Latest news with #DanielZolnikov
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Increasingly popular state for homebuyers just cut property taxes and looks at big oil to foot the bill
Montana is cutting property taxes in half and expecting the state's biggest landholders and absentee owners to pay a little extra. The state legislature announced the passing of House Bill 231 and Senate Bill 542 last week. The property tax relief bills aim to help rebalance Montana's property tax system after years of soaring home values. While designed to bring relief to homeowners, the bills have sparked heated debate among officials. 'This is an unconstitutional bill. It is a violation of our rules, and additionally, no matter what lipstick you put on this pig, it is a tax shift,' Senator John Fuller said about House Bill 231 via NBC Montana. Senator Daniel Zolnikov insisted the session was 'off the rails' and believed the state's property tax relief is a 'failure.' 'To tell you the truth, I'm kind of stunned that we're arguing against cutting property taxes for residents of Montana. That's what we came here to do,' Minority Leader Pat Flowers stated. The changes come amid rising concerns over housing affordability. Household income needed for a Montana home has grown by 85 percent. At the same time fears of potential housing market crash have grown. Montana's property values have risen over the past few years, along with residential tax bills. Homeowners have discovered their bills doubled in certain counties, leading some to worry they can no longer afford their properties, according to By then, Montana's Department of Revenue had already warned lawmakers that taxes could burden residential owners. Despite their passing, the bills could potentially be delayed due to last-minute amendments, careouts, or complications with charter cities. There will also be three residential property tax tiers, which will rise to four by 2026. The tiers will feature rate bands based on how a home's value compares to the statewide media, which currently sits at about $325,000. Commercial properties will run under their own system, and second homes and short-term rentals will be taxed 1.9 percent. 'These tax changes are in complete opposition to principles of tax fairness and efficiency,' said former state legislator Robert Story. 'It will take the Montana Department of Revenue many staff hours just to build a model capable of handling it all.' Montana government officials had mixed opinions over the passing of the two property tax relief bills Unless the rulings are reversed, about 230,000 homeowners may notice property cuts on their tax bills. Owner-occupied homes and long-term rentals' rates ill drop from 1.35 to 0.76 percent once they reach a property value of $325,000. Pipelines and other centrally assessed properties may will see price hikes thanks to a 12 percent tax that will be tackled onto their bills. While all appears to be set in stone, the new system could change depending on median values and rates for all property types. Meanwhile, a recent report showed how the dream of owning a home in America is becoming increasingly out of reach. In most states, a six-figure income is needed to afford an average-priced home. Nationally, homeowners must now earn $116,986 to afford a typical home. That's an increase of 50 percent from $78,236 in 2020, according to Bankrate's Housing Affordability Study. The study analyzed home sale prices to calculate monthly mortgage payments for every state and the District of Columbia — and worked out what annual salary would be needed to cover that.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Officials approve sweeping ban on controversial food packaging: 'If the feds aren't gonna do it, we're gonna do it'
If you've ever gotten takeout from a restaurant, there's a good chance that at some point, your food was packaged into a Styrofoam container. While Styrofoam is effective at being a lightweight, protective packaging material and a great insulator, it has long been the target of environmental groups. However, for folks in Montana, single-use Styrofoam food containers may soon be a thing of the past. House Bill 477 was introduced by representative Marilyn Marler. The bill refers to Styrofoam as a "material that causes environmental harm and poses a threat to fish and wildlife." According to the bill, "Styrofoam threatens the right of each Montanan to a clean and healthful environment." The bill would ban the use of Styrofoam containers in the food industry by 2030. This includes the use of containers used to serve or package food from restaurants and food establishments. Meaning everything from coffee cups, plates, and trays would soon be phased out in the state. As reported by the Daily Montanan, H.B. 477 passed in the Montana House of Representatives in March with a vote of 56 to 44. In April, the bill was passed in the Senate by just two votes. Styrofoam, or expanded polystyrene, can take a very long time to properly decompose in landfills. Some estimates suggest it could take 500 years or more. The decomposition process is not a complete breakdown but rather a fragmentation into smaller and smaller pieces, potentially leading to microplastics. Microplastics have been reported to have the ability to accumulate in various food sources, including marine life and mammals. This can carry pollutants and toxins to humans. While the specific health effects in humans are still being researched, studies suggest potential risks such as gastrointestinal issues, inflammation, and disruption of endocrine and reproductive systems. Senator Daniel Zolnikov, one of the most vocal proponents of H.B. 477, emphasized the importance of the bill. "We have chemicals in our food, we have chemicals touching our food, we are being poisoned in more ways than we know," Zolnikov said, per the Daily Montanan. "This is an easy way to say if the feds aren't gonna do it, we're gonna do it. We're gonna phase it out." Should the government ban gas stoves? Yes Only in new buildings Only in restaurants No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Montana moves to ban styrofoam containers in food industry
A bill to ban polystyrene foam takeout containers has passed the Montana Legislature. (Getty images) Senator Daniel Zolnikov brought one of life's biggest dilemmas to the Senate floor over the weekend: When you're microwaving leftovers, how do you determine the perfect amount of time needed to evenly heat your food? Specifically, how long should you heat up your takeout pork carnitas in its styrofoam container? 'Is it a minute? A minute-and-a-half? The ultimate, ultimate microwave dilemma' Zolnikov asked. 'Better to do it a little longer than have it still be cold in the middle.' However, that decision comes with increased risks 'But you microwaved it too long, and the styrofoam has had some small portions that now also melted.' Zolnikov carried House Bill 477 through the Senate, a bill that would ban the use of styrofoam containers in the food industry within five years. He, and other proponents of the legislation, urged lawmakers to consider the known health risks of polystyrene foam, as well as the environmental concerns of using a material that doesn't break down easily. But opponents in the Senate, and in prior House debates, decried the legislation as governmental overreach and asked for free-market solutions to handle the problem. HB 477, introduced by Rep. Marilyn Marler, D-Missoula, provides for a phase out of expanded polystyrene foam — commonly called styrofoam — containers used to serve or package food from restaurants and food establishment, including coffee cups, plates, trays, and other food and drink carriers. The law would affect roughly 7,500 establishments in Montana, according to the bill's fiscal note. The bill creates a three-step process for the phaseout beginning in 2028 with the use of styrofoam containers used to serve food consumed on site. The next year it expands to packaging prepared food, and in 2030 will apply to food packagers and include bakery items and other prepared food. The Department of Environmental Quality would be tasked with ensuring compliance with the rule and issuing fines. House lawmakers passed the bill 56-44 in March, and the Senate on Saturday passed the bill 26-24. In Zolnikov's microwave example, he asked lawmakers to contemplate a meal of pork carnitas, ordered as takeout from a favorite restaurant, a delicious dish that is hot, fatty and acidic. Those three conditions enhance the leaching of chemicals into food, increasing the amount ingested, and contributing to the growing number of microplastics found in all human bodies, including newborn babies. In addition, styrene and other chemicals found in food packaging have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption and other chronic health conditions. 'The thing is, consumers assume our food and food storage products are safe and healthy, and when we realize they aren't, we take action, or we're supposed to,' Zolnikov said. The bill applies only to styrofoam in the food service industry — not its use in transportation, construction or health and safety industries. It also exempts 'raw, uncooked meat, fish, or eggs,' where styrofoam is often used as an insulator to keep those items cold, lowering the risk of chemical leaching. Despite the health concerns — widely agreed on by lawmakers — several Senators opposed the bill for its overreach into people's lives. 'You should not be heating up food in your microwave in a styrofoam container, in a plastic container, on melamine plates, just about anything, except maybe glass. What you should be doing, if you're concerned about your health and your kids' health and your grandkids' health, heat it up in a frying pan. Not a frying pan with Teflon in it. A good old cast iron frying pan,' said Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, adding that he felt such a law should be the role of the federal government. 'That's the problem with this bill. There are so many other products out there that are causing harm to our health … I don't like styrofoam either, but this isn't the answer.' Eleven other states have passed similar statewide laws, as have numerous local governments. Other opponents raised concerns that the bill might set a precedent to expand to other industries in the future, while proponents expounded on the environmental benefits. 'I've seen them floating in ponds or water. I've seen fish eating the particles that break up,' Sen. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula said. '…You also will see birds picking up styrofoam, using it in nests and other places eating it as well. And so there's other things that styrofoam is actually impacting, not just on the food service side.' The bill was amended in a Senate committee to extend the phase-out timeframe from five to 10 years, but the Senate body changed the bill back to its original form on the floor. 'If all those arguments aren't enough to get everybody to vote yes on this, I've got a few more,' said Sen. Bruce 'Butch' Gillespie, R-Ethbridge, who brought the amendment on the floor. He said that businesses in Montana could manufacture biodegradable packaging using sustainable sources such as hemp. 'Let this be the beginnings of a whole new industry for Montana here.' HB 477 contains a process for a business to request a waiver if they can show undue hardship, such as finding no suitable alternatives for food packaging. A fiscal note for the bill also shows the state would fund a half-time employee to develop and oversee the exemption program. 'We have chemicals in our food, we have chemicals touching our food, we are being poisoned in more ways than we know,' Zolnikov said. 'This is an easy way to say if the feds aren't gonna do it, we're gonna do it. We're gonna phase it out.'
