTzQMI7pacWSV5cWst8R2bdUGIOkZhkinRNSfTDa391Jiutg7BU6H8ztTI~GyIvCXN-9JETbXjM3DaDBuur0xMJ5MLtd0MOUcUr3oQrRSxLugPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Amy Regier (R-Whitefish) told the House Appropriations Committee she brought House Bill 525 to create a vapor product registry similar to other states' tobacco-product directories and to require manufacturers selling vapor products into Montana to certify federal compliance.

Regier also offered a sponsor amendment to remove a punitive wholesale tax imposed on vapor products; she said the tax was added in House Taxation without consulting her and that manufacturers, not retailers, would pay registration fees and renewal costs. Under the bill's current language, manufacturers would pay a $2,500 initial registration per product SKU and a $1,000 annual renewal, while penalties for selling unregistered products would be imposed on retailers.

Proponents argued the registry is a proven regulatory approach and that illicit, unregulated products, many from overseas, are harming legitimate businesses and public health. Mark Baker, representing Altria, described the approach as one already adopted in other states and said the $2,500/$1,000 fee design was deliberate to create a self-sustaining special revenue account. Brad Longcake of the Montana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association said the fees are paid by manufacturers, not retailers, and that illicit products create an unfair competitive advantage for bad actors.

Opponents, primarily owners of independent vape shops, pressed the committee to reject the bill as written. Tom Jacobson and multiple shop owners said the bill's 50% wholesale-equivalent tax would disproportionately harm small retailers and push customers to convenience stores stocked by major tobacco companies. Owners described the FDA premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) process as prohibitively expensive and time-consuming, citing examples of thousands of SKUs and seven- or eight-figure compliance costs for small operators who manufacture e-liquids in-state.

“Most vape shops in Montana are small family-run operations, not subsidiaries of multinational corporations,” Tom Jacobson testified. Several retailers said the PMTA process has already produced marketing denials for many independent products while a narrow set of products from major tobacco companies remain available.

Department of Justice and Department of Revenue staff were present to answer fiscal and implementation questions. Witnesses flagged the risk of litigation costs in year one (the fiscal note references potential initial legal expenses), and proponents said the special revenue account would reimburse the general fund for those costs if litigation occurs.

The committee took testimony and questions but did not record a final action during this hearing. The sponsor closed asking that her amendment removing the tax be adopted and that the committee give the bill a due pass recommendation.","Supporters told the Appropriations Committee a manufacturer-paid registry is needed to keep illicit disposable vapes off Montana shelves; opponents, largely independent vape-shop owners, said a 50% wholesale tax and federal PMTA burden would crush local businesses and hand the market to tobacco companies.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6624101,"House committee sends fee increase for upland game-bird program to the floor",8670,282000,8952000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2768605-2438c9b54dbf7acf47d8829d0cd1709f&start=282&end=8952","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2768605-2438c9b54dbf7acf47d8829d0cd1709f/thumbnail_282000.jpg","/articles/6624101/Montana/House-committee-sends-fee-increase-for-upland-game-bird-program-to-the-floor","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624101-6668a2c2343327d85d36be2ef531c1cd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771112883&Signature=DTJqKjcGITn~PHf-LlwIFAw6CB6AWZSM-TQ7NmOhYVDe9nSXM4mkvJDNKwdJBbm6yPfHcWqaqZFHZb8vGxxXwF5cgr7GQFkdwHsCSugtXo0xmjtMjXrbOImX7cB-qlKVk3O5ROzszG30F8hqxIB9fYARiKcUidXbOEJ3Q5kUUpRgXKgSyH8NiO4DXEHkClM0ncE8wXMG9E2BQhAJ5y63QodCeRuyvOvODS-lRXE1ftac~KaPwC29qFLKe80BhG20JzWXE8rPT~X16wDgfrfKdpd7m5GojsVtdugv70NoD7RaPYFPx6Up~RUzihELo2aChf6lzkczGU6Hp74OJYBEaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Appropriations Committee on Monday recommended House Bill 372 for passage after proponents said the bill would restore purchasing power to a long-running hunter-funded habitat program.

The bill, introduced by the representative for House District 99, would increase fees dedicated to the Upland GameBird Enhancement Program. The program awards grants and contracts to landowners to improve habitat for upland birds and to provide public access, committee witnesses said.

“The program is such a strong program,” the bill sponsor said, noting the fund’s statutory budget level has not changed since 2013 and that inflation has eroded buying power. The sponsor said the bill already received bipartisan support in earlier hearings and on the House floor.

Trent Kleppen, chair of the Upland GameBird Enhancement Program Advisory Council, told the committee the program “goes back to rural communities and back into the hands of working agricultural producers that are implementing these habitat access and conservation projects on their land.” Kleppen said the council is statutorily charged with advising Fish, Wildlife & Parks on implementation.

Other proponents included representatives of Montana Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, the Montana Wildlife Federation, and the Big Sky Upland Bird Association. Thomas Baumeister of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers said the fee increase is “nominal” per license but would support more habitat projects for resident and nonresident hunters. Ben Diebel of the Big Sky Upland Bird Association told the committee nonresident hunters often use upland bird areas at higher per-capita rates and should bear a portion of costs.

Lena Havron, chief financial officer at the Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, said the fund is a state special revenue account earmarked for upland-game-bird enhancement and that the department included requests in the executive budget (House Bill 2 and House Bill 5) to spend the fund as intended. Havron told committee members the department twice amended the bill in House Fish, Wildlife & Parks to avoid compromising federal funding assistance.

After testimony and committee questions about how the program divides funding between habitat enhancement grants and access, the committee chair moved a \"do pass\" recommendation. The committee recorded a voice vote; the chair reported the motion passed by those present.

If enacted, the fee increase would be added to the statutory special revenue account that FWP uses to fund grants and cooperative agreements with private landowners and public partners.","The House Appropriations Committee voted to give House Bill 372 a \"do pass\" recommendation after proponents described the Upland Gamebird Enhancement Program as a long-running, hunter-funded habitat program; the bill would raise license fees that fund grants and contracts for habitat enhancement.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Sponsor pitches broad property-tax rate reductions to neutralize 2023 and 2025 reappraisals; critics warn of shifts and big general-fund cost

Appropriations hears bill to expand Best Beginnings eligibility for child-care workers' children

Sponsor seeks $250 million future corrections fund to address women's prison capacity; advocates urge investment alternatives

Debate over vape-product registry divides Montana committee as sponsor seeks to strip tax

House committee sends fee increase for upland game-bird program to the floor