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Committee tables 'taxation with representation' bill after legal, practical objections
Summary
Representative Terry Falk's HB 799 would let property owners in a jurisdiction vote on local levies; opponents warned it conflicts with statutory and constitutional voter definitions and risks giving corporations or out-of-state owners undue influence. The committee tabled the bill 16–5.
Representative Terry Falk introduced HB 799, characterizing it as a fix for what he called "taxation without representation": the idea that property owners who pay a levy but do not live in the jurisdiction have no vote on that levy. Falk said the bill would allow up to two owners per property to vote, limit votes per property, and be limited to Montana residents; he acknowledged drafting gaps and said he expected to refine carve-outs (for nonprofits, commercial property and…
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