[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6624503,"mediaKeyId","2766214-d7e2f5326acf4fd0661eb9d72bb7dfd4","parentId",2766214,"title","Senate Tax holds work session on expanded (\"dynamic\") fiscal analysis for media tax credit ahead of hearing","audioSeconds",527,"startMs",527130,"endMs",-1,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2766214-d7e2f5326acf4fd0661eb9d72bb7dfd4&start=527&end=0","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2766214-d7e2f5326acf4fd0661eb9d72bb7dfd4/thumbnail_527130.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6624503/Montana/Senate-Tax-holds-work-session-on-expanded-dynamic-fiscal-analysis-for-media-tax-credit-ahead-of-hearing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624503-4365acf52ada1667e57526cef530d30a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773584762&Signature=T1T-KUp92rWytZZRS0SEQudXWMlXUqqX0tCAHIdZFhNJqE1lTqHZNd-iTAeBx2Ux885GJ2yJ30IAWKWTzhyTu1Koke8BF~xttTz80Rj5ZGIkwpyUVLwnoHrkSE3a3RDg1Mp-P-a5LNXiXhOE-ijDu6fQubK6iFJGeGC-wBEB16AEU5ka1BAFZxF0KNkj2WSWMJk3AvFxSbhI99Mi2~S~UfU0WnElNlNiNdtmJu4~RN0JJL-N9CnZ9ptlnmEDraWV7fVYoirvLWTiher4xZnpnW8vS0SvH-QLFKdOSs9OM4YoJrh0wHE672qa1ZO1lbf0q4aFAIPwDYrqO8Os6P-vDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana Legislature","date","2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","article","The Montana Senate Taxation Committee on the morning of its work session heard from Legislative Fiscal Division staff about what an \"expanded\" or dynamic fiscal analysis would look like for a proposed change to the state's media production tax credit.

Sam Schafer, a staff economist with the Legislative Fiscal Division, told committee members the bill under consideration tomorrow would raise the annual cap on transferable media tax credits from $12 million to $30 million and that, under current assumptions, \"the credits claimed will be an additional $18,000,000 a year.\" He emphasized that the standard fiscal note reports direct effects only and that an expanded analysis attempts to show spillover economic activity not captured in the fiscal note.

Why it matters: the state captures some tax revenue when production dollars are spent inside Montana (wages, purchases, lodging and other local purchases). An expanded analysis attempts to estimate how much of that activity \"trickles through\" the Montana economy and whether induced and indirect taxes offset part of the credit's fiscal cost.

Schafer walked the panel through the division's example scenarios. He summarized a two‑year production-spend report from the Montana Film Office showing about $334 million in production spend over two years (approximately $167 million annually) and noted roughly $184 million of that two-year total was reported as nonresident employee compensation. Under the division's examples, a $100 million qualified spend subject to a 25% credit would produce $25 million in credits while, at a baseline 5% effective revenue take of gross state product, direct taxes on that spend could be only $5 million before multipliers are applied. Using hypothetical multipliers (the presentation cited national and out‑of‑state studies), Schafer showed scenarios in which multipliers above 1.0 materially reduced the revenue shortfall between credits issued and taxes generated.

Committee members and staff discussed two practical constraints: time and scope. Schafer said leadership must request and approve any formal dynamic fiscal notes, and that committees sometimes choose only one or two expanded analyses per session because they are time consuming and can shift committee debate toward model assumptions. He also warned that multipliers and the share of spending retained in‑state (resident versus nonresident compensation) are the most sensitive assumptions in any expanded model.

The chair, Senator Jared Hertz, and several senators — including Senator Galt and Senator Fern — asked about previous work on the bill. Schafer said leadership authorized an expanded analysis when the bill was considered previously, which sped preparation this year because staff could update prior work rather than build a model from scratch.

The work session closed with staff and members agreeing the committee would hear the media credit bill the next morning and that an expanded, leadership‑approved analysis could be useful but must be tightly scoped.

Ending: The committee paused formal action and moved to the next agenda items; the work session served to give senators context on modeling choices and the limits of fiscal notes before the scheduled bill hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Taxation - Mar 25, 2025 08:00 - 13:00","oneSentenceSummary","The Montana Senate Taxation Committee on Wednesday heard from legislative fiscal staff about the scope, limits and assumptions of an expanded (\"dynamic\") fiscal analysis for a proposed increase to the state's film (media) tax credit.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MT, Montana","taxId",77694,"location","Montana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":46,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6624494,"Senate Tax hears bill to let retailers subtract half of net income from Montana‑made product sales to boost local producers",5504,5504350,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2766214-d7e2f5326acf4fd0661eb9d72bb7dfd4&start=5504&end=0","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2766214-d7e2f5326acf4fd0661eb9d72bb7dfd4/thumbnail_5504350.jpg","/articles/6624494/Montana/Senate-Tax-hears-bill-to-let-retailers-subtract-half-of-net-income-from-Montanamade-product-sales-to-boost-local-producers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624494-31124cb495bc54a4a1f80757f2e87342/orig.mp4?Expires=1773584762&Signature=byLLj~TQi4tT2tBzPLWVnJsDdseszMTYIWcidh9rcjdlAvBSFjzD-jBW7baUOzAmGAgyjw-0uLDC3v142rJfEdT9EF-aXBz-WWtQf6vPOFEHijIJzzBcrHYRkhezxp0QRZ2mOrdjliTXhDwyp7EhNqfXrrAYqAHN6AfHMWQHLDmQG40GQsMwVbv8vy3FFoM4GZ7SU6moMieILaiS3NTTj7I9yx8CJ-I8pFOAybXIDgQnWeRLcnp2AWdkAitZzOmhtXxdpc~JJnkMZrc-UbIh1ibGBsZjqJkg4NNDMuj2YSc5MaVoDfjCmIiaS7bDSlxNUdkz3iNi6wu595V4WT~Hrw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 371, introduced by Senator Cora Newman (R‑Senate District 30), would allow a retailer to subtract 50% of net income derived from retail sales of qualifying Montana‑produced goods sold to the final consumer. Newman said the aim is to level the playing field between local Montana producers and large national suppliers that secure prominent shelf space through distribution agreements and slotting incentives.

Why it matters: witnesses and the sponsor framed the measure as a supply‑chain and food‑security policy. Proponents argued local producers lose an outsized share of the consumer food dollar (testimony cited long‑term decline from 70% self‑sufficiency to a reported 3% today) and that improving retailer incentives to stock Montana goods could help local processors, farmers and value‑added manufacturers.

Proponents: Grow Montana, the Montana Farmers Union, Northern Plains Resource Council, Abundant Montana, local producers and a branded hemp manufacturer testified in support. Testimony included data points: Grow Montana and staff cited estimates that local food sales generate roughly $158 million annually in Montana and create jobs; a prior study the committee was given (Highland Economics, 2022) documented the long‑term decline in state food self‑reliance.

Fiscal note and drafting concerns: Department of Revenue staff raised modeling questions. The department's fiscal note used a set of assumptions that produced a materially larger estimated fiscal impact; the department applied a 25% ratio to estimate \"net income\" from gross sales, per agricultural census summaries used in the estimate. Sponsor and proponents disputed the department's base assumption and asked the committee to consider a narrower retail‑only drafting; sponsor said the bill is intended to apply only to retail sales to the final consumer. Department staff and the bill sponsor agreed adding explicit retail language and tightening the definition of qualifying sales would substantially reduce the fiscal estimate.

Legal review: committee legal staff flagged a potential commerce‑clause concern in a legal review note because the proposed subtraction could be viewed as conferring a direct commercial advantage to in‑state products. Committee counsel told senators such notes are not dispositive but indicate a potential constitutional challenge; counsel said narrowing the scope to an in‑state retail subtraction and limiting the program's size could reduce legal exposure but not eliminate it entirely.

Implementation details and next steps: staff recommended clarifying (1) the statutory definition of Montana‑produced goods, (2) the definition of net income used for the subtraction, and (3) that the subtraction applies only to retail sales to final consumers. Sponsor indicated willingness to work with staff on amendments to tighten language and reduce fiscal exposure. The committee did not take a vote; the bill remains under committee consideration.","Senator Cora Newman introduced Senate Bill 371 to allow retailers to subtract 50% of net income from retail sales of qualifying Montana‑produced products sold to final consumers, a voluntary incentive intended to increase shelf space for local goods.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":46,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6624499,"Senate hears bill to offer tax credit for gun safes; sponsor frames measure as a tool to reduce unintentional shootings and suicides",4199,4199470,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2766214-d7e2f5326acf4fd0661eb9d72bb7dfd4&start=4199&end=0","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2766214-d7e2f5326acf4fd0661eb9d72bb7dfd4/thumbnail_4199470.jpg","/articles/6624499/Montana/Senate-hears-bill-to-offer-tax-credit-for-gun-safes-sponsor-frames-measure-as-a-tool-to-reduce-unintentional-shootings-and-suicides","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624499-d038d94878ce8118defc09f26a2cd8c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1773584762&Signature=dbZcm-ZDPdbKV8sCycgfS3ZQIuHKbFPy4aqGO-CEnpYFusQaCQZlxAKLpTpqfiepsHJQ84m42z2x0lMH4a52ZzwXSBOR91M4aGcbXtOgnneRllOKotPS6apfT7CoVd3Op3GMdo4DT3sThM1TzkTiLn2ckVRZZ79koBI4usoMh5eu3jIzsJQO6w3N~YDCljmKvrMEQVyV8NJ9TJhHYortCWKTDfXv5MosaH3RbmLWGq8BX~lThuV2zrTL9ESZnaxCthpgNohMpC9o8R70ChAc8YZYk8mwqgGSodzAFCOgS5~ceYuZFX8GGHN4DzSX3EwY28K2DUxiDgwnFpcT7ikIFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 531, carried by Senator Andrea Olsen (D‑Missoula), would create a refundable individual credit to encourage purchase of qualifying gun safes and other secure storage devices. Olsen told the Senate Taxation Committee the proposal is meant as a practical tool to improve safe storage practices and reduce deaths and injuries that occur when people gain access to someone else’s firearm.

Olsen opened the hearing by citing what she described as a key statistic that motivated the bill: \"75% of all gun deaths are caused by someone getting a hold of somebody else's gun,\" and said the legislation \"is a tool to help people keep their guns safe.\" The bill establishes technical minimums for qualifying safes and proposes a $300 refundable credit to offset part of the purchase cost. The sponsor said the intent is to lower a financial barrier for households that cannot otherwise afford an adequate safe.

Proponents: Witnesses supporting the bill included representatives of Truth to Power, Montana Farmers Union (separate testimony), the Montana National Guard Association and the American Legion, who framed the proposal as a measure that could reduce veteran suicide and prevent tragic household incidents.

Opponents and concerns: The Montana Society of CPAs testified they \"reluctantly oppose\" the bill, not on the policy goal but on using the tax code as the delivery mechanism. Executive Director Allen Lloyd said the society is \"not opposed to the state supporting gun safety,\" but questioned whether the Department of Revenue would need extra staff and whether receipts and model numbers for many safes would require administrative review.

Implementation and fiscal questions: Department of Revenue staff (Brian Olson and Aaron McNay) said administration could be handled with receipts and model numbers; staff indicated the department may be able to manage initial claims within existing resources but could need additional resources if uptake is much higher than projected. McNay said the fiscal note uses an assumed 1% participation rate among eligible Montana households and that other states' experience varies: he cited Virginia reporting roughly $300,000 in claimed credits with about 1,100 taxpayers in the first reporting year; earlier reports from other states showed a range of first‑year cost outcomes.

Cost and design details: Sponsor and committee members discussed qualifying products and program design. Olsen and several senators noted many smaller trigger locks are already available free or at low cost in many communities; the bill focuses on safes and devices meeting the statutory specifications. Committee members asked whether the measure is a one‑time $300 credit or an annual $300 credit; the sponsor said the intent was to encourage purchase (one‑time), but the bill's drafted language and committee discussion indicated the statute could be read to allow $300 per year in some scenarios. Department staff noted the fiscal note phases in costs on the assumption of gradually increasing use as awareness grows.

Closing: Olsen said she is open to working with the committee on parameters and expressed willingness to modify shape and scope if needed. The committee did not vote on the bill in this hearing; the formal fiscal note and further testimony will be available at subsequent committee consideration.","Senator Andrea Olsen introduced Senate Bill 531 to the Senate Taxation Committee, proposing a refundable credit intended to offset part of the cost of purchasing qualifying gun safes and other secure storage devices.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate Tax holds work session on expanded ("dynamic") fiscal analysis for media tax credit ahead of hearing

Senate Tax hears bill to let retailers subtract half of net income from Montana‑made product sales to boost local producers

Senate hears bill to offer tax credit for gun safes; sponsor frames measure as a tool to reduce unintentional shootings and suicides