
Help me by informing me
what you expect!
Recent interview with KXLO on April 24th to give an update on the 2025 Montana Legislative Session
Finally! Today we had a hearing on SB 542 regarding property tax relief.
This Thursday, opening the session in the judiciary committee, I introduced HR 5. It calls for the week of April 14th, 2025 to be “Two Lights for Tomorrow Week”. The significance of this week is the 250th anniversary of events that lead up to the American Revolution. It recognizes the actions of Paul Revere & the battles at Lexington and Concord. April 18th, government buildings, community centers, and other public spaces are encouraged to display two lights in symbolic commemoration.
HB 337 advanced with all Republican senators in support and all Senate Democrats opposed.HELENA, Mont.— The Senate advanced legislation today to provide significant income tax relief to Montanans, which has been a top priority of constituents and Senate Republican leaders alike this session.
House Bill 337, sponsored by Speaker Brandon Ler, R-Savage, includes a variety of measures to ease the burden on Montana taxpayers. The bill raises the income threshold for the higher income tax rate, meaning more Montanans will pay the lower 4.7% rate, and reduces the higher rate from 5.9% to 5.65%.
“Montanans work hard for their money, and HB 337 ensures they keep more of it – now and in the future,” Ler said. “HB 337 delivers real, meaningful income tax relief for working families across our state.”
In addition to the tax rate adjustments, HB 337 also raises the earned income tax credit from 10% to 20%.
The bill is the result of months of discussion on tax relief and reform at the legislature, serving as one aspect of a broader effort to reduce the income and property tax burdens on Montana residents.
“We have been working hard this session to find ways put money back into the pockets of Montana taxpayers. HB 337 does exactly that by lowering income tax for hundreds of thousands of Montanans,” Senate Tax Committee Chair Greg Hertz, R-Polson, and Vice Chair Becky Beard, R-Elliston, said.
The Senate removed amendments to HB 337 in order to pass the same version as previously approved by the House of Representatives, ensuring the bill quickly reaches Governor Greg Gianforte to be signed into law.
Representative Klakken
House District 37
Long-term property tax reform that will reduce future tax increases is headed to Governor Greg Gianforte’s desk after Senate Bill 117 cleared its final vote in the legislature yesterday.
Sponsored by Sen. Daniel Zolnikov, R-Billings, SB 117 ensures that property taxes collected on new development are used to offset taxes paid by existing homeowners and businesses.
“Montana is growing, especially in our larger cities where property taxes are the highest, and those new developments bring in a lot of new property tax revenue” Zolnikov said. “SB 117 addresses runaway property tax increases by making sure money from all that new development is used to reduce property taxes for existing homeowners.”
SB 117 passed both chambers of the legislature with overwhelming Republican support. It was based on Zolnikov’s SB 511 that narrowly failed in the 2023 legislative session.
“We’ve got plenty more work to do on property taxes before we wrap up the session, but SB 117 is an important structural reform that will help contain property tax increases heading into the future and we got it across the finish line,” Zolnikov said. “This a long-term solution to a long-term problem of endless government growth.”
Representative Klakken
House District 37
Recent interview with KXLO on April 17th to give an update on the 2025 Montana Legislative Session
Whoa! Fireworks in the Judiciary Committee today!
And more fireworks on the House floor! Discussion of SB90 was voted down… again.
Montana voters want solutions for property taxes. SB90 addresses them.
All the "Yes/Green" votes want to discuss the merits of SB90.
But this Blast motion failed, again!
The "No" votes don't even want to discuss it.
Bowtie Friday! Long day today reviewing bills, immediately followed by 3rd reading. Our budget has grown even larger. Even with inflation adjusted dollars, it's still an increase from the last budget! Not a lot of discussion about a good solution for property taxes. Also, judicial races will now include information in the voter packet.
Recent interview with KXLO on April 10th to give an update on the 2025 Montana Legislative Session
Recent interview with KXLO on April 3rd to give an update on the 2025 Montana Legislative Session
What are you going to do? That was my repeated question to my fellow legislators as I had the privilege of making opening and closing statements for House Joint Resolution 5(HJ 5).
From the text of the bill: A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA APPLYING FOR A CONVENTION OF THE STATES UNDER ARTICLE V OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.
See the entire text of the bill here: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1603?open_tab=bill
Update on HB 2, the budget bill, SB 286 and 19 words discussed for 30 interminable minutes and crafting laws folks can understand. Also SB 42 that requires judicial races to be partisan.
The future of the United States of America rests upon the quality of education our children receive. We need to teach the future leaders of our country to love this country by going
back to the basics often.
“Every member of the State ought diligently to read and study the constitution of his country, and teach the rising generation to b
The future of the United States of America rests upon the quality of education our children receive. We need to teach the future leaders of our country to love this country by going
back to the basics often.
“Every member of the State ought diligently to read and study the constitution of his country, and teach the rising generation to be free. By knowing their rights, they will sooner perceive when they are violated, and be the better prepared to defend and assert them.”
-John Jay
First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Parents must be at the forefront of their child’s education, and it’s important that we have more choice in our education system so parents and kids can find the best solution that fits their unique individual learning needs.
We also need to get politics out of the classroom and end the woke social agenda infecting our schools. Let’s teach kids how to think – not what to think. Let’s focus on the fundamentals of reading, writing, and arithmetic. And above all, we need to limit the Department of Education’s footprint in our classrooms.
Click on the following ling to see the "Purpose of Education Index":
I will sponsor, co-sponsor, or support a bill in the Montana Legislature only if it meets what I have come to know as the LIFT Principles. I want to have a good culture and a good society; therefore, I will judge individual pieces of legislation utilizing these four principles:
1. Limited government
In our particular form of constitutional
I will sponsor, co-sponsor, or support a bill in the Montana Legislature only if it meets what I have come to know as the LIFT Principles. I want to have a good culture and a good society; therefore, I will judge individual pieces of legislation utilizing these four principles:
1. Limited government
In our particular form of constitutional republic “We The People” authorized certain powers in Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution and we defined the jurisdiction in which we limit the government.
“In questions of powers, let no more be heard of confidence in men, but bind him down from mischief with the chains of the constitution.”
Thomas Jefferson, 2nd President of the United States
2. Individual liberties
The job of government is to protect rights, not give rights. The first ten amendments to the constitution, the Bill of Rights, do just that, protect your rights. The post-911 Patriot Act remains one of the most flagrant violators of your rights that has ever passed congress and signed in to law, all due to fear.
3. Free enterprise
Free enterprise is where profit is rewarded, skill is rewarded, and labor is rewarded. Ethical free enterprise produces great results.
4. Timeless truths
There are certain principles and truths, moral absolutes that do not change. Going against timeless truths damage the culture, just as we see today. Without morality you cannot have liberty. You get that morality from religion.
Additionally, as active citizens, we must reign in our federal government in the following three ways:
Impose fiscal restraints
Limit its power and jurisdiction
Impose term limits on its high ranking officials
As a citizen, you need to know how to measure the promises of your representative, how to measure the proposed policies, and how to measure your representative so you know if they’re being a good steward of your responsibility as a citizen, a good steward of your vote, and a good steward of your influence in the culture.
In 2022 the State of Montana over-collected taxes from property tax payers and income tax payers. The $4 billion over-collection should have been refunded to those who paid, but only $1.2 billion was returned to the tax payer. What happened to the retained $2.8 billion?
Fergus county experienced a 51% increase in property values and prope
In 2022 the State of Montana over-collected taxes from property tax payers and income tax payers. The $4 billion over-collection should have been refunded to those who paid, but only $1.2 billion was returned to the tax payer. What happened to the retained $2.8 billion?
Fergus county experienced a 51% increase in property values and property owners are paying a commensurate increase in property tax all in one year. Is that fair? Does that make sense?
The Central Montana agriculture community now sees big money come in the buy up large tracts of land at prices local farmers and ranchers cannot afford to compete with. Then these big money purchasers are taking these large tracts of trophy land out of agricultural production, but continue to pay agriculture taxes. Central Montana communities lose out on all the financial activity that productive land owners would pay. We need to find a way to reclassify those acres into a tax bracket that makes up for that loss in local revenue.
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