Latest news with #TomMillett
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fines for aquatic invasive species violations increase under new law
Anyone transporting watercraft must stop at all open watercraft inspection stations they encounter in Montana. (FWP photo) When Tom Millett, a Republican state lawmaker from Marion, was working at a nuclear powerplant on Lake Michigan nearly 30 years ago, he routinely found himself face to face with zebra mussels. The small freshwater mollusks are not native to North America, but were introduced into many waterways east of the Mississippi River in the 1980s, including the Great Lakes and have spread prolifically, earning a moniker as one of the most dangerous invasive species on the continent. For Millett, zebra mussels would routinely coat parts of the power plant that connected to the freshwater lake. 'We had to go in there and we had to actually physically remove the zebra mussels all the time,' Millett said. 'And I can just tell you stories about zebra mussels, that we would take them out in big, huge dumpsters. By the dumpster load. That's how prolific these things are.' In an 2024 environmental review for the Palisades Nuclear Plant on Lake Michigan, it was reported that zebra mussels still coated parts of the intake system, an inch-and-a-half thick. To prevent a similar problematic infestation of Montana waterways, Millett carried House Bill 242 during the 2025 Legislative session, increasing the fines for anyone who knowingly or negligently introduces any aquatic invasive species into Montana or fails to stop at a watercraft check station. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bill on May 5. Aquatic invasive species include plants, animals and pathogens that are not native to the state, and can harm the ecosystem and economy. Mussels are one of the common poster species for AIS prevention. Montana doesn't yet have a major problem with Zebra mussels, or the similarly invasive quagga mussel, but neighboring states do, and there have been several suspicious detections of mussels and their larvae in Montana waterways, including Canyon Ferry Reservoir and the Missouri River. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks runs a program to counteract aquatic invasive species, which includes a public information campaign and numerous AIS check stations that all boaters in Montana, including non-motorized ones such as canoes and stand-up paddleboards, are required to stop at for inspection. Out-of-state boaters must also obtain an inspection before launching on Montana waters. In 2024, FWP officials reported intercepting more than 47 mussel-fouled boats, and 800 transporting aquatic weeds. According to the state's AIS inspection dashboard, FWP reports that watercraft check stations have already intercepted 10 mussel-fouled boats in 2025. The new law essentially doubles the fine for a first negligent offense as well as subsequent offenses for introducing AIS or failing to stop at an inspection station— from $500 to $700 for a first offense and from $750 to $1400 for subsequent offenses. In addition, knowingly attempting to introduce an invasive species to Montana, a felony, now has a fine of as much as $25,000. 'Is that tough? It's absolutely tough, because we can't risk having AIS being introduced into Montana to hurt our fishing industry, our tourism industry, our hydro facilities, our water treatment plants or any of our industries that employ thousands of Montanans,' Millett said during a hearing on his bill in February. 'We need to send a message to everyone who wants to come to Montana that we are serious about keeping our waters clean now and for future generations.' Millett's bill was supported during legislative hearings by researchers with the Flathead Lake Biological Station, the Montana Association of Conservation Districts, Montana Audubon, The Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana, Trout Unlimited, and the Little Bitterroot Lake Association. The threat of AIS, specifically zebra and quagga mussels, comes with a drastic price tag. A 2019 study published by the University of Montana's Flathead Lake Biological Station estimated that if mussels colonized all of Montana's water bodies, it could cost the state between $384.5 million to $731.4 million in mitigation costs, lost revenue and property value losses. Prevention efforts, by comparison, are cheap. Montana spent more than $3.6 million running its inspection and decontamination stations in 2018, and operates a grant program that disseminates more than a half million dollars for invasive species-related prevention. In 2024, the Fish, Wildlife and Parks and partners conducted more than 130,000 watercraft inspections across the state, resulting in 47 citations and 91 written warnings. Under the law signed last week, the increased fines leveraged against violators would be funneled into the state's general fund. FWP officials remind all Montanans that boaters and anglers must remember to clean, drain and dry their watercraft before leaving a water access site and are required to stop at all open watercraft inspection stations. Nonresidents and residents returning home must have their watercraft inspected before launching in Montana. Watercraft must also be drained of all water before transporting. For more information, visit or
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State lawmakers' efforts to remove federal land protections met with resistance
Mar. 27—Legislation in support of efforts to roll back federal land protections met strong opposition during initial hearings in Helena this week. About 50 opponents testified in the Montana House against a resolution introduced by Rep. Tom Millett, R-Marion, supporting a lawsuit Utah filed with the U.S. Supreme Court. While House Joint Resolution 24 is not legally binding, its passage would signify the Legislature's support for Utah's argument that the federal government's retention of "unappropriated" land is unconstitutional. Critics said that would set a dangerous precedent. "Signing on to support Utah opens the door for our public lands in Montana to be disposed of," said Mack Long, chair of Montana Backcountry Horsemen, at a March 24 hearing. Federal lands account for 29% of Montana's area, including some 8 million acres administered by the Bureau of Land Management that could fall under Utah's definition of "federal lands within the state that are not specifically designated for a particular purpose." Much of this area is currently open to residents for recreation or is used for resource extraction. "My constituents up in Northwest Montana asked me to bring [the resolution]," said Millett. But polling suggests that most Montanans support federal protections for public lands. A biennial survey that the University of Montana has conducted since 2012 shows consistent support for increasing federal land protections rather than decreasing them. After Millett introduced the resolution, conservation group Wild Montana published an online petition asking state lawmakers to "unequivocally reject" the measure. As of March 26, the petition had received about 2,910 signatures. "I think Montanans are happy that we're not like the East Coast," testified Noah Marion, the political and state policy director for Wild Montana. A SECOND Wild Montana petition rejecting Senate Joint Resolution 14 received more than 3,200 signatures. That resolution calls for the release of about 1.2 million acres classified as either a Wilderness Study Area or an Inventoried Roadless Areas, including the Ten Lakes and Bitter Creek wilderness study areas and areas in the Badger-Two Medicine area. Like HJ 24, the legislation is not legally binding but sends a message of support for the U.S. Congress to take actions to release the land. The resolution is co-sponsored by Reps. Courtenay Sprunger, R-Kalispell, Carl Glimm, R-Kila, John Fuller, R-Kalispell, Braxton Mitchell, R-Columbia Falls, and Ed Byrne, R-Bigfork. At a March 25 hearing, fears about the dispossession of public lands again played a central role. Kalispell resident Eleanore Eberts was one of 30 people who spoke in opposition to the resolution. "Managment is not the goal of this bill," said Eberts. "It's to make the way for mining and other resource extraction, which will lead to consequent destruction of these wild places." The resolution's primary sponsor, Sen. Tony Tezak, R-Ennis, disputed assertions that the release of the lands would commit them to resource extraction, but several proponents referenced recent executive orders issued by the White House to expand logging, mining and other industries. "I think our timing on this resolution is fabulous with the discussion of forest management happening in D.C. right now," said E.J. Redding, who represented Citizens for Balanced Use, a group that advocates for protecting open spaces for multiple uses, including recreation and natural resource extraction. Eight proponents spoke in favor of SJ 14, and no proponents attended the hearing for HJ 24. Several statewide conservation and outdoor recreation groups, including Montana Audubon, Trout Unlimited, Montana Wildlife Federation and Backcountry Horsemen opposed both pieces of legislation. Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at hsmalley@ or 758-4433.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Citizen grand jury bill fails on House floor
(Photo by Getty Images). Citizen grand juries aren't coming to Montana, at least for now. House lawmakers voted down legislation to change the state's constitution to allow citizens to summon a jury via petition was voted down 40-60 on Tuesday afternoon. Rep. Tom Millett, R-Marion, sponsored House Bill 460 which he said was intended to hold 'public officials, institutions and individuals accountable for their actions' and mentioned it was a tool against corruption. 'It is my firm belief that a citizen's grand jury offers a range of benefits that can help restore trust, ensure fairness and protect the rights of all citizens,' Millett said on the House floor. The bill would have allowed for 100 registered voters in a county, plus an additional 1/2 percent of the county's population regardless of a county's size, to petition to convene a grand jury. Once the threshold is met and sent to the county's election administrator, a judge would impanel an 11-person jury. The bill would have been a constitutional amendment brought to the voters. The grand jury would act as its own judge, according to the bill. Similar legislation has been passed in Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nevada and North Dakota. Montana has seen some support for citizen grand juries in the past, two similar bills during the 2023 session failed to pass. Another attempt in 2010 died as well. Comments from former Rep. Lola Sheldon-Galloway, who was the sponsor of one of two bills, included her saying grand juries weren't part of any of the three branches of government. At least one member of Tactical Civics, a group that teaches the U.S. is a Christian nation and its members are empowered to hold public officials accountable, also spoke in favor Sheldon-Galloway's bill. The group, which according to Lee Newspapers has gained something of a foothold in Montana and educates people on how to form a 'constitutional militia,' has the goal of creating citizen grand juries and expanding the U.S. House of Representatives, and its members believe much of the federal government to be illegal and warn of corruption. Opponents said in committee and on the floor that it could be used to target people for little reason at all. Rep. Ed Stafman, D-Bozeman, a former civil rights lawyer, spoke in strong opposition to the bill on the floor. 'A bit of research on these few other states that allow for citizen grand juries will show that they've mostly been used to investigate government officials based on conspiracy theories or vendettas,' Stafman said. 'The most common use was to investigate alleged government complicity in the September 11 attacks or issues around President Obama's birth certificate.' Millett did not agree with the characterization. 'A lot of these objections that I hear, they all center around the potential for people misusing this process to go after their political enemies,' Millett said. 'I don't agree with that. I actually believe that claim is a slap in the face to everybody in Montana.'
