Helena!
No doubt, the 2021 MT State Legislative Session is an important one, for the climate and more. Check out the links below to see how you advocate for a climate smart Montana, and how to stay informed and involved on this year's legislative proceedings.
Ways you can advocate...
- Write a letter to the editor - these are read by elected officials. You can write to the Missoula Current here, and the Missoulian here.
- Voice your support or opposition to a bill (more on that below).
- Maybe, attend an event or demonstration. For now, these are being held given COVID, but stay tuned!
What you need to know:
How to contact legislators & be an advocate:
Quick tip from our Clark Fork Coalition friends: Montana Free Press has compiled a great guide on how to be a part of the 2021 legislative session, including everything from how to contact your rep to how to track bills and stream hearings live. Find it HERE.
MT LEGISLATURE WEBSITE - It's easy to navigate - you can find bills, watch or listen to hearings, and connect with your legislator.
You can also search for your legislator based on your zip code on Open State's website.
HAVE YOUR SAY MONTANA - One of the key ways you can participate in the 2021 MT Legislative session virtually, with new remote capabilities. You can request to testify on a bill remotely and/or upload your testimony. Here is where you can LOOK UP BILL INFORMATION.
2 easy ways to make your voice heard:
1) Leave a voice message. Call the Capitol at (406) 444-4800 and request to leave messages for the committee members or an individual legislator. Leave a message Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (8 a.m. until adjournment on Saturdays).
2) Send an email. You can send an email to a committee or to an individual legislator via the online web messaging form.
Connect directly with our favorite partners:
These folks are paying attention every day, helping all of us stay up to date on the issues that matter to clean energy, climate and mores!
Montana Renewable Energy Association: Care about solar energy? Check out Andrew's recent blog post and sign up for MREA's email list. MREA plays a crucial role in keeping solar available and affordable.
Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC): They've been doing this for decades. Sign up for their e-alerts here.
MEIC's 2021 Legislature page and bill tracker are good to keep bookmarked. These help stay up to date on the issues that matter to clean energy! You can also sign up for their e-alerts. And here you can read a primer about the coming legislative session. The short; buckle up, as things might get ugly.
Directly from MEIC: The Montana State Legislature is allowing Montanans to testify remotely. However, registering to testify for these hearings is confusing. That’s why MEIC will host another training session to make sure that you are prepared to participate. During these training sessions MEIC will address: (1) what to anticipate during the session; (2) how to participate; and (3) some tips to make the most of your remote testimony. MEIC is hosting legislative Training sessions every Thursday at 5 pm through April to help you know what’s going on and better participate. If you would like to participate in the session, please click this link on Thursday at 5 pm. If you have any further questions, please email [email protected].
Other Groups to Follow:
Forward Montana
Northern Plains Resource Council
Montana Conservation Voters
Quick tip from our Clark Fork Coalition friends: Montana Free Press has compiled a great guide on how to be a part of the 2021 legislative session, including everything from how to contact your rep to how to track bills and stream hearings live. Find it HERE.
MT LEGISLATURE WEBSITE - It's easy to navigate - you can find bills, watch or listen to hearings, and connect with your legislator.
You can also search for your legislator based on your zip code on Open State's website.
HAVE YOUR SAY MONTANA - One of the key ways you can participate in the 2021 MT Legislative session virtually, with new remote capabilities. You can request to testify on a bill remotely and/or upload your testimony. Here is where you can LOOK UP BILL INFORMATION.
2 easy ways to make your voice heard:
1) Leave a voice message. Call the Capitol at (406) 444-4800 and request to leave messages for the committee members or an individual legislator. Leave a message Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (8 a.m. until adjournment on Saturdays).
2) Send an email. You can send an email to a committee or to an individual legislator via the online web messaging form.
Connect directly with our favorite partners:
These folks are paying attention every day, helping all of us stay up to date on the issues that matter to clean energy, climate and mores!
Montana Renewable Energy Association: Care about solar energy? Check out Andrew's recent blog post and sign up for MREA's email list. MREA plays a crucial role in keeping solar available and affordable.
Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC): They've been doing this for decades. Sign up for their e-alerts here.
MEIC's 2021 Legislature page and bill tracker are good to keep bookmarked. These help stay up to date on the issues that matter to clean energy! You can also sign up for their e-alerts. And here you can read a primer about the coming legislative session. The short; buckle up, as things might get ugly.
Directly from MEIC: The Montana State Legislature is allowing Montanans to testify remotely. However, registering to testify for these hearings is confusing. That’s why MEIC will host another training session to make sure that you are prepared to participate. During these training sessions MEIC will address: (1) what to anticipate during the session; (2) how to participate; and (3) some tips to make the most of your remote testimony. MEIC is hosting legislative Training sessions every Thursday at 5 pm through April to help you know what’s going on and better participate. If you would like to participate in the session, please click this link on Thursday at 5 pm. If you have any further questions, please email [email protected].
Other Groups to Follow:
Forward Montana
Northern Plains Resource Council
Montana Conservation Voters
Below is a helpful video from MEIC, walking step-by-step on how to use their legislative services and participate virtually in the 2021 legislative session.
Active Bills in the 2021 Legislative Session
With help from our friends at MREA & MEIC:
Bills that we are advocating for or against, and encourage you to make your voice heard on.
The House Energy Committee will hear two bills on Wednesday, Feb. 3rd. We oppose HB 245 and support HB 99. Call or write your legislator and committee members or, better yet, testify! You must register to testify by Tuesday, Feb. 2nd at noon here.
HB 245 (Rep. Larry Brewster, R-Billings) - OPPOSE. This is an anti-consumer bill that would make it easier for NorthWestern Energy to overcharge customers for expensive new gas plants. The bill increases the burden on the Public Service Commission (PSC) when it decides whether NWE can charge customers for electricity generating resources such as pricey new gas plants. The bill also shortens the timeframe for the PSC to make that decision. These fundamental shifts put consumers in the crosshairs of higher electricity rates in order to benefit NorthWestern’s shareholders.
SB 154 (Rep. Jason Small, R-Busby) - OPPOSE. This bill would allow for local governments to suspend the collection of delinquent taxes on gross coal proceeds. This bill allows for large corporations to shirk financial responsibility to the local communities that they operate in. It also will place local communities in a precarious and difficult position should the company declare bankruptcy. A hearing occurred for this bill has not yet been scheduled. You may submit written testimony directly to the senate Taxation committee members by going to MEIC’s website, or you can use legislative services to contact your representative asking them to add their support to this bill.
SB 147 (Sen Mary McNally, D-Billings) - SUPPORT. This bill will establish a commercial property assessed capital enhancements program (C-PACE) in Montana that will be administered by local governments. C-PACE is a financing tool that allows property owners to secure all of the upfront costs of financing for energy efficiency, water conservation, and renewable energy upgrades for commercial property. The property owners then repay the upfront costs over a period of twenty years. For many business owners, it is challenging to afford all of the upfront costs to upgrade their buildings. A C-PACE program makes these efforts much less challenging and ensures that the costs are paid back. In fact, this type of financing has been used for private property that serves a public purpose (i.e., water and sewer systems, sidewalks, and street lighting). A hearing occurred for this bill on Feb. 2. You may submit written testimony directly to the Energy and Telecommunications committee by going to MEIC’s website, or you may legislative services to contact your representative asking them to support this bill.
HB 99 (Rep Denise Hayman, D-Bozeman) - SUPPORT. This bill eliminates utility pre-approval. Unlike most utilities, NorthWestern can request the PSC to approve its purchase of a generating resource (such as it did with the hydroelectric system or gas plants) and pass all of the costs and risks on to customers instead of allowing the shareholders to bear the initial risk. This pre-approval process creates a disincentive for the utility to do its due diligence, instead shifting it to the PSC who has a short timeframe and insufficient resources.
SB 84 (Sen Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip) - OPPOSE. SB 84 would eliminate the Consumer Counsel oversight committee and replace it with legislators who serve on the Energy and Telecommunications Interim Committee. The Consumer Counsel oversight committee oversees the constitutionally created Consumer Counsel which represents consumers in all proceedings before the Montana Public Service Commission. The independence of the Counsel is critical to ensuring consumers’ interests are represented when utilities such as NorthWestern Energy want to raise electricity or gas bills or build expensive new power plants. This bill would increase the politicization of the oversight committee. You may also submit written testimony directly to the committee by going to MEIC’s website or legislative services.
SB 85 (Sen Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip) - OPPOSE. SB 85 would double or even quadruple the taxes on wind projects in Montana. This tax increase will make it less economically viable for wind developers to build projects here. The legislature should be making it easier for this renewable energy to flourish. On Thursday, January 14th, at 9 a.m. the Senate Taxation committee will hold a hearing and accept public testimony. Register to testify here, as this bill is still awaiting a committee vote. You may also submit written testimony directly to the committee by going to MEIC’s website or legislative services.
Bills that have been TABLED:
HB 17 (Rep. Hamilton) – SUPPORT (Tabled). This bill would have allowed the Alternative Energy System Tax Credit to be fully refundable. Right now, Montanans with small tax liability are not able to claim the full $500 ($1,000/household) making an up front investment in renewables more challenging. Making the credit refundable would have allowed Montanans to claim the full amount, increasing access to solar and wind systems and helping more Montanans lock in long-term, affordable energy costs while stimulating local economies. The bill passed the Revenue Interim Committee in 2020 but has now been tabled.
HB 150 (Rep. Mary Ann Dunwell, D-Helena) - SUPPORT (Tabled). HB 150 would have required large sources of greenhouse gases (i.e., coal-fired power plants and natural gas plants) to pay $10 per ton of GHG they emit and required the state to develop and implement a plan to reduce emissions below 2005 levels by 25% by 2035 and 50% by 2050. The revenue generated by HB 150 would have gone toward coal community transition, remediation of contaminated sites, economic development, infrastructure, tribal community assistance, and the state general fund.
HB 128 (Rep. Linda Reksten) - SUPPORT (Tabled). HB 128 would have established a renewable energy trust fund using money from existing taxes on renewable energy. The trust fund would have been used to help fund programs that are losing funding due to the decline in coal tax trust fund revenues.
SB 7 (Senator Jill Cohenour, D-East Helena) – SUPPORT (Tabled). An Act Revising Tax Credits for Energy Conservation would have encouraged the use of renewable energy and energy conservation through incentive programs. These programs provide tax credits for individuals who volunteer to participate in the program, and provides financial benefits for those that demonstrably promote energy conservation.
HB 17 (Rep. Hamilton) – SUPPORT (Tabled). This bill would have allowed the Alternative Energy System Tax Credit to be fully refundable. Right now, Montanans with small tax liability are not able to claim the full $500 ($1,000/household) making an up front investment in renewables more challenging. Making the credit refundable would have allowed Montanans to claim the full amount, increasing access to solar and wind systems and helping more Montanans lock in long-term, affordable energy costs while stimulating local economies. The bill passed the Revenue Interim Committee in 2020 but has now been tabled.
HB 150 (Rep. Mary Ann Dunwell, D-Helena) - SUPPORT (Tabled). HB 150 would have required large sources of greenhouse gases (i.e., coal-fired power plants and natural gas plants) to pay $10 per ton of GHG they emit and required the state to develop and implement a plan to reduce emissions below 2005 levels by 25% by 2035 and 50% by 2050. The revenue generated by HB 150 would have gone toward coal community transition, remediation of contaminated sites, economic development, infrastructure, tribal community assistance, and the state general fund.
HB 128 (Rep. Linda Reksten) - SUPPORT (Tabled). HB 128 would have established a renewable energy trust fund using money from existing taxes on renewable energy. The trust fund would have been used to help fund programs that are losing funding due to the decline in coal tax trust fund revenues.
SB 7 (Senator Jill Cohenour, D-East Helena) – SUPPORT (Tabled). An Act Revising Tax Credits for Energy Conservation would have encouraged the use of renewable energy and energy conservation through incentive programs. These programs provide tax credits for individuals who volunteer to participate in the program, and provides financial benefits for those that demonstrably promote energy conservation.
Photo credit: Tim Spangler
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Testifying for a healthy climate, when it was safe to do so!
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Solar Jobs Rally in Helena when it was safe to gather! |
