A group that has repeatedly sought to advance ballot initiatives that would cap property tax growth on Montana homes said Wednesday that it is taking another run at the idea, proposing a constitutional amendment that could appear on the 2026 ballot if it survives likely legal challenges and qualifies via a signature drive.

Bozeman attorney Matt Monfortion, the director of Cap Montana Property Taxes, said in an interview Wednesday that he doesn’t believe property tax proposals circulating in advance of the 2025 Legislature will do enough to provide Montana homeowners with long-term protection.

“Property taxes are continuing to skyrocket and that will always be the case because Montana homeowners are not protected from inflation,” Monforton said.

The initiative would require the state to value homes for tax purposes annually, as opposed to the current two-year cycle, and limit the annual growth in assessed value for primary residences that don’t change ownership to 2% a year. When a home is sold, its assessment would generally reset to market value. 

Under current law, residential properties are assessed by the state department of revenue for tax purposes at the department’s best estimate for their market value. As market values spiked amid the state’s housing crunch in recent years, that translated into higher tax valuations and higher tax bills for most homeowners.

The series of tax cap initiatives advanced by Monforton’s group, similar to California’s landmark Prop 13, have broadly sought to shield homeowners from rising taxes. Opponents, including the Montana Federation of Public Employees and the Montana Association of Realtors, have worried the measures would upend the tax system that funds K-12 education, law enforcement and most other local government services. They’ve also worried that having a tax benefit created by long-term residence would discourage homeowners from upgrading to new homes.

The proposal follows 2022’s Constitutional Amendment 121, which failed to clear a ballot collection threshold after it faced litigation and a $300,000 opposition campaign. Another push last year by Monforton’s group died in the courts after Attorney General Austin Knudsen and the Montana Supreme Court declared that the 2024 iteration of the proposal included too many provisions to comply with the state’s single-subject rule.

Monforton said that the new iteration of his group’s initiative has been revised to account for last year’s court ruling, focusing only on capping tax valuations rather than both valuations and tax rates. He’s optimistic that the new proposal will withstand inevitable legal scrutiny.

“We anticipate a blizzard of lawsuits from the state and special interests who will try to prevent homeowners from getting real relief,” he said. “And we’re confident we’ll prevail in the courts.”

This story originally appeared in the Montana Free Press, which can be found online at montanafreepress.org.

Saturday’s closer-than-expected Mountain West Conference matchup between Boise State and Nevada drew plenty of viewership on Fox. 

Nielsen estimates that 1.53 million viewers tuned in to watch the Broncos pull out a 28-21 victory over the Wolf Pack at Albertsons Stadium. It was the ninth-most-watched game of the day overall and Fox’s top Saturday game. 

Among Fox’s primetime and late-night Saturday games this season, only a Week 4 matchup between Baylor and Colorado had more viewers than the Boise State/Nevada game. 

The Broncos (8-1, 5-0), ranked 13th in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, overcame multiple mistakes in all phases to remain in the hunt for a CFP berth and first-round bye. Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty was once again the star for Boise State, running for 209 yards and three touchdowns. 

“I really do believe in years past, we probably don’t find a way to win that game,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said during Monday’s press conference. “That’s a testament to our players for staying in the fight. There was no frustration with our guys. They stayed together, they stayed in the fight, and they found a way to win.”

The SEC showdown between rivals Alabama and LSU was the most-watched game of Week 11 with 7.9 million viewers on ABC. Georgia vs. Mississippi (7.08 million) and Florida vs. Texas (3.7 million) — both on ABC — were next.

Miami’s stunning 28-23 loss to unranked Georgia Tech drew 3.46 million viewers on ESPN. Notre Dame’s trouncing of Florida State (2.19 million) on NBC ranked fifth, followed by BYU’s dramatic comeback victory over rival Utah (2.07) in the ESPN-televised Holy War.  

The top Big Ten game of Week 11 was a Friday night showdown between Iowa and UCLA that drew 1.89 million on Fox. 

Here are the viewership numbers for Fox’s six primetime Saturday games this season:

Sept. 21: Baylor vs. Colorado, 3.64 million

Nov. 11: Nevada vs. Boise State, 1.53 million

Oct. 12: Iowa State vs. West Virginia, 1.22 million

Oct. 5: Baylor vs. Iowa State, 1.20 million

Oct. 19: Kansas State vs. West Virginia, 1.14 million 

Sept. 14: UCF vs. TCU, 1.03 million

The Boise State/Nevada game also outdrew the three late-night games Fox has broadcast this season. 

Texas Tech and Arizona faced off on Oct. 5 with a total viewership of 943,000. On Sept. 28, a matchup between Big Ten foes Oregon and UCLA had a rating of 1.50 million. A Sept. 7 game between Texas Tech and Washington State drew 1.16 million viewers. 

MORE BOISE STATE NEWS & ANALYSIS

New Mexico police are working to determine if 20 human skulls could be tied to missing persons cases in the state.

Deputies with the Lea County Sheriff’s Office made the grim discovery on Saturday in Jan, a city of about 2,000 that borders Texas. A call from a concerned resident on November 5 led officials to the human remains. The caller said he had an “unsettling encounter” with a man he was giving a ride to.

The man, who was named by LCSO in a statement as Cecil Villanueva, disposed of what appeared to be human remains outside the vehicle and allegedly made alarming statements. Deputies later found human bone fragments near where the man was said to have disposed of the remains.

Deputies then went to a residence where the man was said to have been staying. There, police found additional pieces of bone that included pieces of a skull and jawbone.

The 10 to 20 human skulls were found during a second search of the property. The remains were transported to the Office of Medical Investigator in Albuquerque for analysis and potential identification, according to KRQE.

Officials are hoping the evidence will give them answers about the disappearance of Angela McManes, 43, who was last seen on May 14, 2019. Her last known residence was near the property under investigation, according to the outlet.

“Authorities are working diligently to determine the connection between the remains and McManes, as well as other possible victims,” added LCSO.

DNA analysis could confirm some of the remains belong to McManes and other possible victims. No formal charges have been filed in the case yet.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Lea County Sheriff’s Office at 575-396-3611 or Lea County Crimestoppers at 575-393-8005.