Is Your Montana Property Tax Rebate in Jeopardy?

Governor Gianforte is asking the Montana Supreme Court for an expedited ruling on the recent lawsuit, which is challenging whether the property tax reforms approved by the Legislature last year are constitutional.

A lower court ruling found that Senate Bill 542 violated the Montana Constitution's "single subject" and "original purpose" provisions. Those are designed to keep lawmakers from building multilayered laws.

But Gianforte says the lower court's ruling could invalidate the tax rates for 2025, and roll back some $95-million in rebates being claimed by Montana taxpayers. Gianforte maintains the reform bill was proper, but says it's important to have the issue ironed out now, before lawmakers start drafting further reform bills next year.

READ MORE: Is Property Tax Reform a Win for Homeowners

You'll Want to Buy This Historic Montana Property

Just weeks after closing down because of money problems, the historic Izaak Walton Inn is on the market and available for a new owner.

The inn on the southern border of Glacier National Park closed last month after the directors of Washington-based LOGE Camps opted to file for bankruptcy after running into financial problems reportedly caused by a management issue over financing properties.

Now, the Inn is being listed by Landmark Real Estate for 18-million dollars. That includes the historic lodge, originally built in 1934, 90 acres, and all the cabins and other amenities.

      LOGE also shuttered some of its other locations, including in Missoula, with only three destinations still listed for booking.

End of Irish Learning at UM?

It's a sad St. Patrick's Day in Missoula, where students and other supporters of the Irish Studies program are trying to head off a move by the University of Montana to eliminate the program.

In January, instructors and their students learned the program was on the chopping block, with administrators citing declining enrollment.

But program director Traolach O' Riordain argues the classes are still popular, it's just that not enough students have been aware a minor is available.

"What will happen here is that the Irish language program will be cancelled. That is the main issue because once the Irish language program is cancelled, that means that the 3rd highest enrolled language program in campus is going to be cancelled, but it's more than that. The reason we have the Irish language program, and we have an Irish studies program that has that element, goes back to the history of the state. -Traolach O' Riordain, UM Irish Studies Director 

O'Riordain says the program has had ongoing support from the Irish government, and its elimination will lead to a more "generic" program, stripped of the Gaelic culture elements tied to the early history of Butte, and Montana.

"There won't be a minor. won't be able to get a degree in Irish studies, but there'll be our studies courses offered. But the thing about it is the unique program that we had, which is only one of only 3 in the whole country that will be gone. You know, and that program focused on the Gaelic culture of the Irish who came out here."

"It was their language, it was their culture. It was something they were committed to. And this passed down through the generations."

     Students and program supporters are appealing the decision.

Weather leads to traffic deaths

Montana Highway Patrol is now reporting it was a 79-year-old Laurel man who was killed when his Honda Pilot crashed on I-94 near Hysham last week. Troopers say the victim was driving in that severe dust storm and hadn't noticed a slow-moving truck driven by a Thompson Falls man, slamming into the back of the semi.

Also, troopers identified the victim of another crash near Butte last week as a 35-year-old California man. Investigators say the driver lost control of his vehicle, and it ran into the median on I-90, slamming into a bridge structure.

Montana ranks high in teen vaping

A new report is confirming fears that vaping among Montana teens is reaching higher levels than in many states.

The global study from "Compare the Market" found that Montana ranks 3rd highest out of all 50-states, with over 25% of high school students reported to have used electronic vaping products within the past month.

Overall, the study finds the U.S. ranking 53rd out of 55 countries for "vaping reduction", 8-point-3 percent among adults, because of "weak national regulations and no federal vaping tax." Traditional smoking has dropped to 11% of adults.

      The Montana Department of Health and Human Services reported similar results in 2023, also noting 45% of teens had tried vaping.