Homeowners have until Oct. 1 to apply for property tax rebates
Edward O'Brien
Montana homeowners have two more weeks to apply for property tax rebates. The rebate tops out at $400.
The state Revenue Department says it’s received nearly 200,000 applications since the process opened on August 15. Qualified taxpayers have until October 1st to claim their rebate.
State lawmakers last session implemented a higher property tax burden on second homes, short-term rentals and large businesses. That’s supposed to bring taxes down for primary residences and small businesses. The rebates were passed to help offset any potential increases.
Report details health impacts from climate change
Ellis Juhlin
The Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health’s latest report focuses on how climate change is impacting our health. It includes data and firsthand stories from health care providers.
Pediatrician Lori Byron has spent the majority of her career on the Crow Reservation. She is featured in the report. In recent years, she has watched her community’s water supply fluctuate with the increase of regional droughts.
"People largely have their own wells for their water source when they're living in such a rural area. And over the last few years we've actually had a significant portion, maybe about a quarter of the drinking water wells have gone dry," Byron says.
Drought is becoming more frequent, and lasting longer as part of human-caused climate change. Byron sees the impact first hand.
"Homes that don't have running water in them, that are having to haul water, actually have significantly worse health outcomes, including respiratory and GI disease," she says.
Byron hopes the information will be used by policymakers to address the problem and mitigate these harms.
Governor aims to increase Montana energy production
Victoria Traxler
Gov. Greg Gianforte is creating a task force to focus on boosting energy development in Montana.
Gianforte says Montana has a role in President Donald Trump’s goal to unleash “American-made” energy. Montana contains about 30 percent of the nation’s coal reserves. It also is among states with the largest shares of electricity generated from renewable sources.
Gianforte says the goal of the task force is to develop short and long term strategies to increase “affordable and reliable” energy options. That includes both fossil fuels and renewable sources.
Last year, Gianforte hosted a roundtable with industry leaders to learn how state policy could help them generate more power. Now, some of those leaders could sit on the task force if appointed by the governor alongside other experts, legislators and stakeholders.
Director of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality Sonja Nowakowski will chair the group.
