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Residents urge Commissioners to pursue PILT payment, tribal ID voting changes and land-transfer statute updates
Summary
At the July 7 meeting residents Frank Smith and Natalie O'Neal asked the board to consider state legislative changes: a PILT-like payment to counties for land transferred into trust, allowing tribal ID cards as proof of citizenship for voter registration, and statutory authority for counties to transfer tax-deeded land to tribal governments.
During new business on July 7 residents Frank Smith and Natalie O'Neal presented three proposals for the commissioners to consider or forward to state legislators. The proposals were introduced by Commissioner Gordon Oelkers as topics for legislation. The items were: (1) create a PILT-style payment from the federal government to counties to compensate for tax revenue lost when land transfers from fee to trust status; (2) modify a voting bill to allow tribal ID cards to serve as proof of citizenship for voter registration; and (3) update Montana statutes so counties may transfer tax-deeded land to tribal governments, not only to municipal governments such as cities.
The minutes record the proposals but do not show specific motions or formal referrals to a legislative body; the presentation was framed as topics for the board's consideration. Commissioners did not record a formal vote on legislative advocacy at the meeting.
