Helena – Governor Steve Bullock unveiled his budget on Thursday that included about $100 in tax increases. Many of the tax increases where already voted down by the legislature in 2017. Mr. Bullock also included an increase in the tobacco tax which voters rejected at the ballot box just weeks ago.
In addition to raising the tobacco tax, the budget proposal include higher taxes on hotel rooms, rental cars and other items.
Mr. Bullock also included Medicaid Expansion in his latest budget even though Montana voters rejected a proposal to expand Medicaid 53-47 in November. Bullock told the Helena Independent Record that he didn’t mind overruling the voters saying, “I don’t look at it as mandate of saying tobacco shouldn’t pay for its fair share or that anybody wants to roll back the gains we have made in our state as a result of working together.”
Senate Majority Leader Fred Thomas told the Independent Record, “”The public just turned down Medicaid expansion and the tax that would have helped pay for it. To propose [that is] just snubbing the public immediately after two weeks ago they said no.”
By: Big Sky Headlines staff