Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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In this legislative session, I introduced House Bill 740 to help Montana’s pharmacies stand up to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Decades ago, these industry giants started out filling a legitimate need in the processing and negotiating of prescription drug insurance benefits. However, they quickly grew and consolidated into some of the largest corporations in the United States, and now, just a few PMBs control virtually the entire drug benefits market. In 2023, the top three PBMs made a c...
We just passed the halfway point of our 90 days in Helena, and I am proud to report that we have made significant strides in tackling the big and small issues facing our state. With over 800 bills introduced in the House, we’ve sent just under 600 bills to our counterparts in the Senate. I made a commitment to support common sense solutions to the problems facing our state. Below are just a few of the many bills that have been presented by the House Majority that will tackle these issues. House...
Montana has weighed in on the national, state, and local elections. The most important election results reflect concerns raised by our residents right here in Montana. We look forward to supporting the Governor’s recent “Path to Security and Prosperity” by focusing on economic development, creating more good-paying jobs, and improving family success and prosperity. We are committed to increasing student outcomes through enhanced educational options and greater funding transparency. The statistics show that more school funding does not neces...
Politics can be a messy business, and the timing of our supplemental tax bill, with its paragraph blaming the Governor's office and Legislature during an election cycle, along with the timing of the veto override of SB 442, concerns me. While I try to avoid the "politics" in politics, I feel compelled to address these issues. To begin, I would like to express my reasons for supporting the Governor's veto of Senate Bill 442, a bill that would have allowed marijuana tax revenue to be used for...
When I opened my Department of Revenue (DOR) appraisal notice I, like many of you, was shocked by the increase in my property tax estimate. Even though I read on the first page, “THIS IS NOT YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL”, I was still concerned. I understand the angst and confusion regarding this process because property owners question the accuracy of the fair market value and secondly the possible increase in their property taxes. Please remember that property taxes are local. This means that local s...
March 3rd marked the halfway point of the 68th Legislative session. We heard hundreds of bills in committee and on the House floor. The last week was filled with long hours and high emotion as legislators fought for their legislative priorities. Here are a few takeaways from our session thus far: Key pieces of legislation have passed both chambers and will be sent to the Governor. These include a property tax rebate of $1000 to residential property owners paid out in 2024 and 2025, and an...
The 2023 legislative session has begun. The House of Representatives is off to a productive start for the people of Montana. Many of the bills heard thus far are part of Governor Gianforte’s “Red Tape Relief Initiative” to delete laws no longer used and also to streamline how business is accomplished within state agencies. Legislative committees have had hearings on important bills. The first one was HR-1. This defined how we as legislators conduct the business of the House for the people of Mo...
