New coalition forms to push for business

Making good on a campaign promise, new Flathead County Commissioner Pam Holmquist on Friday announced the creation of a local coalition that will watchdog the state Legislature and work to improve the county’s business climate.

The Flathead County Coalition will be a loose-knit group of business leaders, elected officials and local legislators who will work to draft business-friendly legislation.

Coalition members will lobby both in person at the State Capitol and through correspondence, Holmquist said.

“So far the response has been great,” she said.

Holmquist has drafted a list of priorities she sees as being most important to the business community right now. The list likely will be adjusted as the coalition meets and discusses its goals. A time and date for the first organizational meeting is pending.

Among the coalition’s priorities will be supporting measures to eliminate the business equipment tax and reduce state worker’s compensation premiums to make Montana competitive with other states. The group also would support measures to ensure the state’s capital gains tax rates are competitive with other states.

Other priorities outlined in a draft prepared by Holmquist are making state and local land-use regulations less complicated and more user- and business-friendly and supporting the productive use of local natural resources, ensuring environmental regulations are scientifically founded and not politically based.

In the jobs arena, the coalition would assist local businesses that want to locate in Flathead County.

“Most importantly, we will work together to make Flathead County an example of responsive government leadership,” she said.

Among those who have expressed interest in belonging to the coalition are Kalispell Mayor Tammi Fisher, Kalispell City Council member Jeff Zauner, Columbia Falls Mayor Don Barnhart, Whitefish City Council members Turner Askew and Phil Mitchell, state Sen. Bruce Tutvedt, R-Kalispell; state Rep. Mark Blasdel, R-Somers; BJ Lupton of Snappy Sport Senter and Kalispell insurance agent TJ Wendt.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com