Tax relief raises questions
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This past week, Rep. Steve Daines and Governor Steve Bullock addressed the state legislatures and outlined some of their visions for the future of our state. Rep. Daines would like to see a balanced budget from lawmakers in Washington, D.C. Also of importance to him is the protection of hunting and Second Amendment rights. He is also working hard on the Farm Bill, as agriculture is such a big part of Montana’s economy.
In his State of the State address, Governor Bullock stressed the importance of working together with the legislature for the good of Montana. Tax relief was the next topic, and I share the governor’s want for seeing this happen. As usual, the many fine details are the hard part. Questions such as one time only or permanent tax relief or should it be via business equipment, property or income tax relief? The governor also talked about working on the state pension plan, education funding and Medicaid expansion. We are still waiting for these ideas to be transformed into bills so that we can get to work on them.
My thoughts on other areas the governor addressed include the following: in regard to the state pension plan, we need some reform. This needs to not just be a taxpayer-funded bailout, but a long-term solution. On education funding, we need to look at where the money is to come from and how it can be equally distributed to school districts. Medicaid expansion — we need to understand how much liability the state would assume as the federal governments contributions to this fund shrink every year.
The Flathead Joint Board of Control and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, along with the United States Government, have reached a water use agreement, and it will be put to a vote of the irrigators. I would like to encourage everyone to gain an understanding of what is in this agreement and how it will benefit the project in the future.
This week I will present bills on passenger accountability in the case of serious injury or fatality in motor vehicle accidents, and a bill that revises the use of dyed fuels in farm vehicles.
As issues come up that you are interested in or want to comment on, you can contact me at dansalomon12@gmail.com or at (406) 253-9724.
