Latest news with #Regier
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Property tax discussions drag on as worries of ‘stalemate' persist
(Photo illustration by Getty Images) Tax Day, on April 15 this year, is the country's initial deadline for filing taxes and in Montana's capitol on Tuesday, taxes were the main topic of conversation for leadership of both parties. But on day 76 of a maximum 90 day session, legislators were still debating a couple of key proposals they'd debated back in January. Senate President Matt Regier said on Tuesday there was a chance the discussion could come to a 'stalemate' but also described the discussion around property taxes as 'right there.' He went on to say some of the slow roll dealt with legislators wanting to see their bills get through before the session ends, which could impact how they vote on property tax proposals. Property tax reform is seen as the major obstacle to the Legislature coming to a close. Deals and amendments to bills have been circulating and likely will only increase in number as the session gets closer to the finish line. In his state-of-the-state address in January, Gov Greg Gianforte called on the legislature to send the homestead rate cut proposal to his desk within a month — a deadline that passed without action. At a press conference last week, Gov. Greg Gianforte said his position on prioritizing property tax relief hadn't changed. 'Montanans sent us here to act to get the job done, and we must,' Gianforte said last week. 'I remain committed to cutting taxes for Montanans at every income level, leaving them more of their hard-earned money.' Tuesday, Regier said it's a matter of getting the 'property tax pieces' together. 'And once we do that, I think the floodgates will break, at least here in the Senate,' Regier said. Executive action on a number of bills currently in the Senate Taxation Committee is expected on Wednesday morning, with the chair of the committee, Sen. Greg Hertz, saying they were looking to clear out their docket. Some Republicans have pushed the Governor's Homestead Act, House Bill 231, which changes some rates and targets second homes, but the bill has seen obstacles in the Senate after getting through the House. It was tabled in the Senate tax committee but revived a week later. Several cities, including Billings, have said it will increase property taxes in their locales, or cut services, like police and firefighters. Regier also noted concern on raising taxes on second homes from conservative members of his caucus. 'Raising Montana's property taxes, whether that's them doing an Airbnb or, like the family cabin, they said to me, that's it,' Regier said. 'I think for a lot of Republicans on this side, it's a no go.' One option some Republicans, including Regier, have pushed is Senate Bill 90, which aims to provide a property tax credit and is also at a standstill. It would use lodging tax and rental car revenue to fund the credits. Some Democrats have bristled at the idea a rebate is the property tax solution Montanans are looking for. 'Last sessions, Band-Aid rebate checks were not enough,' House Minority Leader Katie Sullivan said on Tuesday. 'Taxes have grown higher.' SB 90 has already passed through the Senate, but did not make it through committees on the House side. An attempt to use a blast motion to move the bill onto the House floor narrowly failed on April 11, but SB 90 could be blasted again, Regier said. He said it could be implemented quickly and its funding stream was flexible. 'We could pass SB 90 right now, have it to the governor's desk by Friday, and then the very next week … we could dump in one-time only money,' Regier said During a press conference on Tuesday, Democratic leadership blamed Republicans for not being serious about property tax relief and not taking enough time on the issue. Sullivan brought a clock with her to the press conference, saying she'd used it to track the amount of time spent arguing over 'bathrooms, abortions and talking about chemtrails.' The mood from their caucus was, in short, frustrated. 'We spend an incredibly large amount of our time on the floor debating things that have nothing to do with taxes,' Sullivan said. 'If you were to compare it to the amount of time we spent on property taxes, there's a huge difference.' Democratic leadership also hinted that Rep. Jonathan Karlen's House Bill 154, which is a targeted property tax credit toward renters, may also come off the table. Rep. Ed Byrne's House Bill 528 had a hearing earlier this week and it passed out of the House with significant bipartisan support. The bill was amended by Sen. Emma Kerr-Carpenter, D-Billings, to attempt to alleviate a potential conflict with city charters, like Billings'. The amendment would direct cities to ignore mill levy limits in their charters, though it's unclear if that has legal standing. But Byrne, a representative from Bigfork, also mentioned SB 90 during his testimony, saying it 'stands on its own (and) is probably the best bill out here for what we're looking at.' The legislature does have other options, including a proposal from Sen. Wylie Galt, R-Martinsdale, to freeze property taxes for two years. On that bill, Regier said, 'everything is on the table.' Democrats, meanwhile, said it wasn't nearly enough. 'That's kind of kicking the can down the road,' Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade said. 'And that's in some ways no better, and maybe worse, than a rebate.'
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate passes measure allowing temporary door locks in schools to enhance safety
Photo illustration by Getty Images. Legislation aimed at making schools and other buildings safer during emergency events, like active shooters, passed through the Senate on Monday. House Bill 651, sponsored by Rep. Amy Regier, R-Kalispell, creates an exemption in state fire code for temporary door locks in public buildings. Temporary door locks can help save lives, according to a study published in the Journal of Mass Violence Research. In fact, the Sandy Hook Commission, a report by the federal government, found in 2015 that there has never been an active shooter event where the shooter breached a locked door. 'Currently, our fire code is fairly direct and provides no exceptions,' Regier said during the bill's hearing on March 21 before the Senate State Administration Committee. 'It states it is unlawful to obstruct a fire exit or any hallway corridor or entrance way leading to a fire exit. Yet in an active shooter emergency, one of the first steps that is recommended to protect potential victims is to secure the door.' A code official, or whomever has jurisdiction of a building, would have to approve of the use of temporary locks, and they could only be used in a 'shelter-in-place or emergency lockdown situation.' The bill had several proponents during the hearing, including from the Montana Police Protective Association and the Montana Professional Firefighters. Both said the door locks Regier's legislation permits would not be a barrier for emergency access to buildings. 'I think this is a good idea,' Carter Marsh, representing Montana Professional Firefighters, said. 'I think it can keep our kids safe, and I think that we should take any step we can, and it still allows for local control to have that ultimate say.' A company, Nightlock, also spoke in favor of the legislation. That company sells locks that can quickly be put in place during an active shooter situation. They are stored near a room's entrance and are physically taken and put under the door. The House voted 97-3 to approve the legislation, while the Senate voted 49-1 during the bill's second reading. It will still need one more procedural vote by the Senate to reach the Governor's desk.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Obscene content filter bill stalls in Senate Judiciary
House Bill 408, brought by Rep. Amy Regier, R-Kalispell, seeks to block obscene content from reaching children. (Getty Images) Following passage of laws last session requiring adult websites to require age verification, a bill in the Montana Legislature seeks to go a step further and add a filter on electronic devices. House Bill 408, brought by Rep. Amy Regier, R-Kalispell, seeks to block obscene content from reaching children and establishes liability for someone who removes the filter as well the device manufacturer. The bill was tabled in the Senate Judiciary Committee, though it could come back. 'Nothing is truly considered dead until sine die,' Regier said. Protection from content deemed harmful to children, especially surrounding technology, has been key to a number of bills this session. 'Parents have the ultimate responsibility to train their children in moral and character development. Modern technology has potential for great good but also harm. Montana can help parents and protect our children,' Regier said in an emailed comment to the Daily Montanan. 'Requiring a device filter to be activated for all minors helps to safeguard against obscene content. Obscene content that can lead to risky behaviors, addictions and vulnerability to sexual predators.' The bill passed the House 82-19 on third reading to move it over to the Senate, with the dissent including a mix of Republicans and Democrats. In its Senate hearing, proponents included the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, the Montana Family Foundation and Alex Sterhan with the Montana Department of Justice. Former Republican Montana State Rep. Scott Reichner, speaking for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, said the legislation would help with the 'mass spread of human trafficking in the state.' Opponents to the bill included the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, the Montana Chamber of Commerce, the Parkview Institute — an organization that supports economic freedom — as well as the Computer & Communications Industry Association. Their argument was HB 408 was a barrier to businesses and an increase in potential liability. 'HB 408 presents serious technical and legal issues. Internet service providers, not device manufacturers, are the ones equipped to manage content access,' Aodhan Downey, state policy manager for CCIA, said in a statement. 'Requiring a state-specific default filter not only creates unworkable compliance challenges but also leaves many devices — especially those without location-tracking or that are sold online — beyond the bill's regulatory reach. 'What's more, the bill imposes steep penalties based on vague determinations of obscenity, leaving businesses to either over-filter lawful content or face costly litigation.' Some opponents stated it would stifle competition or could wrongly censor classical artwork that contains nudity. A similar bill has floated around the Utah Legislature. Legislators in Senate Judiciary supported the spirit of the bill, but did have some concerns. 'I think it's a great effort, but I don't think it's the solution,' Sen. Cora Neumann, D-Bozeman, said on April 8 when the committee took executive action on the bill. Sen. Theresa Manzella, R-Hamilton, said she was originally going to support the bill, saying she did recognize the state had a 'very serious problem' with minors accessing obscene content. But 'untended consequences' on device manufacturers helped sway her decision. 'I think we have done some very good work in this body in past sessions and the reports are that it's working,' Manzella said during executive action. 'Another issue is that I support parental rights, and I support parental responsibility to parent their children and work through these issues with their children.' Billings Republican Sens. Sue Vinton and Barry Usher voted in favor of moving the legislation to the floor.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Montana Republican Party censures nine GOP senators; no longer considers them Republicans
Senator-elect Josh Kassmier, a former House representative from Fort Benton, at a Senate Republican caucus meeting on Nov. 12, 2024. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan) The Montana Republican Party has censured nine state senators and will no longer consider them to be Republicans — but the senators say they hold firm to the conservative mantle and the party should not insert itself into legislative business. In a press release sent April 4, the party's executive committee announced it had censured the nine senators for their 'repeated alignment with Senate Democrats' this legislative session and for 'undermining Republican priorities and leadership.' The censure calls out the nine's 'unprecedented alliance' with Senate Democrats as a 'coordinated scheme' to undermine the GOP leadership, including alleging ethical violations by Senate President Matt Regier, found to be unsubstantiated by the Legislative Auditor. The committee unanimously voted for the censure on March 27 to the surprise Friday of at least four of the nine. 'I'm dumbfounded,' said Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester. 'I've been a Republican longer than ( state GOP Executive Director Tyler) Newcombe's been alive.' In an extensive letter to the head of the state GOP, obtained by the Daily Montanan, Sen. Josh Kassmier, R-Fort Benton, said his responsibility is to the people of Montana, 'not party bosses like you.' The letter was an attempt to argue against the potential censure, and Kassmier emailed it to GOP Chairman Don Kaltschmidt on March 27. However, Kassmier said he learned Friday that Kaltschmidt did not receive the letter; Newcombe also said neither he nor Kaltschmidt have seen the letter, but they made attempts to meet with the nine. None of the nine showed up to the executive committee meeting on March 27; several cited conflicts while others said they had never received invitations. In the letter, Kassmier said he is a conservative who supports the agenda of Republican President Donald Trump. Kassmier also accuses Senate President Regier, R-Kalispell, of 'playing political games' to undermine Gov. Greg Gianforte's agenda and of working with Democrats. 'I support the conservative tax plans endorsed by Gov. Gianforte. I oppose the liberal tax plans pushed by President Regier,' the letter said. ' … The governor's tax plans are consistent with the Montana Republican Party Platform. The tax plans pushed by President Regier are not.' Regier said Friday he had not seen the letter. However he responded to the censure of the senators by saying it was basically an acknowledgement of the status quo in the Senate. 'It's been a very frustrating session for Republicans from the first day,' Regier said. The division between Senate Republicans began at the start of the 69th Legislature, when the nine — Kassmier, Tempel, Jason Ellsworth, Wendy McKamey, Gayle Lammers, Butch Gillespie, Gregg Hunter, Denley Loge, and Shelley Vance — joined all Democrats to change the chamber's rules, going against GOP leadership. That coalition, in essence a working majority, has repeatedly flexed its muscles over the last three months to pass big pieces of legislation, change committees and at times effectively run the Senate floor, as well as block attempts to expel one of their members, Ellsworth, for ethics violations. Ellsworth has since been censured by the Senate. Previously, the state GOP executive committee issued a statement 'strongly rebuking' the senators, saying additional steps would follow if the group did not stop its actions against the party. 'Despite multiple calls for unity and adherence to Republican principles, the senators have chosen to align with Democrats, undermining Republican priorities and leadership,' the statement about the censure said. '…These Senators have undermined the Republican majority leadership and disregarded the will of Montana Republican voters.' The executive board also voted to withhold any political funding for the nine in future elections and said the nine shouldn't be considered to speak for the party. Sen. Hunter, however, said his duty is to his constituents. 'The GOP central committee didn't elect me,' Hunter said. 'I don't know what they're using as a litmus test or not, but if you look at the Montana conservative scorecard, I'm more conservative than most Republicans.' Sen. Wendy McKamey, R-Great Falls, said she's 'as Republican as they come,' and the state GOP was mischaracterizing the senators' actions. 'We aren't voting with the Democrats. The Democrats are voting with us to support the governor — not doing what other Republicans are doing to fight the governor,' McKamey said. 'We're doing the kinds of things good Republicans do.' McKamey also said she was recently notified that she is receiving an award from the Republican National Committee for her conservatism. In his letter, Kassmier wrote that his 'strong conservative values' helped him defeat state GOP Vice Chairperson Lola Sheldon-Galloway in the 2024 primary for his Senate seat. Kassmier also presents himself as a fiscal conservative and alleges Regier is working with Democrats in the House and is 'a true liberal' spending taxpayer money on things like lawyers and new office furniture. 'A real conservative would never dream of spending money like President Regier,' Kassmier said in the letter. 'When it comes to spending taxpayer money, President Regier is not a leader I follow.' From the start of the session, however, Regier has repeatedly expressed frustration with the size of the governor's budget and an interest in taking a closer look at spending in the state. The censure Friday and allegations in the letter from Kassmier bring the split among Senate Republicans to the fore again as the legislature closes in on its last few weeks of work. However, Senate Majority Leader Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, said he will continue to work with all 32 Republicans and talk with them daily given the limited time left in the session. 'I'd like us to see us come together and get as much good legislation as we can out of here. So I'm not disowning anybody,' McGillvray said. '… I cannot look at a group of Republicans and say, 'You don't belong to us anymore.' 'That's exactly a way to destroy what we need to accomplish for the good of Montana people.' Kassmier said he echoed the sentiment toward unity. 'We got a lot of work to do.' MT GOP Resolution re Censure
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State lawmakers dip into debate over Flathead Lake summer water level
Mar. 28—The Montana Legislature is wading into an ongoing debate over Flathead Lake's water level following the introduction of a new resolution by Kalispell Republican Sen. Matt Regier. "The 69th Montana Legislature requests all decision-making bodies with an influence on the usability of Flathead Lake ensure that recreation needs be measured fairly compared to hydropower, fish and irrigation demands; and that Flathead Lake recreation needs be expressly reflected in the next iteration of the Columbia River Treaty and in the next round of the Columbia River System Operations planning," reads Senate Joint Resolution 18. In his testimony before the Senate Natural Resources Committee on March 26, Regier argued that the low water level during the summer of 2023 caused significant harm to Flathead Valley residents and businesses. "It's a lake I grew up water skiing on, and so many people did. To not be able to use it like that needs to be in the conversation with hydro and fish and everything," said Regier. Dam managers cited abnormal weather conditions as the primary reason for the low level; high spring temperatures caused an early snowmelt, reducing the availability of water during the summer months. Despite the low water level, the SKQ Dam continued some outflows from the lake to meet federal energy quotas and ensure healthy downstream conditions. While that decision drew sharp criticisms from many lakeshore residents, allegations of mismanagement were later dismissed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Regier noted that the resolution does not actually change any laws or policies. If passed, a copy of the resolution would be sent to key stakeholders in the lake's management as a show of the Legislature's position. Regier said that he originally considered sponsoring legislation that would enact new state mandates, but he reconsidered his approach after learning how complex water management decisions are. Earlier this year, Republican Congressman Ryan Zinke reintroduced federal legislation mandating that the Interior Department maintain certain water levels on the lake. The bill has not yet been scheduled for a hearing. Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at hsmalley@ or 758-4433.
