Montana

Montana leaders preparing recommendations for property tax legislation

Published

2 years ago

June 26, 2024

Montana leaders preparing recommendations for property tax legislation

HELENA — For months, state lawmakers and a state task force have been digging into Montana’s property tax system, and now, they’re moving closer to making some recommendations on possible changes.

Rising property taxes became a major political issue in Montana over the last year, after the state announced updated property assessments and many residents saw their home values spike. Since then, the Legislature’s Revenue Interim Committee has been conducting a study on property taxes, and Gov. Greg Gianforte convened a task force to work on addressing the issue.

On Monday, the Revenue Committee held a meeting in Helena, and they got an update on the task force’s work. Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson – who sits on both the committee and the task force – said subcommittees have been looking at ideas like requiring larger vote thresholds to pass local government levies, requiring all levies to go before voters for reapproval every ten years, and adjusting the inflation factor that caps how much local governments can raise in revenue from levies.

The task force is set to deliver a report to Gianforte by Aug. 15. Hertz said they’ll be planning for that report at their next meeting July 8, and that they’ll likely have draft recommendations out for public review by late July.

Committee members said they’re waiting to see what the task force recommends, as they consider what actions they want to take on their own.

“I just hope that committee has some clarity pretty soon so we can know what we think our role is in that whole process, too,” said Rep. Larry Brewster, R-Billings.

“Our clarity will be coming soon,” Hertz responded.

The committee also heard updates Monday on a working group led by the Montana Department of Revenue that has been looking at potential changes to how tax rates are set for agricultural land – specifically, how landowners qualify for certain exemptions and reduced rates.

DOR leaders said the current system had created inequities between landowners. They presented three proposed bills Monday: one that would eliminate a land classification that created significantly different tax liabilities based on a parcel’s size, one that would adjust how the state values homes on agricultural land, and one that would require owners of large properties to demonstrate they’re actively using land for agricultural purposes to qualify for a preferential tax rate.

“The purpose of that is for some of these larger properties that have been purchased – say, a 20,000, 30,000-acre ranch – trying to ensure that, if it’s receiving the preferential tax treatment for ag classification, it’s actually being used in an agricultural capacity and not being used just for someone’s recreational playground,” said Bryce Kaatz, bureau chief of DOR’s Property Assessment Division.

In public comment, the committee heard from some people supportive of taking a closer look at these changes and others concerned about potential unintended consequences for agricultural landowners. Committee members decided to delay action and dig deeper into the possible recommendations at their meeting in August, to take a closer look at the impacts.

“There are some significant inequities that exist, and we need to make sure we do everything within our power to set up a predictable, fair and equitable system,” said Rep. Mark Thane, D-Missoula, who sits on the committee and the working group.

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Montana

Apparent AI Glitch in Filing by Montana Public Defender, Recent Congressional Candidate

Published

3 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Apparent AI Glitch in Filing by Montana Public Defender, Recent Congressional Candidate

Everyone makes mistakes, even experienced professionals; a good reminder for the rest of us to learn from those mistakes. The motion in State v. Stroup starts off well in its initial pages (no case law hallucinations), but is then followed by several pages of two other motions, which I don’t think the lawyer was planning to file, and which appear to have been AI-generated: It begins with the “Below is concise motion language you can drop into …” language quoted above.

Griffen Smith (Missoulian) reported on the story, and included the prosecutor’s motion to strike that filing, on the grounds that it violates a local rule (3(G)) requiring disclosure of the use of generative AI:

The document does not include a generative artificial intelligence disclosure as required. However, page 7 begins as follows: “Below is concise motion language you can drop into a ‘Motion to Admit Mental-Disease Evidence and for Related Instructions’ keyed to 45-6-204, 45-6-201, and 4614-102. Adjust headings/captions to your local practice.” Page 10 states “Below is a full motion you can paste into your pleading, then adjust names, dates, and styles to fit local practice.” These pages also include several apparent hyperlinks to “ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws,” “ppl-ai-fileupload.s3.amazonaws+1,” and others. The document includes what appears to be an attempt at a second case caption on page 12. It is not plausible on its face that any source other than generative AI would have created such language for a filed version of a brief….

There’s more in that filing, but here’s one passage:

While generative AI can be a useful tool for some purposes and may have greater application in the future, when used improperly, and without meaningful review, it can ultimately damage both the perception and the reality of the profession. One assumes that Mr. Stroup has had, or will at some point have, an opportunity to review the filing made on his behalf. What impression could a review of pgs. 12-19 leave upon a defendant who struggles with paranoia and delusional thinking? While AI could theoretically one day become a replacement for portions of staff of experienced attorneys, it is readily apparent that this day has not yet arrived.

The Missoulan article includes this response:

In a Wednesday interview, Office of Public Defender Division Administrator Brian Smith told the Missoulian the AI-generated language was inadvertently included in an unrelated filing. And he criticized the county attorney’s office for filing a “four-page diatribe about the dangers of AI” instead of working with the defense to correct her mistake.
“That’s not helping the client or the case,” Smith said, “and all you are doing is trying to throw a professional colleague under the bus.”

As I mentioned, the lawyer involved seems quite experienced, and ran for the Montana Public Service Commission in 2020 (getting nearly 48% of the vote) and for the House of Representatives in Montana’s first district in 2022 (getting over 46% of the vote) and in 2024 (getting over 44%). “Его пример другим наука,” Pushkin wrote in Eugene Onegin—”May his example profit others,” in the Falen translation.

Thanks to Matthew Monforton for the pointer.

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Montana

Your guide to local sports events, plus what’s on TV

Published

15 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Your guide to local sports events, plus what’s on TV

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Montana

Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026

HELENA — You probably have goals and plans for 2026—the Montana Department of Agriculture does too.

“We’re really focusing on innovative agricultural practices,” Montana Department of Agriculture director Jillien Streit said.

It’s no secret that agriculture—farming and ranching—is not easy. There are long days, planning, monitoring crops and livestock, and other challenges beyond farmers’ and ranchers’ control.

(WATCH: Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026)

Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026

“We have very low commodity prices across the board,” Streit said. “We still have very high input prices across the board, and we have really high prices when it comes to our equipment, and so, it’s a really tough year.”

But innovation, including new practices, partnerships and technology use, can help navigate some of those challenges.

“We can’t make more time and we can’t make more land, so we need to start putting together innovative practices that help us maximize what our time and land can do,” Streit said.

Practices range from using technology like autonomous tractors and virtual fencing—allowing rangers to contain and move cattle right from their phones—to regenerative farming and ranching.

“It is bringing cattle back into farming operations to be able to work with cover cropping practices to invigorate the soil for new soil health benefits,” Streit said.

The Montana Department of Agriculture is working to help producers learn, share, and collaborate on new ideas to work in their operations.

The department will share stories of practices that work from farms and ranches across the state. Also, within the next year or so, Streit said the department is hoping to roll out technology to help producers collaborate.

“(It’s) providing a communication platform where people can get together and really help each other out by utilizing each other’s assets,” she said.

While not easy, agriculture is still one of Montana’s largest industries, and Streit said innovating and sharing ideas across the state can keep it going long into the future.

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