Flathead Valley Politics: Kalispell, Montana News

BOZEMAN – One-time federal stimulus money is going to leave a big hole in education budgets when it expires, according to state university presidents who said tuition hikes may be needed to make up the difference.

University of Montana President George Dennison and outgoing Montana State University President Geoff Gamble sketched out preliminary plans for how the schools will deal with the loss of $17.6 million in one-time federal stimulus money for the 2010 and 2011 budgets.

Energy. It is the lifeblood of the American economy. For this reason, it is no surprise that energy policy discussions receive a great deal of attention. Done wrong, energy policy can significantly harm the economy. That is a real concern as the U.S. Congress and individual states debate legislation that aims to address climate change and potentially overhaul our country's energy system.

Montana is blessed with abundant natural resources that help fuel the economy. As a provider of North American energy sources, Montana contributes to our nation's energy security. Increasing our energy security should be a central goal of any energy policy. However, policy proposals being considered in Congress and by the Western Climate Initiative (of which Montana is a member) would put our energy security and our economic prosperity at risk.

BOISE – Hunters will have three more months to hunt wolves in Idaho.

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission voted Thursday to stretch the season to March 31, 2010 in the Panhandle, Palouse-Hells Canyon, Selway, Middle Fork, Salmon, Southern, and South Idaho zones. Hunting in those zones had been set to expire Dec. 31.

BILLINGS – A judge says the government must keep Yellowstone-area grizzly bears on the list of threatened and endangered species, denying an attempt by federal officials to reverse an earlier court ruling.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service two years ago said grizzlies in and around Yellowstone National Park had recovered from near-extermination and no longer needed protections under the Endangered Species Act.

In late summer and early fall, many Montanans were unpleasantly surprised to receive notices telling them their property values had skyrocketed. The reappraisals, due every six years from the state Department of Revenue, meant their property taxes would take a big leap forward, too. In areas like Gallatin and Flathead counties, where the 2002-2008 period saw a dramatic real estate boom – followed by a bust – some property values increased 300 percent or more.

But there was hope for people feeling the pain. First, property owners could seek relief by appealing their appraisals, either by asking for informal reviews from the Department of Revenue (DOR) or by appealing directly to their County Tax Appeal Board. Second, local governments could decrease their mill levies, the formulas that actually determine how much property tax residents pay.

HELENA – Some groups are criticizing a proposal from the state Revenue Department that would lighten penalties for businesses that sell alcohol to minors if they require worker training.

Currently, bars, casinos and stores that illegally sell alcoholic beverages to minors can be fined between $250 and $1,500 and face losing their liquor license.

WASHINGTON – After months of maneuvering, the Senate stands at the brink of a historic battle over health care with President Barack Obama and his allies on one side and Republicans, outnumbered but unflinching, on the other.

"Now it's America's turn, and this will not be a short debate," Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, warned after Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled long-awaited legislation Wednesday night to extend coverage to 30 million more Americans and force insurance companies to take all comers.

BOZEMAN – The state's Human Rights Bureau says it has found "reasonable cause" to believe that a Bozeman housing ordinance is discriminatory.

The ordinance prohibits more than four unrelated people from living together unless they meet certain criteria. Bozeman's assistant planning director Chris Saunders says the rule has been in effect for more than 30 years and is meant to limit the "intensity of use" at a property. He says that too many occupants can cause conflicts with neighbors.