Senate committee advances multiple board confirmations; aeronautics nominees field questions on grants and airport fees

The Montana Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee on Tuesday held consecutive confirmation hearings for nominees to several state advisory and licensing boards and voted to advance each resolution.

Nominees to the Board of Horse Racing, presented by the governor’s office and the Department of Commerce, won committee approval after proponents described the board’s structure and aims. Hannah Slusser of the governor’s office said the board is statutorily required to be submitted to the Senate president within 10 days after the session convenes and that the panel includes seven members, two required to represent the horse‑racing industry and five district representatives. Mandy Rambo, deputy and acting director at the Department of Commerce, told senators the board currently operates two race meets in Great Falls and Miles City and that the department hopes to expand racing to generate non‑general‑fund revenue; she said the board seeks to reduce reliance on recent general‑fund allocations that began in 2023.

The committee also confirmed nominees to the Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists. Sarah Swanson, commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry, told the panel the board licenses about 14,986 Montanans and that it processed 40 complaints last year. Swanson and committee members discussed expanding apprenticeship as a pathway to licensure and whether Montana should join a multi‑jurisdictional cosmetology compact; Swanson said the compact currently lacks minimum training standards that Montana would want in place before joining.

A lengthy aeronautics hearing followed. Remote proponent Grayson Sperry and other pilots and airport officials described the board’s loan and grant role and recent successes. Tim Conway, aeronautics administrator at the Department of Transportation, said the board received roughly 45 grant applications this cycle and planned about 25–35 awards for projects ranging from lighting and runway overlays to security fencing. Conway noted a state fuel‑fee change expanded the grant fund, allowing the department to match more federal dollars. Conway also provided details about West Yellowstone Airport projects, saying a new terminal will be ready for commercial service May 6 with a grand opening planned June 4.

Airport users flagged two recurring concerns: the growth of fixed‑base operators and variable fees charged to small pilots, and the use of ADS‑B tracking data by private companies to bill pilots. Tim Robertson of the Montana Pilots Association said consolidation of fixed‑base operations has led to new landing and convenience fees that can disproportionately affect small, private pilots. Agency staff said practices vary by airport and that most small aircraft are not routinely charged landing fees.

At the hearing on the Board of Funeral Services, commissioners and proponents described board duties and consumer protections; Layla (Liella) Kelly, an end‑of‑life doula, explained her role supporting families and clarified she contracts with families and does not arrange funerals.

After public testimony and questioning, the committee moved and approved the confirmations — SR 30 (horse racing nominees), SR 99 (an additional horse‑racing appointee), SR 13 (barbers and cosmetologists), SR 87 (aeronautics) and SR 89 (funeral services) — by voice vote, with proxies recorded for absent members.

The committee scheduled its next meeting for Tuesday at 9 a.m. and adjourned after designating carriers for several house bills.