In a state that is faring much better than most in this recession, Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer called for reduced business taxes, incentives for the film industry and pay raises for teachers, in his Jan. 28 state of the state address.
“Montana’s state budget is in better shape than almost every other state, but we have much work ahead of us,” Schweitzer told the state’s politically divided Legislature.
Schweitzer also called on the lawmakersto adopt a law that would enable clean coal production in the state. By allowing clean coal producers to strip carbon dioxide from coal and “sequester” it by pumping it into the ground, Montana would become a leader in the nation’s search for energy independence, he said.
Under his proposed tax cut, 13,300 small businesses would no longer pay an equipment tax, a move that would eliminate $25 million in taxes over the next 10 years.
To bring back the movie industry — which 30-years ago counted the Big Sky state among its most popular locations — Schweitzer proposed a package of business incentives. “When the film industry comes to Montana they bring trucks full of equipment and trucks full of money that they leave behind when they are done,” the governor said.
To raise teachers’ pay, Schweitzer said the energy-rich state would adopt a tax system similar to Wyoming’s, where oil and gas production taxes go to pay higher teachers’ salaries.
To read the full text, click here.
Powered by