Montana

Gianforte-backed property tax measure would offer homeowner relief by raising taxes on second homes, Airbnbs

Published

11 months ago

January 23, 2025

Gianforte-backed property tax measure would offer homeowner relief by raising taxes on second homes, Airbnbs

A property tax relief measure touted by Gov. Greg Gianforte as his signature response to widespread public angst over rising residential tax bills would lower taxes on primary residences by raising them on second homes and Airbnb-style short-term vacation rentals.

Heard before the House Taxation Committee Wednesday, the proposal drew praise from members of Gianforte’s tax task force but opposition from large businesses worried it would raise their taxes and progressive groups that want lawmakers to adopt tax measures that provide more relief to lower-income taxpayers by leaning harder on wealthier residents.

House Bill 231, sponsored by Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, would also offer tax savings to landlords with long-term tenants and to smaller businesses that own commercial properties.

Specifically, the bill would divide the state’s existing residential property category into a bifurcated system, lowering rates used to calculate taxes for owner-occupied homes and long-term rentals while raising them for other residential properties.

The measure would also split the state’s commercial property category into two rate brackets, offering a lower rate to approximately the first $2 million of business value.

The Montana Department of Revenue would be responsible for tracking which residential properties qualify for the lower rates, starting with the list of properties that were granted one-off homeowner property tax rebates the past two years and shifting to an application program over time.

Jones argued Wednesday that the proposal represents a reasonable effort to provide tax relief without shifting an undue amount of tax burden onto non-residential properties. He also said he’s deliberately trying to raise property tax bills for part-time residents who use public services while living in Montana but file their income taxes elsewhere.

“Without a sales tax, it’s fairly difficult to have those folks participate in this economy,” he said.

Democrats pitch property tax relief via income tax credit

A measure pitched by the Democrats in the Montana Legislature would take aim at rising homeowner property bills by offering an income tax credit, offsetting a portion of property tax payments for homeowners and renter households earning up to $150,000 a year.

Part of the challenge facing the state’s tax system, Jones said, is that Montana’s gradual transformation from a natural resource-heavy economy to one increasingly driven by destination tourism has eroded much of the property tax base that once paid much of the bill for local services like law enforcement and education.

Jones presented the tax committee with data indicating that the fraction of the Montana property value contained in residential properties has grown dramatically in recent decades, up to 76% in 2023 versus 29% in 1985. In contrast, the share of the tax base represented by major industrial properties has declined dramatically, down to 5% in 2023 from 23% in 1985.

By raising taxes on second homes such as Yellowstone Club mansions, the bill would in effect try to use them as a replacement for the state’s historic industrial tax base. Jones also said Wednesday that he believes offering preferential tax treatment to long-term rentals over Airbnb-style short term rentals could encourage property owners to make more housing available to permanent residents.

Jones said he estimates his bill would reduce property taxes for about 230,000 primary residences by an estimated 17%. He also estimates that 130,000 rental properties and 32,000 small businesses would see similar reductions. MTFP estimated previously that the median residential property tax bill increased by 21% between 2022 and 2023.

The proposal drew support at Wednesday’s hearing from Gianforte’s budget office, as well as public education advocates, the National Federation of Independent Business, AARP Montana and the Montana Farm Bureau Federation.

“Ultimately it’s a solution that keeps property taxes inside the property tax system. It doesn’t require a personal income tax bailout into the property tax system,” said Ryan Evans, the assistant director of the governor’s budget office.

Bed-tax-to-property-tax-relief proposal slammed by tourism advocates

Lawmakers who want to offer residents substantial immediate property tax relief face an inescapable mathematical reality: Unless they want to force local governments to lay off cops and teachers, the money to lower residential property tax bills has to come from somewhere. That somewhere, for one of the first major tax relief proposals to come up for hearing before a legislative committee this year, is the $120 million a year collected by the state’s pair of bed taxes.

The bill was opposed by the Montana Chamber of Commerce and other business advocates, who worried that lower taxes on residences and small businesses would end up forcing larger businesses to pick up the tab.

Bob Story, the executive director of the Montana Taxpayers Association, testified that the bill would mean a property tax increase of at least $1,000 for more than 900 Montana companies, with several facing increases of more than $100,000.

“They’re large companies, sure, but that doesn’t mean they have all kinds of money to pay additional taxes,” Story said.

Some advocates for a more progressive tax system also spoke in opposition.

Rose Bender, a researcher with the Montana Budget and Policy Center, said she believes the bill is too generous to higher-value homes and not generous enough to less valuable ones.

“This bill needs to better target relief to low- and moderate-value homes,” Bender said.

Like other property tax relief bills heard by legislative committees this week — among them a bill that would divert bed tax dollars from tourism promotion to property tax relief and another that would offset property taxes with a state income tax credit — Jones’ bill faces a committee vote and potential amendments as the first of several hurdles it must clear en route to the governor’s desk.

Gianforte said during his Jan. 13 State of the State address that he wants to be able to sign the measure into law by mid-February so the state Department of Revenue can implement its provisions this year, a timeframe that would require it to advance rapidly through the Montana House and Senate.

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Montana

FCS playoffs roundup: There will be an all-Montana semifinal in the FCS playoffs

Published

6 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

FCS playoffs roundup: There will be an all-Montana semifinal in the FCS playoffs

MISSOULA, Mont. — The No. 3-seeded Montana Grizzlies proved too much to handle on Saturday afternoon, overwhelming the No. 11-seeded South Dakota Coyotes 52-22 in the FCS playoff quarterfinals at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

The Griz used the home crowd to their advantage in an all-around dominant performance in all three phases of the game in front of a home crowd of 22,750 fans. The win sets up an all-Montana semifinal in the FCS playoffs as the Griz will go to face No. 2 Montana State on Dec. 20 for a trip to the national championship.

Montana’s Keali’i Ah Yat had 305 yards and three passing scores, as Michael Wortham had 11 catches for 201 yards and two receiving touchdowns, as well as 43 rushing yards and a score.

All told, the Coyotes had 63 plays on offense for 351 total yards, but the 10 offensive penalties seemed to be a key difference in finding any consistency.

Montana State advances with decisive victory

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Montana State ran for 227 yards as the Bobcats dominated the third-ranked rush defense in the country en route to beating Stephen F. Austin 44-28 on Friday to advance to the FCS playoff semifinals.

Adam Jones finished with 117 yards and Julius Davis had 96 on the ground for Montana State, which jumped out to a 24-0 lead. Justin Lamson had 246 passing yards for the Bobcats.

Villanova holds down Tarleton State to advance

STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Villanova overcame a 14-0 deficit as the No. 12 Wildcats beat fourth-seeded Tarleton State 26-21 on Saturday.

It is the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2010 that ‘Nova advanced to the semifinals. The Wildcats held Tarleton State to 56 yards rushing and 266 total yards while racking up 426 overall on their own.

Ja’briel Mace had a 47-yard run to trim Tarleton State’s lead to 21-19 in the third quarter and Braden Reed hauled in an 11-yard TD pass in the fourth to complete the comeback.

Dawson runs Illinois State past UC Davis

DAVIS, Calif. — Victor Dawson carried 29 times for 148 yards and Tommy Rittenhouse threw a 93-yard TD pass as Illinois State beat UC-Davis 42-31 on Saturday, one week after the Redbirds upset North Dakota State in Fargo.

Rittenhouse finished 15 of 20 for 266 yards and three touchdowns and one interception. Daniel Sobkowicz had six receptions for 150 yards and two scores.

Davis quarterback Caden Pinnick was 24 of 41 for 402 yards with three touchdowns and a pick.

Trey Houchin of the Mitchell Republic contributed to this report.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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Montana Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life results for Dec. 13, 2025

Published

18 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 13, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

01-28-31-57-58, Powerball: 16, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

12-18-19-24-35, Lucky Ball: 17

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

20-26-27-32-46, Star Ball: 08, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

04-06-11-31, Bonus: 09

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

01-16-18-31-37

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Griz outlast power outage, surge to big win – University of Montana Athletics

Published

1 day ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Griz outlast power outage, surge to big win – University of Montana Athletics

The power went out inside Dahlberg Arena on Wednesday evening, delaying the opening tip of the Montana men’s basketball game by nearly two hours. Once the electricity returned to campus, the Grizzly men lit things up inside Dahlberg Arena.

Montana reached the 100-point mark for the third time this season, winning 102-46 over the Salish Kootenai Bison. The Grizzlies improved to 6-5 on the season with the win.

As a team, Montana shot 70.5 from the floor and 44.0 percent from three-point range. It’s the first time since 1968 that Montana has shot over 70 percent from the floor in a game. It’s also the 5^th best shooting percentage by a D-I team this season.

Money Williams had a double-double, his third of the season, finishing with 10 points and 11 assists. It’s the second time in Williams’ career that he has finished with 10 assists in a single game.

He wasn’t the only Grizzly to reach double figures in the assist department. Tyler Isaak recorded his first career double-double with a new career high 10 assists to go along with 16 points. It’s the first time in program history that two different players have recorded 10 or more assists in the same game.

It was a highly efficient night for Isaak, who played just 24 minutes and went 6-of-7 from the floor.

It was a complete team effort for Montana with 10 of the 11 players dressed scoring in the contest. Connor Dick (15) and Amari Jedkins (13) both scored career highs in the victory.

The Missoula kid can get 🆙#GrizHoops | @ConnorDick9 pic.twitter.com/YOg1yczxKD

— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) December 11, 2025

The Grizzlies had seven players reach double figures, the most in a single game in program history. Te’Jon Sawyer (13), Brooklyn Hicks (13), and Tyler Thompson (11) joined the previously four mentioned players in double figures.

The assists played a big role in that with Montana sharing the ball plenty. They recorded 30 team assists on the night, the second most in a game in program history. The Grizzlies had a 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio on the night.

alley oop ☝️➡️👇 pic.twitter.com/xRz6XC0yyQ

— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) December 11, 2025

The Grizzlies held Salish Kootenai to just 27 percent shooting and a 6-of-30 (.200) mark from three-point range. Montana’s size played a huge factor on the night as the Grizzlies outrebounded the Bison 47-25 and outscored them 60-20 in the paint.

Montana scored 16 points off dunks as they broke out into the open court on several occasions for highlight reel slams. They also owned a 22-0 advantage in fastbreak points.

Montana jumped out to a 13-2 lead before the first media timeout and never looked back in win. They set the tone early from the three-point line, opening the game 4-of-7 from the arc to help build the early lead.

It was a balanced first half offensively and the Griz were able to go on five individual runs of at least six straight points with nine different players scoring in the opening 20 minutes. The Grizzlies went 8-of-17 from the arc and shot 65.5 percent from the field in the first half.

Williams’ 8^th assist of the opening half went to Amari Jedkins. The Grizzly forward knocked down a corner three to send Montana into the halftime break ahead 50-17.

8th assist of the first half from @mxney___ as he finds Amari Jedkins for the corner three to send us into the half 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UO9WGlnDeh

— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) December 11, 2025
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The Grizzlies didn’t let up in the second half, going on two separate 12-0 runs and winning the second period 52-29 for the big victory.

Montana will get a week off before returning home next Wednesday night to face Montana Tech at 7:00 p.m. The Orediggers are 8-3 on the season.

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