NBC Montana: Busse/Graybill Talk Policy, Offer Contrast to Gianforte’s Property Tax Hike and Housing Crisis
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
CONTACT
gaby@montanademocrats.org
Helena, MT – Democratic candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Ryan Busse and Raph Graybill, stopped by NBC Montana this morning to outline their policy plans for fixing Governor Greg Gianforte’s record property tax hike and his housing crisis.
In the interview, both Busse and Graybill pointed out Gianforte has spent more time creating government red tape, jet-setting across the country, and taking premature victory laps for “solving the state’s housing crisis” than implementing real solutions to provide immediate relief for working Montanans.
KEY MOMENTS:
Ryan Busse said Montanans across the political spectrum are concerned about the high costs of living associated with Gianforte’s record-high property taxes, as well as his administration’s threats to public education, personal freedoms, and women’s reproductive rights.
Busse pointed out these issues affect everyone regardless of political affiliation and have motivated voters to vote across party lines.
Busse: “People are upset, rightfully upset because Gianforte and this Republican Legislature made the conscious decision to jack up property taxes on everybody.”
Raph Graybill explained how Gianforte and the Republican Legislature’s property tax hike contributes to the housing crisis in Montana and offered three policy solutions to address the problem.
Graybill said lowering property taxes with a bill in the Legislature, providing low-income housing tax credits to people in need and not developers, and making sure the Department of Labor is focused on building a strong union workforce to build more housing in Montana were important starting points.
Graybill: “This property tax issue would make housing more affordable tomorrow. They chose not to do it. They put it in their budget, and decided to raise our taxes.”
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