You Are Here

We’ve all been there- an airport maybe or a large arena. Some strange place with lots of people moving 100 miles an hour and you have no idea where you are or how you are going to get where you want to be. That’s when you stumble across one of those large maps with a little red X stating, “You are here.”  What a relief.

That’s what this legislative process feels like. There are a lot of moving parts that are hard to follow. After you reach out to support SB 355, which would start replenishing the tax base for Daniels County, it would be easy to then think, now what?

Fair question. So, here are the steps we’ve taken and what we face in the near future, as I understand it.

1.Develop idea and expand research (started February-March 2019)

2.Resolution proposal (Process started in February 2020)

3.Resolution review through all district meetings at the county commissioner level through MACo (Montana Association of Counties) (June through September 2020).

4.After resolution passes, prepare a draft bill. (Started in October, final bill draft done January 2021).

5.Senator “carries” the bill to the senate where it is introduced. It is read. (February 23, 2021)

6.Referred to Senate Finance and Claims.  (Testified February 26, 2021)

7.Passed Senate Finance and Claims February 27, 2021 by a vote of 14 to 3.

8.Referred to Senate Floor where it was read on March 1 and passed 32 to 17.

9.Second reading on the Senate floor was March 2 where it passed 31 to 18.

10.Bill was transferred to the house March 2, 2021.

11.(THIS IS WHERE WE ARE NOW). It will be heard by the Taxation committee on March 26 at 8:00 a.m.  If it passes this committee, it may be sent to the appropriations or another committee.

12.It will be heard by the next committee and if it is passed by this committee, it should be sent to the House floor where it will be read a second and a third time.

13.If it passes both readings, it is sent to the Governor.

14.WHEN the governor signs it, it becomes law.

15.Daniels County will receive a check every year.

This all actually started in 1958 with several attempts to correct this injustice. In our most recent attempt as outlined above, we have been working on this quite a while and made significant progress thanks, in large part, to the efforts of Senator Mike Lang and Deputy Executive Director of MACo, Jason Rittal.  But we still need your voice! This is a numbers game and the more messages submitted in support of this, the better chance SB 355 has. Pass this on to your family and friends no matter where they live on the globe. To send a message, you only need a phone or computer and a pulse! We want to show that 1000+ people want this 100-year old travesty corrected.

Will this be the last time we will need to call in or log on? Probably not. More than likely, this will be sent to another committee in the house and we will be reaching out for your support again.

When you call 444-4800, be clear about asking for SENATE BILL 355 (NOT House bill 355). The operator will ask for name and address, they will also ask if you want to leave a specific message, which is not necessary.  Just ask for support of SB 355. The website will also ask these same questions.  leg.mt.gov/web-messaging/

Feel free to leave a message on my cell phone or text me at 406-850-8981 if you have any questions. Mikel P. Lund is also available at 783-8076. This is a very important bill for Daniels County and we need your support!  Thank you Daniels County!

Some questions we have been asked:

Will this affect state land leases or our tax rate? Absolutely not. This bill has nothing to do with State lands other than Daniels County having so many acres of them.

Do you have to be a resident of Montana to leave a message?  Nope! You can live in France and reach out to the committees.

By Tammi Fladager, Peerless Rancher