Montana

The governor and the legislature raised your home's taxes at the fastest rate in history • Daily Montanan

Published

2 years ago

September 7, 2024

The governor and the legislature raised your home's taxes at the fastest rate in history • Daily Montanan

During the last 36 years, the Montana Department of Revenue has helped the governors prepare a balanced budget before the Legislature arrives. Montana’s Govs. Marc Racicot, Judy Martz, Brian Schweitzer and Steve Bullock knew that the Montana Constitution requires a balanced budget. The budget cannot spend more money than comes in from taxes and other sources.

In each of those years, the governor was given the most recent property appraisals to help calculate the property taxes that would be collected to balance the budget. In almost all of those years, the value of properties (including houses) had increased — sometimes by a little, sometimes by a lot.

Governors — Republican and Democrat — were formerly advised by Revenue Department experts that unless the property tax rate was adjusted downward by the Governor and Legislature, property taxes (residential taxes are 60 percent of the total) would increase. For 36 years, those governors listened to the recommendation and they adjusted — cut — the rate so homeowners would NOT get tax increases.

I know about these things, because as your governor for eight years, I did not raise one tax or fee on anything… property, income, booze,… nothing!

Gov. Greg Gianforte was advised by his Revenue Department in November 2022 that the rate for the coming two years would have to be cut from 1.35% to 0.94% to ensure that homeowners would not see huge tax increases. He chose, and the Legislature agreed, not to adjust the rate, and homeowners have had their taxes increase at the fastest rate in history. This new taxation increased revenue collected by the Montana state budget by more than $500 million during two years. Taxes increased for most homes in Montana.

Montana has never had more elected Republicans than we do today. Republicans control all the branches of government. These tax increases were placed on your shoulders without the help or consent of any Democrat. The Montana Republican Party is now the party of higher taxes and more government spending.

Housing costs will continue to increase across Montana because of the tax hike. Rents will increase for renters because property owners will pass the tax increases along to tenants.

Because of COVID concerns about a downturn in the economy, the Trump and Biden administrations poured money into all 50 state budgets. When Gianforte prepared the state budget, he had the largest budget surplus — $2.6 billion — in history. All 50 states also had historic surpluses.

So who got the money?

No funding increases for education or healthcare. No help for working families, state employees or main street businesses.

Montana’s largest two property tax payers are NorthWestern Energy and BNSF Railroad . They each got millions of dollars in tax cuts. Northwestern sent the loot to corporate headquarters in South Dakota and then raised your electric rates. BNSF sent the stash to Fort Worth, Texas, and increased freight rates to ship Montana’s wheat crop to Portland. Refineries, pipelines, transmission lines and mines all got big tax breaks and did not invest more in Montana or hire more Montana workers. They just sent your money to their shareholders.

The governor and Republican legislators first claimed that they did not raise taxes, then falsely claimed that counties raised your property taxes. County Commissioners (most are Republicans) were disgusted by that accusation and unsuccessfully sued the governor to try to cut your taxes, reminding the Helena crowd that state law only allows counties to increase spending by half the annual inflation rate (around 2%).

The embarrassed governor finally convened a “property tax task force.” The task force consisted of the governor’s staff, pals, legislators and lobbyists He even appointed some out of state “experts.” They prepared a 30-page document with all kinds of ideas, but still did not recommend the simple solution of cutting the tax rate from 1.35% to 0.94%. So, your home’s taxes are still increasing.

The 30-page document (smoke and mirrors) was prepared by the same governor’s staff, legislators and lobbyists that concocted and voted for your tax increases during the 2023 legislative session. Thirty pages of recommendations yet not a single vote was cast.

I guess they all agreed before they sat down that your taxes should go up and that out-of-state corporations get to keep your money.

Brian Schweitzer is a third generation Montana farmer, husband, father, grandfather and served as Montana’s Governor from 2005 to 2013.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for July 8, 2026

Published

39 minutes ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at July 8, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from July 8 drawing

12-29-37-43-55, Powerball: 18, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from July 8 drawing

17-26-31-32-37, Star Ball: 01, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from July 8 drawing

03-13-16-17, Bonus: 10

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from July 8 drawing

06-27-33-44-69, Powerball: 23

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from July 8 drawing

08-16-17-22-27

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 8 drawing

16-18-43-48-50, Bonus: 01

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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Montana

Montana signs onto data center energy cost protection pledge

Published

11 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Montana signs onto data center energy cost protection pledge

HELENA, Mont — Gov. Greg Gianforte is backing a new effort to keep data centers from driving up Montanans’ power bills.

This week, Gianforte announced Montana is signing on to the Ratepayer Protection Pledge — an initiative endorsed by President Trump.

Several major technology companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and XAI first signed the pledge back in March.

The pledge comes as data center development continues to grow — raising questions about how much new energy will be needed and who will pay for it.

NBC Montana spoke with Julia Haggerty, professor of geography and department head of earth sciences at Montana State University, about whether Montana’s power grid is ready for that growth.

“Not without resolution of significant transmission bottlenecks and massive amounts of new generation. So, while our grid is adequately, relatively adequately equipped to serve the needs of our current load base, it’s definitely not equipped to accommodate the new demands without a lot of expansion,” she said.

According to the pledge, data center developers will pay for new power generation, and infrastructure needed to support their operations.

“It does align with ongoing regulatory efforts to ensure that the cost of new generation associated with data centers is borne by the developers of those data centers and not customers,” Haggerty said.

The governor’s office says Gianforte’s support of the pledge is designed to encourage responsible data center investments while protecting Montana ratepayers from long-term costs.

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