NSSF Profile Q & A: Republican Montana State Senator Steve Daines
Who introduced you to hunting/shooting sports and at what age? As a fifth-generation Montanan, hunting has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started off shooting gophers in Montana when I was eight years old, with a Winchester .22. Describe your most recent hunting/shooting sports activity? With whom? Killed a nice buck antelope in October with my 6.5 PRC with 143g Hornady ELDX. Then helped my wife kill a very nice muley with the same gun, a month later. Describe your favorite shooting sport/hunting activity. Rifle hunting for antelope, deer, and elk in
Montana breweries and distilleries get tax relief from Congressional spending package
HELENA — Now that President Donald Trump has signed a $2.3 trillion COVID-19 relief and government funding package, Montana breweries and distilleries will receive some much-needed tax relief. The Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act was incorporated into the year-end legislative package. It makes a reduced tax rate on small brewers and distillers permanent, after it was initially approved for two years, then extended for one more. U.S. Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines both co-sponsored the bill and supported adding it to the spending deal. If the CBMTRA had not been passed, excise taxes on small breweries would
Daines, Tester Bipartisan Bill Settling Century Long Montana Water Dispute Signed Into Law
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester today celebrated their bipartisan bill, the “Montana Water Rights Protection Act,” being signed into law by President Trump. The bill permanently settles the century long CSKT water dispute, supports Montana jobs, modernizes rural infrastructure and protects the water rights of all Montanans. “After years of a lot of effort, our bipartisan bill that settles the century long CSKT water dispute is now law,” Daines said. “This is a huge win for all Montanans. Our bill protects the water rights of all Montanans, saves taxpayer dollars, creates jobs, modernizes rural infrastructure, protects Montana
Gazette opinion: Daines deserves much credit for speedy delivery of vaccines
As the two approved COVID-19 vaccines roll out, their incredibly quick of development and production give us great hope the 2021 will bring the state, the country and the world some relief. It can’t come soon enough. One in one thousand Americans — at a minimum — have died of the virus in the past nine months, including more than 900 Montanans. Even as we navigate the bitter politics and division that led up to, and followed, last month’s election, one utterly apolitical thing must be pointed out: Montana’s newly re-elected senator, Steve Daines, has helped save lives, and is
Omnibus includes historic water rights settlement
A Montana tribe is having a “once in a lifetime moment” after a water compact with the federal government passed Monday night, tucked inside the massive spending and pandemic aid package. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana (CSKT) compact, amounting to $1.9 billion, is the largest tribal water rights settlement in history by total federal cost. The year-end package also advanced other tribal water rights settlements, including for the Pueblos of Nambé, Pojoaque, Tesuque and San Ildefonso; the Navajo Nation; and the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas. CSKT Chair Shelly Fyant said in a press release, “This is one
Tonix Pharmaceuticals buys 44 acres in Hamilton, plans vaccine production facility
HAMILTON — Saying that humans will have to coexist with variations of COVID-19, a pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey plans to open a new production facility in Hamilton for the development of domestic vaccines, including those aimed at coronavirus. The company, Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. (TNXP), closed on 44 acres of land off Old Corvallis Road in Hamilton, where it plans to break ground on the new facility in late 2021. The deal was brokered by Sterling Commercial Real Estate in Missoula and announced late Tuesday night. The news became public on Wednesday morning. “As we saw with this
Pharmaceutical company plans to build vaccine facility in Hamilton
Hamilton will be the site of a new vaccine production facility. Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Company announced Wednesday that it had purchased about 44 acres of land that was once part of the original Bitter Root Stock Farm from Ilona Bessenyey and her husband, Peter Van Tuyn. The property is located on the eastern edge of Hamilton. The site is intended to become the home of a vaccine production facility and is expected to create a number of professional and support jobs. The site is large enough to accommodate expansion over time. While construction of the facility is dependent on planning
New law promotes veteran recovery programs
A bill championed by U.S. Senator Steve Daines which will promote outdoor veteran recovery programs and expands outdoor recreational opportunities for veterans on public lands was recently signed into law. According to a press release from Daines’ off, the bipartisan “Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act” will help create treatment and therapy opportunities for veterans on public lands and outdoor spaces. “The outdoors is critical to our Montana way of life and can help Montana veterans who are recovering from trauma and injuries they experienced in combat,” Daines said. “That’s why I’m glad my bipartisan bill promoting recovery and treatment programs
Daines, Tester push FCC to prioritize Telehealth funding for Montana
HELENA – Sen. Steve Daines and Sen. Jon Tester signed a bipartisan letter Wednesday to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prioritize COVID-19 Telehealth Program funding in Montana and other rural states. According to an email from Sen. Daines’ office, Montana was one of three states that did not receive financial assistance for the program amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The following is the letter signed by Sen. Daines and Sen. Tester: