HELENA — Montana lawmakers are weighing proposals that would both study and support local food. One bill would fund a study on farmers' markets and another would offer a tax cut for grocers who stock Montana products. Both efforts have encountered little to no resistance.
Watch McKenna Dickey's report:
Rep. Jane Weber, D-Great Falls, is carrying House Bill 440, known as the “Montana Food First Bill,” which would create tax cuts for companies that stock food that is made or raised in Montana.
”Montana-produced food is tough to find on our grocery store shelves. It's time to change that,” Weber said. “And more importantly, our Montana ranchers and farmers deserve the opportunity to get exposure on our local grocery shelves.”
Under the bill, 50% of a grocer’s net income from Montana-produced products would be exempt from state taxes. Products sold for on-site consumption would not qualify for the exemption.
Advocates range from farmers' advocacy organizations to grocers and independent producers, who said the bill could help local producers compete with large distributors that often offer discounts or other incentives for shelf space.
There were no opponents of HB 440 at the House Taxation Committee’s Tuesday hearing.
In the Senate, Sen. Butch Gillespie, R-Ethridge, is proposing a study of laws governing Montana farmers’ markets.
Proponent Kali Wicks, a lobbyist with Grow Montana, said the study would help identify where legal cleanup is needed following 2021’s Local Food Choice Act, which exempted products like raw milk and products made in home kitchens from the usual food sale regulations.
Wicks said she has spoken with Republican Sen. Greg Hertz of Polson, who sponsored the 2021 Act.
”He actually said, ‘Oh, yeah, that section of code is a mess. Go ahead,’” Wicks said in a Monday hearing on Gillespie’s bill.
Other advocates of the bill said the study will help guide future legislation and identify ways to both maintain and expand access to fresh produce and Montana-produced products across the state. The Senate bill also had no opponents.
Clayton Murphy is a reporter with the UM Legislative News Service, a partnership of the University of Montana School of Journalism, the Montana Broadcasters Association, the Montana Newspaper Association, and the Greater Montana Foundation. Murphy can be reached at clayton.murphy@umconnect.umt.edu.
