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Hi-Line Darts & Laurels

Laurel — Montana’s congressional delegation has said it favors a federal shield law that would protect reporters from having to reveal their confidential sources, That is encouraging, given the shameful tactics of the U.S. Department of Justice. Montana lawmakers don’t have too far to go to get a good, clean shield law that protects journalists. Montana's law is one of the best in the nation. The feds should model their bill after what we do in the Treasure State.

Dart — There are some well justified fears that some people will be targeting federal and state historic preservation tax credits in the effort to save money. That’s a bad idea. A study showed that in Montana, $12 million in federal and state tax credits resulted in $59 million in construction, This makes good economic sense and it helps maintain buildings that reflect Montana’s rich architectural heritage. Some Havre businesses have used these credits. We’d like to see more take advantage of them. We need more preservation in the area.

Laurel — NorthWestern Energy is working in the direction of a vertical integration of its natural gas business. It wants to own its own production facilities as well as transmission lines. To that end, it has purchased Devon Energy’s assets in the Bear Paws. It is modeling its business after Montana Power Co., which had such a system for decades before deregulation. Montana Power Co. served the state, its shareholders and its customers well for decades, It is a good business model to follow.

Laurel — Havre will host Montana Range Days starting June 24. The program will bring lot of people to Havre. It is a valuable program that teaches young people agricultural lessons in a fun way.

 

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