Articles written by Eric Dietrich
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Montana counties, governor spar over property tax that funds schools
Months of finger-pointing between state-level Republicans and local government leaders over who to blame for rising property taxes escalated last week as the lobbying organization that represents county governments sent a late-night press release... Full story
New census data helps define Montana's affordable housing crunch
Just how deep do Montana's widely discussed housing affordability woes run? Newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau sheds some statistical light on one facet of the challenge. Housing... Full story
What ballooning home values mean for one tenant and her landlord
Sara Feilzer was feeling the heat of Montana's boiling-hot housing prices last year. Her home, a quirky one-and-a-half-bedroom basement apartment she has rented in central Helena since 2018, was... Full story
What are Montana's busiest highways?
It's the time of year when it seems like everybody and their dog is hitting the road for summer trips, so we thought we'd take a look at which stretches of Montana highway rank as the busiest. As it...
Five ways to lower Montana's residential property taxes
Homeowners across Montana received a nasty shock in the mail last month, coming in the form of state property reappraisal notices that generally indicated the 2023 valuations used to calculate property taxes have spiked over the two-year reappraisal...
Department of Revenue Notices: Notices: Are your property taxes going up?
If you’re fortunate enough to own a home in Montana, keep an eye out in the coming weeks for a reappraisal notice from the state Department of Revenue that will tell you how much the property value used to calculate your tax bill has changed over t... Full story
Montana TikTok ban draws multiple court challenges
Less than a week after Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill that will ban Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok in Montana, the newly minted law has already drawn court challenges, one filed last...
How the 2023 Legislature tried to tackle Montana's housing crunch
by Eric Dietrich Montana Free Press This is news to no one: Montana is facing a historic housing crunch. Population growth, much of it driven by in-migration, has spurred demand for homes and apartments beyond available supply in many if not most of...
Gianforte signals he'll sign TikTok ban - but prefers changes first
Gov. Greg Gianforte is pushing for revisions to a proposed ban on the social media platform TikTok passed by the Legislature this month, suggesting the bill's backers amend its provisions to apply to...
Pro-housing zoning bills advance, but big funding remains in limbo
A slate of zoning bills intended to spur home construction by limiting how local governments can regulate housing development appears headed toward passage following votes on the floor of the Montana House in recent weeks. However, bills that would p... Full story
House joins Senate in endorsing Montana TikTok ban
The Montana House followed the lead of the state Senate Thursday to endorse a statewide ban on the social media platform TikTok. Senate Bill 419, sponsored by Rep. Shelly Vance, R-Belgrade, would bar... Full story
Gianforte signs $1 billion Republican tax rebate, tax-cut package into law
Flanked by dozens of Republican lawmakers on the steps of the state Capitol, Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a tax cut, rebate and spending package totalling more than $1 billion last week. The eight-bill... Full story
Montana's housing puzzle at the legislative halftime
There’s broad bipartisan agreement in the Montana Capitol that rising housing costs, driven by the state’s finite supply of homes and rapid in-migration from other states, rank among the most pressing issues facing Montana residents. According...
Montana Senate votes forward statewide TikTok ban
The Montana Senate voted Thursday to advance a statewide ban on Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok, calling the service a threat to privacy, national security and public safety. The text of Senate Bill 419, sponsored by Sen. Shelley Vance,... Full story
Bill would force Montana cities to allow smaller home lots
A bill heard Tuesday at the Montana Legislature aims to increase the number of modestly priced homes available to Montana residents by reining in the power of city and town governments to require that new homes be built on properties of a certain... Full story
How to spend a $2.5 billion surplus?
As lawmakers negotiate Montana's next state budget this winter, the Republican-controlled Capitol has a once-in-a-generation windfall to spend - the state's $2.5 billion surplus. Naturally, opinions o... Full story
Gianforte pushes trades education, additional construction as fixes for Montana housing crunch
Standing in front of a luxury apartment complex under construction in Bozeman Thursday, Gov. Greg Gianforte touted his efforts to address Montana's housing affordability crunch by promoting new residential development. Flanked by construction...
Housing Task Force presents recs to Governor
A task force charged with identifying solutions for Montana's housing crunch formally passed recommendations for legislative action to Gov. Greg Gianforte Wednesday, teeing up debates over state... Full story
Housing task force details regulatory reforms, other proposals aimed at affordability crunch
A draft report released last week by Gov. Greg Gianforte's housing task force details a slew of ideas to boost housing supply in an effort to tackle Montana's affordability crunch, previewing legislation that could be advanced by the governor and... Full story
Governor focuses housing task force on regulatory relief
As Gov. Greg Gianforte described the job facing his newly convened housing task force Wednesday, he made a point of asking the group's 26 members to think outside the box as they spend the next... Full story
Tax-cap measure CI-121 and other initiatives will miss the fall ballot
A proposed property tax cap and three other ballot initiatives supporters had hoped to put before Montana voters in November's general election are dead in the water after failing to meet... Full story
¾ of Montana's return-to-work bonus funds went unclaimed
Gov. Greg Gianforte's Return to Work bonus program, announced last year as he scaled back expanded pandemic unemployment benefits, ultimately paid about one-fourth as many bonuses as the state initial... Full story
Research study shows rising housing costs driven by Montana home shortage
The root cause of Montana's increasingly stifling housing market? Too few homes to go around, a researcher told a legislative committee studying the state's economic condition Monday. "There is by any metric an enormous housing shortage in this... Full story
How Montana got its new congressional map
HELENA - With a final vote Friday, Montana's Districting and Apportionment Commission made it official: The state has a new congressional map, political lines drawn to define how Montanans are... Full story
Fire season 2021: Early to start, late to finish, and smoky in the middle
The state's first major winter storm dropped snow on parts of southern Montana early this week, signaling the final act of an active fire season that had prompted Gov. Greg Gianforte to issue a...
