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House panel hears 'Montana Food First' bill to give retailers tax incentive to stock local food
Summary
Representative Jane Weber told the House Taxation Committee that House Bill 440 would allow retailers to subtract 50% of net income from sales of Montana-produced foods and require reporting of vendor identification; producers and food-policy groups supported the bill as a way to increase shelf access for local farms and food businesses.
Representative Jane Weber introduced House Bill 440, the 'Montana Food First' plan, to the House Taxation Committee as a voluntary tax incentive aimed at helping Montana farmers and ranchers place their products on grocery shelves. Weber told the committee the bill would let a grocer subtract 50% of the net income attributable to sales of Montana-produced food items at point of sale and would require grocers to report that a vendor had identified a product as Montana produced. "Montanans deserve to have locally produced foods accessible to them," Weber said in her opening remarks.
Proponents gave in-person and remote testimony describing persistent market barriers for small producers. Jasmine Krotkov of the Montana Farmers Union…
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