In The News

Late last week, as communities across the country kick off the holiday season, members of Congress worked hard to modernize the tax code for the first time in over three decades. House and Senate Republicans understand the dilemma: The tax code keeps our small businesses, including America’s 733,000 independently-owned franchise establishments, from reaching their full potential. From coast to coast – and even right here in Big Sky Country – franchises are being suffocated by the burdensome tax code and tied up in red tape. Despite the challenges they face, America’s small businesses help our neighborhoods flourish, which is why

HELENA — U.S. Sen. Steve Daines is now supporting the $1.4 trillion tax bill because it contains additional tax cuts he says will help small businesses. The Montana Republican said Monday that he opposed the tax bill as it was then written, complaining that it favored large corporations over small businesses. On Friday he said the current version of the bill provides “significant tax relief” for “Main Street businesses”, which he says are responsible for nearly 70 percent of the jobs in the state. The majority of owners of U.S. businesses, both large and small, report their profits on their individual

GOP Sen. Steve Daines of Montana said he backs the Republican tax bill after securing a bigger tax break for pass-through businesses. “After weeks of fighting for Main Street businesses including Montana’s farmers and ranchers, I’ve decided to support the Senate tax cut bill which provides significant tax relief for Main Street businesses,” Mr. Daines said in a statement Friday morning. Mr. Daines was one of a group of GOP senators who had yet to firmly commit to the tax bill, although he had voted in support of it on procedural votes. He had joined with Sen. Ron Johnson (R.,

Senate Republicans are seriously considering several last-minute changes to their tax legislation in an effort to mollify wavering members, four people familiar with the discussions said, as GOP leaders seek to keep their members from defecting ahead of crucial votes this week. The lawmakers attracting the most concern from leadership and the White House are Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who say the current version of the bill favors corporations over other businesses. There are numerous members demanding changes, and their desires don’t all overlap. Together, the requests put Republican leaders in a difficult position, as they

America’s national parks have fallen into neglect and disrepair after decades of underfunding of their upkeep and operations. The National Park Service estimates that the 417 National Parks need $11.3 billion in deferred maintenance. That backlog is evident in Yellowstone National Park where popular trails remain closed for years for lack of money to rebuild, where roads wear out much faster than they are repaved, where a recent 40 percent increase in visitors brought virtually no increase in restrooms, parking, road capacity or visitor centers. The Trump administration proposed a federal budget that would slash NPS funding, including cutting 1,200

As CEO of the nation’s top organization for the conservation of the North American wild turkey and our hunting heritage, Thanksgiving holds a special place in my heart. It’s a time when our nation turns its attention to family, traditions and gratitude — all centered around breaking bread at the dinner table. Our legislators return to their home states and districts, and our president and the White House typically celebrate with a quiet meal and the pardoning of a lucky turkey. Thanksgiving has been a foundational holiday in our nation since the very beginning. President George Washington issued a proclamation

The National Park Service has extended the time the public can comment on proposed peak-season entrance fee increases at 17 popular national parks, including Glacier and Yellowstone. The deadline, originally scheduled for Nov. 23, has been extended to Dec. 22. More than 65,000 comments have already been received on the proposal, the agency said. If the new rates were enacted, a seven-day pass for a single motor vehicle in Glacier Park would increase from $30 to $70. For a motorcycle, the fee would go from $25 to $50. For someone on a bicycle or on foot, the entrance fee would

United Airlines will offer direct seasonal flights from Glacier Park International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport starting June 7, Glacier Airport Director Rob Ratkowski announced Tuesday. The Flathead Valley is one of four new markets chosen by United Airlines for direct service to LAX. The flight will depart daily from Glacier Park International at 12:55 p.m. with an estimated arrival time of 2:52 p.m. into LAX. The flight originating from Los Angeles will leave daily at 8:28 a.m., landing at Glacier Park International at 12:25 p.m. “This direct service provides significant advantages, both to those who live in the

Members of Montana’s largest agriculture organization met this week in Billings to hear updates and set policies on issues impacting Montana farmers and ranchers.  “We are such a small percentage of the farm bill that we know we have to play nice with others” Cyndi Johnson, vice president of the Montana Farm Bureau Federation from Conrad, said. The farm bill is essentially agriculture’s play book for five years and work is already underway to ensure Montana farmers and ranchers are well-represented in the 2018 bill. “The farm bill is currently being discussed at the national level and even our local members have