Montana Senate President Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, and Speaker of the House Mark Blasdel, R-Somers, worked and voted for the 2009 property tax reappraisal law. This policy established property tax mitigation policies for homes, small businesses, farmers and timberland owners. Reappraisal interlaced property tax policy to the real estate boom years of 2002 to 2008. Both […]

Imagine for a moment that the Montana Legislature is considering legislation that will place additional limits on the production or sale of locally grown meat, including the meat of wild animals. Backing this legislation is the Corporate Grocers Association, which serves the interests of corporate grocery chains across America. The proposed law also places strict […]

I hate the word “poverty.” Does anyone want to be “poor?” I didn’t. The term “poverty level” is used as a marker identifying individuals without sufficient income to sustain their lives. I had hardworking parents and married a man with a good income. But after 12 years as stay-at-home wife/mother, I became a single mom […]

I am writing in response to Mr. Lyle Olsen’s letter (Feb. 6 Beacon: “Assault Weapons a Menace to Society”). Mr. Olsen states that society does not need military pattern rifles (aka “assault weapons”), “…because our shotgun or handgun or pepper spray will stop a criminal in our home…” I agree, however, what will Mr. Olsen […]

In 1947, Montana officials enacted a quota system that allowed one tavern with a liquor license for every 1,500 people. I wish I could travel back in time and tell them what a dumb idea that was. Since their implementation, the state’s alcohol rules have been unfair. For one, established taverns were grandfathered in, so […]

By John Fuller Those of you readers who have managed to start reading this column after seeing the title must be commended. Sequestration on its surface may be a sure-fire cure for insomnia, but it is a looming nightmare for American national security. Unless Congress acts, March 1 will trigger cuts in government spending, many […]

At the U.S. Department of Agriculture we’ve made record efforts in the past four years to support homegrown energy. This year, we’re looking ahead to a promising future for biofuels. Biofuels have already contributed a great deal to our economy, to our energy security and to the bottom line on our farms and ranches. Today […]

Darn. Only three months after the last election, the political slime spigot has already been turned on again: Most of us saw the cheesy Super Bowl ad trying to pin the National Rifle Association, “independently” paid for by billionaire nanny Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal [For Peasants] Guns. I was going to discuss what […]

Does talk of hiring diversity make you cringe, or does it mean something positive? “Hiring diversity” often takes on highly-charged meanings due to personal experiences, historical events and/or substantial media attention. Fact is, diversity means many things, each of which can strengthen a company – just as the introduction of a foreign substance like reinforcing […]

Since Kalispell does not have a strong mayor system in place – that is, a full-time elected city administrator – whoever replaces Tammi Fisher is less consequential to the overall direction of city government. But it still matters. Whether fair, the title alone conjures high expectations. In reality, the next mayor will simply be the […]

A recent editorial made a plea that we must retain “same-day voting/registration,” as it appeals to the dignity of the voter. If the dignity of a voter hinges on their registering and voting on the last day, Election Day, it speaks volumes to me and should to you. I feel many voters didn’t give any […]

Dear Senator Baucus, While I commend you on your effort to help out our returning veterans (I am a veteran myself), I write to share my mixed feelings about adding additional rules and laws to the already existing laws. We have in existence the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), amended […]

At the top of our state capital building in Helena sits a beautiful copper dome. Nearly a century ago, that copper dome wasn’t just for decoration. It was a symbol of the copper barons and their ultimate power to decide who represented the people of Montana. While miners risked their lives working thousands of feet […]

Recently, a friend posted a simple exercise to help her clients see that no matter where they live, there are lots of people who need what they do even “in our terrible economy”. In summary, her suggestion was: “Next Friday or Saturday, go to the most expensive restaurant in town and get a table (if […]

The sordid details of legislative infighting made statewide newspaper headlines. That’s not new to Montana politics. The Montana Legislature often exhibits its ruthless political mannerisms. What was surprising in the leaked political emails was not the tone, nor the quest for raw political power, but rather a seemingly simple redistricting statement by Senate President Jeff […]