Resurrect bill to help with impact of coal revenue and lost jobs

Instead of tackling coal revenue and job loss, Montana Republicans tabled HB646, substituting an alternative 2023 “study” about dwindling coal use.

The “study” will be too late for coal-impacted communities like Sidney; its Lewis and Clark Power Plant just closed. MDU will employ shuttered plant workers. However, that doesn’t help those who serviced the plant, like Westmoreland’s Savage miners. HB646 would assist them.

When helping little ones, we don’t “study” what happened. We change the diaper. Likewise, change now will benefit Montana schools, conservation districts, and libraries.

For example, the Savage School District’s newsletter projects a $125,521 coal gross proceeds revenue loss, causing staff reductions or increases for 583 property taxpayers. Without HB646, renewable energy or natural gas developers will not replace lost coal revenue even though they benefit from coal’s demise and can afford the $0.0075/kWh for worker assistance and gross proceeds replacement.

HB646 needs bi-partisan co-sponsors who’ll resurrect HB646.

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Great Falls native Russ Doty served in the Montana House of Representatives and co-wrote HB646 with former Billings State Senator, Tom Towe, author of Montana’s coal tax and coal tax trust.