Latest news with #JohnFuller
Indian Express
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Away from the field, another battle brews between Yorkshire clubs, that of ‘cricket teas'
A tea break for a club cricket game in the sub-continent is typically a quick round of cutting chai. In case the hosts are generous, there may be a plate of biscuits and a few odd wafers thrown in. In Yorkshire, England's deeply traditional county with 800 clubs and over 125,000 recreational players, tea can't be light, nor can it be taken lightly. Around here, clubs have designated 'tea ladies', the honour bestowed on the wife, daughter or sister of a home player who plays host as sandwiches, cakes, scones, and, of course, tea is served. But with that spread, a club can't expect to win the fiercely contested 'Cricket Yorkshire Tea of the Year' competition that's sponsored by, who else, Yorkshire Tea. In its fourth year, the contest has been announced and alongwith the smell of freshly cut grass from the cricket field, there's the ovens sending out the tempting whiff of cakes getting baked. The first winner of this 'Battle of Teas' was a North Yorkshire club, Ripon. 'They had an almost formal sit-down tea. There were two tables, white tablecloth, proper cooked gammon (smoked or cured ham). It was a sort of a proper English lunch experience you might have,' says John Fuller, who initiated this cricketing bake-off to keep alive the sumptuous cricketing tradition. Fuller runs the website Yorkshire Cricket, a virtual Wisden for all small clubs. Though the contest rules specify a budget limit to clubs and insist on the spread being 'home-made', the variety is heady. Fuller's write-up on last year's contest is mouth-wateringly detailed. In dressing rooms across Yorkshire the tea-time offering had tomato and mozzarella salad, coleslaw, pulled pork and apple sauce, honey and sesame sticky sausages, sweet chili chicken enchiladas, homemade pizza, quiche, scones, pork pies and piles of glistening salad with crisp radishes. That's beyond the cakes, brownies and breads. In years to come, the contest is expected to get spicier with a few Indian clubs. Interlink mainly has cricketers with roots in India and a local restaurant called Azim, too, has a cricket team. 'At Interlink, they have a kind of 'family day' each year, where family members of each player come with a dish from their part of India. It makes for a really varied cricket team with lots of curries and samosa chaat,' says Fuller. The wheels of the competition get rolling with Fuller calling for entries on his Cricket Yorkshire website. Those willing to participate put pictures of their tea spread. Word of mouth appreciation, along with some field trips during tea time, decide the winner. The final call on the winner is made by Fuller and the Yorkshire representative, Abigail Sawyer. What about the prizes? It's mostly about 1,500 tea bags for the winner and a special treat for the chef volunteers. 'We give a yearly quota of Yorkshire tea and we also pay the ladies or gentlemen who prepare the tea. We also send them to a really posh teahouse. They get champagne and afternoon tea, so for once they don't have to make it and get to enjoy it,' says Sawyer, who didn't play the game but was a regular at games for tea. Cricket, in English towns and villages, remains a family activity. Following the fortunes of the local club would be sons, daughters and mothers. The reason cricket — even Tests in England draw crowds — is alive and kicking is the community support for the sport in every small village. 'Families are very much plugged into the game. In the longer format of the game, a proper tea is important. This is a proper pause where everyone can just take a breath, stop appealing for lbw, and have a cup of tea,' says Fuller. Sawyer goes back to her days of hosting 'cricket tea'. 'Me and my mum did cricket teas and I've got amazing memories from when I was a youngster. Two opposing teams coming together to have a cup of tea, eat together, and that has a sense of community that puts all kinds of competitive spirit aside for the moment,' she says. The contest started post-Covid since, during the 'social distancing' phase of the pandemic, the old tea tradition was being missed. 'You weren't allowed to prepare any food at the clubs. So everyone would come off the pitch and then disappear to their cars, eat their food. Largely, no one would speak to each other. I didn't like it at all. It felt very disjointed,' says Fuller. 'So when those pandemic time rules relaxed, it wasn't easy to find volunteers. But a lot of clubs in Yorkshire thought something needed to be done and it was important to have tea.' Sawyer says cricket teas are hard work and Fuller comes up with an anecdote to stress this point. He recently went to a small village club where England's brightest batting star, Harry Brook, once played. It proved a low-scoring match and resulted in panic in the clubhouse. 'I was in the clubhouse, seeing what was going on there. And the lady doing tea had to suddenly produce food for 20 to 30 people an hour quicker. Imagine a cafe or restaurant having to do that. But I kind of think people who do the teas are magicians,' says Fuller.
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
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Major education bill advances, would boost starting teacher pay
Photo illustration by Getty Images. Sen. John Fuller championed a $55 million education bill by reminding the Senate of his fiscally conservative values. 'Some of you may know that I'm so tight, I squeak when I walk, but I do support public education, and I support it fiercely,' Fuller, R-Kalispell, said on Tuesday. Sen. Sara Novak, a Democrat from Anaconda, said House Bill 252 isn't perfect, but it's a step in the right direction, and it will help especially small rural schools and young educators. 'It is some much-needed funding to our public schools to directly impact our teacher wages and specifically our beginning teacher wages,' Novak said. The Senate voted 40-10 in favor of the STARS Act, or Student and Teacher Advancement for Results, sending it to the Senate Finance and Claims Committee for a closer fiscal analysis. It's among the bills to help public schools that one supporter said bolsters education without adding undue stress to already beleaguered residential property taxpayers. Montana has struggled to increase starting teacher pay, and a proposal from the 2023 legislative session didn't work as planned. Backed by the Governor's Office, HB 252 earned bipartisan support, although some critics said it doesn't do enough for veteran teachers, who also need to be paid well. Sponsor and Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, has said the bill aims to fix an ongoing problem, which is low pay for beginning teachers, and the state doesn't have unlimited funds. The bill would spend more than $110 million from the general fund in the biennium, according to the most recent fiscal analysis. It also has other provisions to support education, such as incentives for academic achievement for students and tools to help teachers in areas with high housing costs. After the Senate floor vote, Lance Melton, with the Montana School Boards Association, said funding proposals before the legislature, including the STARS Act, have been written to guard against a spike in local property taxes. Property tax income goes in part toward public schools. 'All of those proposals have two — front and center — primary stakeholders, the child and the taxpayer,' Melton said. The fiscal analysis estimates an increase to local school property taxes of $800,000 a year, but those dollars are associated with housing support voters might approve through local levies, not incentives for teachers. Melton pointed also to House Bill 483 and House Bill 515, which both passed out of the House with bipartisan support and are in the Senate. Sponsored by Rep. Courtenay Sprunger, R-Kalispell, HB 483 would take any revenue growth that exceeds the state's obligation to a school equalization fund and return it to taxpayers. It has other Republicans and Democrats as co-sponsors and passed with a bipartisan 87-11 vote out of the House. House Bill 515, sponsored by Rep. Linda Reksten, R-Polson, would in part help schools with major maintenance costs without asking property taxpayers for a levy or a bond. On the House floor, Reksten said it has support from the Governor's Office. She said the bill transfers $75 million of one-time-only money from the general fund surplus to fill the school facilities trust fund — without affecting property taxpayers. It passed out of the House on a bipartisan 73-25 vote.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amid spending concerns, budget advances, major new trust proposed
Photo illustration illustration by Getty Images. Montana's big budget bill, House Bill 2, is headed to the full Senate after bulking up in the Senate Finance and Claims Committee, as is a separate proposal for a beefy new trust fund. The debate over spending is taking place alongside a discussion about how the state can keep paying for its needs — and whether legislators can keep adequate oversight and control over state dollars. Friday, Senate Finance and Claims voted 13-9 to approve HB 2 after passing several amendments that added to its bottom line, and it will likely be on the floor Thursday. Sen. John Fuller, R-Kalispell, said HB 2 was costing a lot more for the 2027 biennium than the 2025 biennium, and he would be opposing it. 'My constituents did not send me here to spend 18% more than we did two years ago,' Fuller said. But Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, said he expected to see other proposals that would add more money to HB 2, and it was time to move the $16.6 billion legislation out of committee. 'I think that we need to use this as a cutoff, at least for now, slow it down a little bit,' Windy Boy said. Some legislators want to slow down House Bill 924, too. Sponsored by Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, the controversial piece of legislation would create a new trust fund for Montana. Jones said the bill collects a lot of small funds that already existed — and people figured out how to raid — into one trust. He said that fund will earn money for Montanans for generations to come in housing, childcare, disaster resiliency and more. 'This is kind of a Montana-made legacy and investment in the future,' Jones said. Detractors, though, fear it was rushed into existence and loosens the grip legislators have on their ability to appropriate funds. On the House floor last week, Rep. Terry Falk, R-Kalispell, said he'd never seen a larger fiscal note than the one for HB 924. The bill initially directs $679 million from the general fund into the trust. Monday marks day 74 of the 2025 session, the Montana Legislature has 90 days to complete its work, and both bills are progressing. At this point in the session, the state budget sometimes looks like it won't pencil out, with numerous proposals to reduce income and property taxes still in play, and plenty of spending bills alive. On top of that, prior to the session, a report from the Legislative Fiscal Division warned of the risks of recession and potential federal cuts. It said continued income tax reductions and spending pressures raise a question about whether the governor's proposed budget will mean income can match expenses by the 2029 fiscal year. 'Decisions of this magnitude will be made by the 2025 Legislature and will set up Montana's state finances for success or failure for decades to come,' the report said. The most recent calculation of bills in play by the Legislative Fiscal Division shows ongoing expenses outpacing ongoing revenues by 2026, and a gap of $500 million by the 2029 fiscal year. However, the Legislature won't pass all the bills that reduce income, and it will kill some of the spending ideas, although in a debate last week on the House floor, Falk said he's worried by the trend. 'Even just the last few days, the line between structural deficit and breaking even has gotten quite a bit worse,' Falk said. In a press availability Friday, Sen. Christopher Pope, D-Bozeman, said HB 2 is large in part because legislators want some ideas to stay in the mix, but only for the time being. 'There will be a reckoning, and there has to be a reckoning,' Pope said. Jones described HB 924, the Growth and Opportunity Trust, as an opportunity for the legislature to have a significant and positive impact on Montanans for decades. The bill, which received bipartisan support and opposition with a 53-44 final vote in the House, is a combination of several proposals the Montana Legislature had already heard, Jones said. He said the trust 'is a kind of a conservative, forward looking trust' that takes a portion of volatile revenues and 'turns them into long-term assets.' Montana has a coal trust, but Jones said it's worth only about $1.2 billion, while other states have tens of billions of dollars in similar trusts, such as Alaska, with $80.3 billion, and Wyoming, with $11.6 billion. The Montana trust fund would take in about 50% of volatile revenue, such as income from capital gains. He said half of the trust would reinvest funds, and the other half would distribute funds. A fiscal analysis of the bill said allocations would go to local disaster resiliency, state property tax assistance, water development, bridges and early childhood programming. Jones said the principle is protected, and withdrawal would require a two-thirds vote by the legislature. He said the bill allows Montana to store money, but it includes recession triggers for hard financial times. 'This is the acorn,' Jones said of the bill. 'I'm hoping it will grow into an oak tree.' Although the bill passed to the Senate, it elicited criticism from both Republicans and Democrats on the House floor. Falk said the bill came much too late in the process given its heft and complexity, and he would have liked such legislation to be thoroughly vetted by the Legislative Finance Committee. 'If we're taking tax revenue that creates a surplus, and it's too high, I think we need to give it back to people,' Falk said. 'We don't even give them interest on their money.' Rep. Jane Gillette, R-Three Forks, said the bill allocates money for specific purposes in advance, and she wasn't sure legislators should box themselves out of future decisions that way. 'What this bill does is it takes away from your ability to spend future funds and ties the hands of future legislatures,' Gillette said. Minority Leader Katie Sullivan, D-Missoula, said she liked the idea of being able to save money and prepare for the future. However, Sullivan said she had concerns both about the authority the governor's office has to reduce the size of transfers and how the bill reserves a portion of future income tax revenue. She said the structure gives away some legislative power and oversight in the appropriations process. 'The legislature is in charge of appropriations, and we should keep doing our job in that space,' Sullivan said. Sullivan also said property tax rebates proposed in the bill amount to just $40 for residents, and 'we need to amp that up so it's meaningful for taxpayers.' Jones agreed that property taxpayers need more help, but he said the only way the executive can touch the funds is during emergencies as outlined with specific language and set triggers in the bill. In support of the bill, Rep. Jonathan Karlen, D-Missoula, said it might not be the way he would write it, but it would make a difference for Montanans. Karlen said legislators don't always have the chance to take up bills that affect their constituents for generations to come. 'What's in this bill is an ongoing, fiscally responsible way to support pensions, housing, critical infrastructure, water, our early childhood system,' Karlen said. The bill will have a hearing Tuesday in Senate Finance and Claims. HB 2 is expected to be on the Senate floor later this week, and the most recent report said the legislative proposal is 0.7% more than the governor's budget. In the meantime, a plan still needs to gel for a property tax decrease for residential payers, and an income tax reduction is expected too. Falk said he's only in his second session, but he thinks every session, projections show a negative structural balance 'in the out years.' 'I think this is worse — way worse — than normal,' he said. He said legislators will make reconciliations, erasing here and there, and the governor may veto some spending, but he sees the need for work ahead. Pope sees work ahead as well. He said he is proud of the work Democrats have done on their priorities, at times with help from nine Republicans in the Senate, whether it be increasing provider rates or help for housing. At the tail end of the session, he said, the legislature is entering the firefight. 'We have to not only keep pursuing the things that remain undone, and there's a fair amount of that, yet we also have to circle back every half hour to protect something that's already been decided, and it can be harrowing,' Pope said.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Privacy bill defining biological sex, restricting bathroom use clears Senate
A sign outside one of the bathrooms in the Montana State Capitol. House Bill 121 would restrict access to bathrooms based strictly on biological sex. (Micah Drew/ Daily Montanan) A bill that defines sex and and aims to enhance privacy in public restrooms and changing rooms by restricting use passed the Montana Senate on party lines, clearing that last major hurdle before reaching the governor's desk. House Bill 121, one of the first measures introduced during the session, would require public restrooms and changing areas exclusively for males or females, and require people use the one 'designated for their sex' based on 'external genitalia present at birth.' 'This bill is essentially about the recognition of the right of personal privacy and personal dignity by ensuring that individuals have access to private spaces free from discomfort or intrusion,' said Sen. John Fuller, R-Kalispell, who carried the measure in the Senate. He said the bill is also about safety and clarity. 'It reinforces protection for women and children and outlines specific spaces for their privacy and well being,' Fuller said. And 'it provides a clear definition of biological sex, recognizing reality and remember that reality is not paying attention to your wishes and likes and dislikes.' The bill covers bathrooms and changing rooms in public buildings, including schools, correctional centers, juvenile detention facilities, local domestic violence programs, and other places. It also allows individuals the right to take legal action if they encounter someone they suspect is of the opposite sex in a designated bathroom. Both the House and Senate judiciary committees held long hearings on the proposed legislation with dozens of opponents and proponents speaking on the intent and effects of the bill. In discussions before HB 121 passed the House 58-42, bill sponsor Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe, R-Billings sait it's needed to protect women and children and puts 'common-sense boundaries' in place in shared spaces. 'Girls should not feel uncomfortable or afraid to use a restroom or locker room at school,' Seekins-Crowe said on the House floor last month. Democrats, on the other hand, who unanimously opposed the measure in both chambers, said the bill likely carries a higher cost than the $0 'immediate costs' attributed in the fiscal note, and that it would likely end up bogged down in the legal system. A similar bill from the 2023 legislature that defined biological sex is still tied up in court. A number of opponents who testified during bill hearings spoke about the bill specifically targeting transgender individuals, and pointed out that it could create dangerous situations with the possibility of legal action. 'I just want to remind everyone what this bill actually does. It is asking trans men with beards to go into bathrooms with women and girls,' Sen. Cora Neumann, D-Bozeman, said on the Senate floor. 'Think about how uncomfortable that is.' The bill specifically does not give regard to 'an individual's psychological, behavioral, social, chosen, or subjective experience of gender.' Democratic Sen. Laura Smith, of Helena, attempted to amend the bill by changing the effective date from immediately upon the governor's signature to July 1, saying she's spoken with domestic violence shelters and homeless shelters that would have to shut down immediately in order to be compliant with the law. Republican senators pushed back by saying that a law protecting women and girls should not be pushed back for any length of time, and the amendment failed. Barring any changes in the vote tally during third reading on Tuesday, the bill will head to Gov. Greg Gianforte for signature. The governor said during his State of the State address he would welcome the bill on his desk.
