Montana
Op Ed: The Credit Card Competition Act Threatens Montana’s Tourism Industry
We call Montana “The Last Best Place” for good reason. Millions of visitors come to share in our state’s breathtaking landscapes and vibrant communities each year, supporting nearly 50,000 Montana jobs and bringing at least $5 billion to our state annually, according to a study by the University of Montana. This revenue fueled our post-pandemic recovery, providing a lifeline to our hotels, local restaurants, and countless small businesses.
I know how crucial these visitors are to our state’s economic health. Many tourists can afford trips to Big Sky Country thanks to credit card rewards points. About one-third of Americans have travel rewards credit cards, allowing them to subsidize flights and hotel stays with earned points.
Unfortunately, Congress is considering legislation that could jeopardize these rewards programs. That would have devastating ripple effects on Montana’s tourism sector and by extension, our whole economy. The Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) mimics a 2010 piece of legislation called the Durbin Amendment, named for its sponsor, Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois. This measure imposed routing mandates on debit cards, forcing banks to open debit transaction processing to less secure payment networks.
When banks and credit unions saw their interchange revenue drop because of the Durbin Amendment, they tried to make up for it by slashing services like no-fee debit cards and debit card rewards, and free checking accounts. The real winners of the Durbin Amendment were mega retailers, who were able to rake in an additional $106 billion, and counting. However, they did not lower costs for consumers, according to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Unfortunately, Congress is still considering doubling down on this policy mistake by expanding routing mandates to credit card transactions with the CCCA.
This isn’t speculation – we can look to other countries that have implemented similar policies. After Australia enacted this type of regulation on credit cards, rewards point values dropped by nearly 25 percent and no-fee credit cards all but disappeared.
If the CCCA passes, the nation’s largest retailers – Home Depot, Walmart, Amazon, and Costco – stand to gain over $1 billion, while consumers face the loss of no-fee credit cards and valuable travel rewards. Montana’s economy can’t afford these losses. We need policies that encourage visitors to explore our national parks and charming small towns, not make travel more difficult.
I urge our Congressional delegation to reject this handout to big box stores and stand up for Montana’s vital tourism sector. Our local businesses and hardworking families are counting on it.
Senator Mark Noland is the vice chairman of the Senate Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs committee. He represents Senate District 5 in the Flathead.
French Montana, Rick Ross & Max B Turn the BET Awards Into “
06/28/2026
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GREAT FALLS — For Staff Sgt. Brianna St. Lawrence-Brody, service does not only happen in uniform.
Outside the gates of the base, she works at Benefis as a nurse, Great Falls Public Schools as a school nurse, and comes home as a wife and mom of four. For the Montana Air National Guard, she serves as a command post controller with the 120th Airlift Wing in Great Falls.
(WATCH: Montana nurse and Guard member earns national Air Force recognition)
Montana nurse and Guard member earns national Air Force recognition
This year, St. Lawrence-Brody was named the U.S. Air National Guard’s Outstanding Airman of the Year in the Non-Commissioned Officer category.
She said the recognition came as a surprise, especially because her path into the Guard started later than others.
“I joined very late in life,” St. Lawrence-Brody said. “I joined the Guard right before I turned 40. So for me, every opportunity that’s presented, I want to take the bull by the horns and just run with it and do the best of my ability.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she joined the Guard after finishing nursing school. She said she went straight from nursing school into helping open a COVID unit, while also working at Benefis.
She said that experience was the start of one journey, but not the whole of what she wanted to accomplish.
St. Lawrence-Brody joined the Guard for the opportunities, the challenge and to help build a future for her four children.
“It’s a little bit of a competition for myself,” she said. “Like, if I can do it, why not try my best to achieve it?”
120th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
As a command post controller, she assists in helping move information during emergencies and major events.
“Outside, obviously, I’m a nurse. Inside the Guard, I have nothing to do with the medical field, which is kind of amazing,” St. Lawrence-Brody said. “It keeps me on my toes.”
She explained balancing the Guard, two civilian jobs and four children takes support from her family, her employers and her unit. She said Benefis and GFPS have been supportive of her military service.
Her nomination included her deployment experience, training work overseas and involvement across the wing. St. Lawrence-Brody said she deployed to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where she worked with an operations center supporting entities connected to Africa.
But, she says this recognition is not the finish line.
“This award, it’s not necessarily a landing pad for me,” St. Lawrence-Brody said. “I want to use it as a springboard.”
120th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
St. Lawrence-Brody hopes her story encourages others to keep taking on new opportunities, even when they feel uncertain.
“Get comfortable with being uncomfortable and be okay with doing things afraid,” she said. “I think when you get to be okay with doing things afraid, that’s where you’re going to find the growth.”
She has already won at the Air National Guard level, but she recently traveled to Washington, D.C., as part of the broader Air Force Outstanding Airman of the Year process, which includes nominees from the Guard, Reserve and major commands across the Air Force.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 27, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 27 drawing
03-16-28-30-59, Powerball: 11, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from June 27 drawing
03-08-18-22-39, Star Ball: 06, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from June 27 drawing
05-16-19-27, Bonus: 08
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from June 27 drawing
02-26-34-43-45, Powerball: 15
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from June 27 drawing
05-09-10-15-35
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 27 drawing
26-32-38-51-52, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life 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.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
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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