House GOP delivered results for Montana
The 2025 legislative session is over and it is time to look back at what was accomplished. For 85 days, Montana House Republicans worked hard to make Montana a better place to live, start a business and raise a family.
Property tax relief was our No. 1 priority. The property tax package passed by the Legislature provides significant relief to Montana resident property taxpayers. The current property tax rate on residential property is 1.35%. For the 2025 tax year, the property tax rate will drop to 0.76% on the first $400,000 of market value and 1.1% on the market value between $400,000 to $1.5 million. Montana residents will also be eligible for a $400 rebate.
For the 2026 tax year, the property tax rate on a primary residence will drop again: 0.76% for the first $360,000 of market value, 0.9% for the market value between $360,000 and $720,000, and 1.1% for the market value between $720,000 and $1.44 million. Because of these changes in the property tax rate, the average residential property tax payment should decrease by approximately 30%. The property tax rate on small business property and agricultural land will decrease slightly too.
House Republicans did more than cut property taxes. We cut personal income tax rates and the unemployment insurance tax rate too. Under current law, the personal income tax rate for a married individual is 5.9% on any income over $41,000. House Bill 337 cuts the income tax rate on the first $95,000 of income for a married individual to 4.7%. All income in excess of $95,000 will be taxed at 5.65%. For unemployment insurance tax, we added a lower tax rate, which will cut unemployment insurance tax collections from Montana businesses by approximately $25.8 million a year.
Besides tax reform, House Republicans worked to clarify the role of the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). In 2024, the Montana Supreme Court ruled the State of Montana must consider the effects of climate change on proposed state action under MEPA. House Republicans responded by passing five key bills. Senate Bill 221 establishes procedures for conducting environmental reviews for projects involving greenhouse gas emissions. Other legislation clarifies procedural processes under MEPA, remedies for MEPA litigation, and exclusions from MEPA review. We can protect our environment and ensure Montanans have good paying jobs too. Our package of bills ensures MEPA is a tool to evaluate environmental impacts, not a tool to stop all economic activity in the state of Montana.
Our work did not end there. We worked to reduce the price of insurance, to ensure Montanans have access to affordable housing, to protect Montanans from wildfire, and to improve education and public safety. We increased penalties for DUI offenders and provided funding for more space in our state prisons. We worked to improve access to health care by prohibiting unfair practices by health insurers in the preauthorization process and to prohibit biological men from playing women’s sports.
Montana is a special place. Our work should make Montana more affordable, safer, and stronger. Thank you for putting your faith and trust in us.
Rep. Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, is House Majority Leader.