Montana
Viewpoint: Proposed law creates new risks for Montana businesses
Bruce Gillespie
Spring is typically a season of optimism. Entrepreneurs are opening new businesses, family farms and ranches are calving and planning for the next season, and existing small business owners are reviewing their finances and planning for growth.
However, at precisely this moment, Congress is considering legislation that would make those plans harder and riskier for Montana’s small businesses and agricultural producers. The Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA), also known as the Durbin-Marshall bill, may be marketed as pro-competition, but its real-world consequences would fall squarely on local businesses, farmers, ranchers, and the community banks they rely on.
We have seen before what happens when Washington underestimates the importance of these institutions. After the 2010 Durbin Amendment regulated debit card interchange fees, small banks were forced to roll back services or merge with larger institutions. The result was a steady erosion of community banking, particularly in rural states like Montana where alternatives are limited.
The Credit Card Competition Act threatens to repeat that mistake on an even larger scale.
Montana’s economy depends on relationship banking. In rural towns and small cities alike, smaller, community banks are often the only institutions willing to take the time to understand a seasonal business, a start-up operation, or a multigenerational farm. These lenders don’t just process transactions — they provide the credit that allows businesses to hire workers, buy equipment, and survive lean months. By decreasing the revenue small banks receive from credit card transactions, the Credit Card Competition Act does the exact opposite of what its name implies—it consolidates financial resources with larger banks and forces smaller, more local, lenders to limit credit access and cut services.
Research indicates that legislation like the CCCA would cost community banks billions of dollars annually in lost revenue. For Montana banks, that lost revenue would translate directly into fewer small business loans, tighter credit standards, and less flexibility for agricultural producers who depend on operating loans to get through the year.
Community banks are not a niche player in small business finance — they are the backbone. Nationwide, they provide the majority of small business credit and the vast majority of farm loans. In Montana, where agriculture, tourism, construction, and energy drive local economies, weakening community banks means weakening the businesses that sustain our state as a whole.
Analysts have warned that the CCCA would also make unsecured credit harder to access as banks respond by tightening eligibility requirements. For a new Montana business owner trying to finance inventory or payroll in January, or for a rancher seeking seasonal credit, that tightening could have catastrophic consequences. This comes at a time when Montana businesses are already navigating higher input costs, workforce challenges, and economic uncertainty.
Supporters of the CCCA promise savings by claiming that credit card fees would decrease, but what they don’t mention is that small businesses in rural states like Montana will get left in the dust with less available credit, and fewer choices.
As a state legislator, I believe that decisions made in Washington should strengthen — not undermine — the small businesses and farms that form the backbone of Montana’s economy. As we begin a new year defined by planning, investment, and opportunity, Congress should learn from past mistakes and reject the Credit Card Competition Act.
Senator Gillespie represents Senate District 9 in the Montana State Legislature.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 4, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from July 4 drawing
17-38-46-50-69, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from July 4 drawing
09-17-22-35-37, Star Ball: 05, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from July 4 drawing
04-13-19-26, Bonus: 07
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from July 4 drawing
09-13-17-27-33
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.
- 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.
Emilie Sangimino started Kalispell Montana Hidden Gems with a simple mission: to help promote the local businesses and places she loved in the Flathead Valley.
Fast forward, and the social media accounts Sangimino started on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have a combined following of more than 113,000. Per analytics, the content she shares to highlight businesses in the area get upward of 1.5 million views per month. She’s expanded beyond her own base of Kalispell, highlighting businesses that are “hidden gems” in Billings, Missoula and Bozeman, with the help of local managers in each area. Hidden Gems has its own website as well, featuring businesses across several sectors like health & wellness; food & drink; places to stay; fun & adventure; shopping; professional services; and events.
And for the businesses she’s worked with, those views have converted to real-life people walking through the doors.
The formula Sangimino uses for promotion looks simple on its face. Most of her content consists of videos showing a beautiful location with white text over them.
“Did you know you can ride a rollercoaster down a mountain and mini golf all in one place in Lakeside, Montana?” a recent post highlighting Flathead Lake Alpine Coaster reads.
“Experience the Cabins at Blacktail for a day!” reads the caption on another.
When you click on a post, a video clip rolls, showcasing the business, property or event the post is meant to highlight. The reels also tag the businesses to direct visitors to their accounts.
“I wanted it to be more of storytelling about these incredible businesses, and I wanted to just really do my best to do the area justice that I felt like it deserved,” Sangimino said.
Julie Darrow, an owner of the Cabins at Blacktail, has worked with Sangimino and Kalispell Montana Hidden Gems for about two years.
Darrow’s business consists of six cabins on a 5-acre property in Lakeside. The property has a natural spring and creek that runs through it, and the cabins serve as hosts for short-term rentals or spaces to host weddings and retreats. Darrow said Sangimino posts reels of her business about once per month.
At first, Sangimino highlighted the full experience at the Cabins at Blacktail, but more recently, Darrow said she’s been helping the business highlight its weekday wellness and staycation options, which allow people to rent out a cabin for the day and create an experience with the plethora of options offered at the Cabins: yoga, massages, Pilates, a sauna and cold plunge.
Darrow said once Sangimino’s reels post, she often gets direct bookings and inquiries from customers.
“The key piece to this is that social media is awesome and incredible, and just because an account has a lot of followers, it does not mean that that’s producing business,” Darrow explained. “It doesn’t mean it’s converting. The incredible thing about what she’s doing is that we’re getting followers from her, but it’s also converting to engagement. We’re getting business.”
Denise Archer, who owns Scout & Gather Mercantile, a local business in Columbia Falls, has worked with Sangimino since fall of 2024, and seconded Darrow’s sentiments.
Archer’s business aims to host “a unique space that brings together shopping and experiences for both locals and visitors.” The mercantile has clothing, gifts and home décor; but the roadside destination also hosts events, has a spot to grab pizza or coffee, and has a mini golf course.
Archer explained when her family was first establishing the business, it was difficult to raise awareness, particularly outside of tourist seasons. She credited Sangimino and her work posting reels, stories, video content and working with the business on social media promotion with elevating the business’s visibility and helping attract people there, particularly during the off-season.
“We’ve seen noticeable growth in our social media following and engagement since working with her,” Archer wrote in an email. “Anecdotally, we’ve had many customers mention that they discovered us through Hidden Gems of Kalispell, which has been especially valuable.”
Sangimino said it’s common that consumers will use her account to plan their own trips to the Flathead — and elsewhere in the state.
For her, partnering and promoting local businesses serves as a meaningful effort.
“I can’t really emphasize how positive this business has been in my life personally,” Sangimino said. “It’s given me the opportunity, of course, to discover things that I wouldn’t have without this, but it’s also connected me with people and places in this area and just made me love it even more.”
She continued: “There is a zest to business and to experiences here that I didn’t even realize until I stepped foot into some of these places or connected with these incredible local business owners. And you know, I really look at it as a privilege to be given the opportunity to have a very small piece in the success of all the businesses here.”
And for the business owners, like Archer, being considered “hidden gems” has served as a boon for the businesses they run.
“Being considered a ‘Hidden Gem’ highlights the uniqueness of what we offer and helps position us as a must-visit destination for both locals and tourists looking for something special,” Archer said.
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The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 3, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 3 drawing
05-09-29-47-57, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from July 3 drawing
02-09-24-28, Bonus: 16
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 3 drawing
07-08-24-42-47, Bonus: 03
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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