Legislative Notes
Who pays the increases?
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Since the 2025 session convened, the Montana Freedom Caucus and other conservatives have been planning to expose HB231 and SB542, which are supposed to take effect in 2026. The Montana Chamber of Commerce knew it would impact property tax shifts to businesses, and that’s why they lobbied so hard against it. Legislators were adamant to pass something, despite the ramifications. Now we see some calculations of the estimated impacts.
Phillips 66 Company had an increase for the tax year 2025 of $11,301,544, with an estimate for 2026 at $14,429,22, an increase of 21.6%.
CHS Inc. had an increase for tax year 2025 of $10,024,563, with 2026 estimated at $12,107,432, an increase of 17.2%.
Exxon Mobil Corp. had an increase for the tax year 2025 of $3,314,234, with 2026 estimated at $4,097,311, an increase of 19%.
Stillwater Mining Company had an increase of $2,253,737 in 2025, with 2026 estimated at $2,394,172, a 6% increase.
There are 37 top industrial properties in Montana that saw increases in their 2025 and 2026 property tax forecasts.
Northwest Energy had an increase of $16,000,000 on top of what they already pay, $168,000,000. Who pays these increases? In case you are still “in the dark, Llew,” I will tell you it’s the Northwest Energy customers who received the generous $400 tax refund on their homes. How long will that generous $400 last for those customers?
The reason the taxes were shifted from homeowners to industrial properties (every homeowner in Montana had a cut in their property taxes, plus they got up to $400 in a refund from the state) was that there are more homeowners who vote than there are industrial property voters. They are trying to buy a win in the primary elections!
They continue to double down, saying that it is not a shift. Because we are calling them out, we are now “lurking in the dark,” as Llew Jones says. And he is now shooting out the window to scare us away, but it’s not working. We will continue to expose him. Look at what he is doing to the people of Montana who have a second home!
