65th Legislative Assembly

IN SESSION

Also Inside: Legal Reform • TRIP Report • Strategic Plan Update

M I K EF R A N K

O F F E R S I N S I G H T

INTO FUTURE OF

H E A L T HC A R E

MANUFACTURING &

INTERNATIONAL T R A D E D A YSLATED FOR MARCH 1 INH E L E N A

C H A M B E R S T A R T S S E S S I O N

WITH

B U S I N E S S D A Y S

AT THE

C A P I T O L

eye on February 2017

2 Montana Chamber of Commerce Eye on Business

2016-2017Board of Directors

* Executive Committee

*Todd O’Hair, ChairCloud Peak Energy, Helena

*Aimee Grmoljez, Past ChairCrowley Fleck, Helena

*Webb Brown, President/CEOMontana Chamber of Commerce, Helena

*Greg Thayer, VP ProgramsMontana Milling, Great Falls

*Bill McGladdery, VP MembershipTown Pump, Butte

*Richard Miltenberger, VP Gov’t RelationsInterWest Health, Helena

*Kathy Boelter, Secretary/TreasurerArrow Solutions Group, Billings

Steve ArntzenCentury Gaming Technologies, Billings

Coco BallewConsumer Direct Care Network, Missoula

Ed BartlettAttorney at Law, Helena

Chad BauerRepublic Services, Missoula

Jackie ClarkAsh Grove Cement, Kansas

Hillary FolkvordSacajawea Inn, Three Forks

Mike FrankBlue Cross and Blue Shield of MT, Helena

Weston FrickeSimms Fishing, Bozeman

Kristen HeckLC Staffing, Kalispell

John HinesNorthWestern Energy, Helena

Wayne HirschUS Bank, Billings

Paul HopfaufMDU Resources, Glendive

Niles HushkaKLJ Engineering, Bozeman

Matt JonesBNSF Railway, Bozeman

Shauna KaneDelta Airlines, Park City, UT

Courtney KibblewhiteNorthern Broadcasting System, Billings

Terry KramerKramer Enterprises Inc., Kalispell

Kyle LingscheitPayneWest Insurance, Missoula

Todd LovshinPacificSource Health Plans, Helena

Kathy McLaneMid-Rivers Communications, Glendive

Sarah PartridgeFarm Equipment Sales, Glasgow

Candice PayneAlaska Airlines, Spokane

Connie PrewittBillings Clinic, Billings

Daryl SchliemBozeman Chamber of Commerce

Erik SlettenSletten Companies, Great Falls

Tom SpikaSpika Welding, Lewistown

Gary UnderwoodCharter Communications, Dallas

Susan WolffGreat Falls College of MSU

Bryan WoodWood’s Powr-Grip, Laurel

CEO MESSAGE

Legislative Work BeginsCoinciding with our 17th annual Business Days at the Capitol,

the 65th Legislative Session has begun! We’re excited to imple-ment the policy changes we’ve identified in Envision 2026, the Chamber’s ten-year strategic plan.

Before I get into those policy changes, we re-ally do need to look back and pat ourselves on the back for a great Business Days event. And I can’t take much of the credit. Your excellent staff put in a lot of extra time and thought into this effort.

As always, none of this would be possible without our sponsors – look later in this mag-azine for a listing. And Chair Todd O’Hair and Govt. Relations VP Richard Miltenberger did a great job emceeing the Banquet and breakfast respectively.

We greatly appreciate Attorney General Tim Fox keynoting our closing luncheon. Likewise, the legislative leadership at the Eggs & Issues breakfast gave great insight into the rest of the Session. Our morning panels focused on the four

objectives of Envision 2026: business climate; entrepreneurship; infrastructure; and workforce.

Envision 2026 Moving MontanaWhile business climate has always been a focus of the Montana

Chamber, Envision 2026 is escalating the work we do in the Legis-lature. Since the state’s fiscal condition isn’t in the greatest shape, our tax priorities may have to wait for better times. However, our legal reform efforts can actually address some of the cost of doing business in a significant way.

By now, we certainly hope you’ve heard of the Montana Infra-structure Coalition. This group, which I’m privileged to chair, is really changing the way we support that investment. Now, instead of supporters, we have become leaders.

Workforce and entrepreneurship may not have as much focus in the Legislature. That doesn’t mean we’re not moving the needle to meet our metrics there. We’re coordinating with the Montana De-partment of Labor & Industry and University system like we never have before to fill the talent pipeline for Montana employers. And watch for an exciting announcement on our entrepreneurial efforts.

Envision 2026 is our plan for Montana’s future. By improving business climate, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, and work-force, we can help your business – and Montana’s economy – grow and prosper.

Your success is our success. And our success is your success. We’re all in this together. I’d like to talk with you about how we bring about a mind shift in Big Sky Country. Join us in making a greater Montana! Keep up the good work.

Webb Brown

President/CEOMontana Chamber

of Commerce

Eye on Business February 2017 3

LEGISLATIVE SESSION UPDATE

Legal Reform Means Predictability and Stability for Business

In a 2017 Session dictated by the budget and all things mon-ey, legal reform has an opportunity to thrive. A major component of our ten-year strategic plan, Envision 2026, crafting proposals to change our legal environment can add pre-dictability and stability to Montana’s business climate.

National studies and reports indicate a need for legal reform in Montana. One of the key metrics from which we measure our progress is through our ranking in the State Lawsuit Cli-mate Report, a publication by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform.

Although we have made significant gains in our ranking over the last four years, it’s worth noting that we essentially started from the bot-tom at #45 in 2012. Today we are #34 and can do better. Neighboring states in Idaho, Wyoming and South Dakota all rank in the Top 10 of this list, with North Dakota not far behind at #15.

Business owners who want to locate in the Northwest can justify ruling out Montana when comparing legal climates for their operations. Visit www.InstituteForLegalReform.com for more information.

The American Tort Reform (ATR) Foundation has also relist-ed Montana in its annual “Judicial Hellholes” report. An unsa-vory designation, the ATR Foundation documents various abuses within the civil justice system, focusing primarily on jurisdictions where courts have been radically out of balance.

The Montana Supreme Court has returned to the watch list, with the ATR Foundation citing concern over the Court’s defiance of the United States Supreme Court and uncertainty that it will reason-ably constrain punitive damages. Visit www.JudicialHellholes.org for more information.

The Montana Chamber of Commerce engages in legal reform through our subsidiary, the Montana Justice Coalition. Today, the coalition comprises of nearly 50 stakeholders who have engaged in meaningful discussion to propose effective legislation for the 2017 Session, like the following:

Revisions to Judgment Interest We are pleased to reignite the effort to reform judgment interest

in civil and tort cases that arise in Montana. At 10 percent inter-est, Montana has one of the highest interest rates in the country, which only serves to deter businesses from locating here. Our rate also discourages defendants from appealing a judgment and pro-vides a windfall to plaintiffs.

Punitive DamagesHB 165 revises punitive damages law in Montana by adding an-

2016-2017 Foundation Board of Directors

Rick Edwards, PresidentNorthWestern Energy, Butte

Webb Brown, ED, Sec./Treas. Montana Chamber of Commerce, Helena

Ed BartlettAttorney at Law, Helena

David BrownWyo-Ben, Inc., Billings

Don CheryGlacier Bancorp, Inc., Kalispell

Tami ChristensenTri-County Implement, Sidney

Aimee GrmoljezCrowley Fleck, Helena

Steve HollandRetired, Bozeman

Greg KohnVistage, Billings

Vu PhamWeave Management, Billings

Bill WoodyMontana Health Solutions, Missoula

Chamber Staff/ContactsLeah BrownExecutive Asst./Bookkeeper .............442-2405, ext. 113

Webb Brown, CAEPresident/CEO ................................... 442-2405, ext. 101

Dan BrunellOperations Director .......................... 442-2405, ext. 110

Pete BurwellMembership Director .......................442-2405, ext. 103

Stacye DorringtonOffice Manager .................................442-2405, ext. 100

Dee DurandStrategic Plan/MACE Assistant .......442-2405, ext. 105

Nate KavanaghCommunications Director ...............442-2405, ext. 104

Bridger MahlumGovernment Relations Director ......442-2405, ext. 102

Kerry SchaeferGovernors’ Cup Manager ........................406-463-2370

All Staff Emails are:“firstname”@montanachamber.com

The Eye on Business is published monthly by theMontana Chamber of CommerceP.O. Box 1730 Helena, MT 59624

(406) 442-2405(406) 442-2409/fax

Toll Free-1-888-442-MONT (6668)www.montanachamber.com

Articles contained in this publication are available for redistribution with proper credit and attribution.

Material included in this magazine does not necessarily reflect the position of the

Montana Chamber of Commerce.

Session Update continued on page 5

Bridger Mahlum

Govt. Relations DirectorMontana Chamber

of Commerce

4 Montana Chamber of Commerce Eye on Business

Mike Frank

President, Blue Cross andBlue Shield of Montana

Montana Chamber Board of Directors

HEALTHCARE UPDATE

Uncertainty Surrounds Health Care, Value Based Care is the Future

For more than 75 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana (BCBSMT) has been committed to expanding access to quality, affordable health

care coverage. No doubt, the past six years in the health insurance industry have been the most transformative in our history, to say the least, and we don’t expect that to change anytime soon.

Since the inception of the Af-fordable Care Act (ACA), other-wise known as Obamacare, tens of thousands of Montanans have gained access to health care. At the same time, the market estab-lished by the law has been vola-tile. As the president of BCBSMT, I am seeing firsthand the chal-lenges that come with such mon-umental reform.

With a new administration entering the White House, and with Republican majorities in Congress, we know there is a strong intent to “repeal and re-place” the ACA. However, there are still a lot of un-knowns about how the ACA and federal health care law in general will look in the future.

Will the individual mandate be lifted? Will guar-anteed issue remain? Will regulatory authority be granted back to the states? Will there be broad par-ticipation and continuous enrollment? It’s still too early to tell. What is clear is that change is needed to stabilize the marketplace.

Regardless of changes to the ACA, everyone is concerned about rising health care costs. We know that every dollar matters to Montanans. That’s why we are concentrating on the affordability of care and making the health care system work better for our members. It is paramount to what we do and BCB-SMT will continue to take a leadership role in this effort.

There is no “silver bullet” that can sin-

gle handedly reform our health care system. But by applying value-based care initiatives across all as-pects of our health care system, we can keep people healthier, create a more productive workforce, and in turn lower health care expenses for Montanans.

Value-based care models represent an evolving approach to transforming the health care system. Under the traditional fee-for-service model, doc-tors and facilities are paid for how many services they provide, no matter if the health and well-be-ing of the patient improves or declines. We must continue to shift the focus from the volume of the services provided to improving the quality and low-ering the cost.

BCBSMT has made significant strides on this front. We implemented the first Patient-Centered Medical Home in Montana in 2009 to lay the foun-dation for value-based care. We launched the first Accountable Care Organization this year with Bill-ings Clinic. We are participating in a pilot Health Information Exchange, a secure information portal where clinical patient data is used to guide physi-cian care. And we are bringing innovative strategies like fixed compensation, bundling, and custom net-work design to improve care and keep costs down for Montanans.

Moreover, we are providing our members with ro-bust cost transparency tools. Whether online or on a mobile device, our members can shop for certain elective services based on provider charge, quality metrics, and the approximate cost to the member based on their plan design. These tools put the pow-er of information in our members’ hands to make them smarter health care consumers.

We look forward to working together with our state regulators, our federal delegation, the 65th Montana Legislature, and our provider partners to work on strategies to stabilize the health insur-

ance marketplace and develop solutions that are right for Montan-ans – now and into the future.

Eye on Business February 2017 5

2017 MANUFACTURING AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE DAY

Celebrate Manufacturing and Trade March 1Please join the Montana Manufacturing Association, the Montana Chamber of

Commerce, and our partners as we recognize industry leaders in manufacturing and exporting.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 1, 2017 from 10:30 a.m.—1:30 p.m.WHERE: Montana State Capitol RotundaREGISTER ONLINE: Events.MontanaChamber.com/?ee=138

Lunch will be served in the Rotunda at noon followed by a short ceremony to present the Manufacturer of the Year and Exporter of the Year Awards. Come celebrate these industries and the contribution they make to Montana’s economic success, visit with the legislators, and check out what the exhibitors have to offer!

other cap to the awards. In addition to the caps (the lesser of $10 million and 3 percent of net worth caps) already in statute, this bill would allow for three times the amount of compensatory damages to trigger an award cap. This change adds stability to our legal climate and more accurately ties a punitive award amount to the severity of the given case.

Seatbelt AdmissibilityThe Montana Chamber will propose legislation allowing for evidence of seatbelt use to be admissible

as evidence in civil actions for wrongful death, personal injury, or property damage. This bill would put responsibility of road safety in the hands of the driver while giving judges and juries access to all the facts in court. Such legislation would be a significant cost-saver and, more importantly, save lives.

The scope of the Montana Justice Coalition goes beyond legislative measures. We are actively engaged in our state’s third branch of government. Through our biennial Judicial Review, we monitor, track and score the Montana Supreme Court and Workers’ Compensation Court. Based on this information, we get a good sense of our justices’ commitment to legal stability and predictability. Using this analysis, the Justice Coalition actively recruits candidates to run for District and Supreme Court.

Establishing a consistent legal climate for business in Montana is a 24/7/365 effort, and we are pre-pared to deliver through the legislature and by developing candidates with a steady hand for the rule of law. The Montana Chamber and Montana Justice Coalition are your voices for legal reform in Helena. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or to learn more about our initiatives.

Session Update continued from page 3

Sponsorship of this event provides exposure and brand visibility for your company through recognition in all printed materials, including the EYE on Business, sponsor slideshow, and legislative invite. Spon-sorship also includes an exhibitor table in the Rotunda during Manufacturing & International Trade Day.

Sponsorship is $250. To sponsor, email Stacye@MontanaChamber.com or complete and return this form to: Montana Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 1730, Helena, MT 59624 or fax to 406.442.2409.

Name of Organization: _____________________________________________________________________

Contact Name: _____________________________________________ Phone Number: ___________________

Contact E-Mail: _________________________________________________________________________

Sponsor Level: __________________________________________________________________________

Credit Card Number: _______________________________________________ Expiration Date: ____________

Name on Card: ___________________________________________________ Billing Zip Code: ____________

o I would like to sponsor this event, but opt out of having an exhibitor table.

EXHIBITOR/SPONSOR INFORMATION

MANUFACTURING & INTERNATIONAL TRADE DAY 2017

6 Montana Chamber of Commerce Eye on Business

Business Days at the Capitol 2017 Brings Montana Leaders Together

The Montana Chamber of Commerce brought to-gether legislators and members of Montana’s busi-ness community for Business Days at the Capitol to start the 2017 Legislative Session in Helena. The annual event focused on the core objectives of the Chamber’s ten-year strategic plan Envision 2026: workforce development; entrepreneurship; infra-structure; and business climate.

Networking Highlights BanquetMore than 400 people gathered at the Helena Civ-

ic Center for the Lawmaker Appreciation Banquet January 2. The gathering allowed veteran and rookie legislators an opportunity to network with one an-other, as well as with Montana’s business leaders. Meaningful connections were made throughout the evening capping a great start to the first day of the Legislative Session.

Todd O’Hair, Chair of the Montana Chamber Board of Directors, emceed the evening’s events and in-formed the crowd of the Chamber’s goals for the 2017 session. Those in attendance also heard from past board member Kelly Cresswell of Reach Higher Montana and Dax Schieffer of the Montana Coun-cil on Economic Education. Both are the Montana Chamber’s partners for the High School Business Challenge. The Lawmaker Appreciation Banquet also serves a fundraiser for the High School Business Challenge, a business simulation program aimed at teaching Montana students entrepreneurial skills with winners receiving scholarships.

The two day event continued on January 3 with a morning packed with informative sessions at the Best Western Premier Great Northern Hotel.

Legislators Talk InfrastructureSenate President Scott Sales, Senate Minority

Leader Jon Sesso, House Speaker Austin Knudsen, and House Minority Leader Jenny Eck addressed the crowd and fielded their questions during the “Eggs and Issues” breakfast Tuesday morning.

Infrastructure was a recurring topic of discussion throughout the breakfast, with some differ-ing views among the legislative leadership as to which projects constitute infrastructure priori-ties this Session. Housing, work-force development, and taxes were also topics brought up by the audience.

After “Eggs and Issues,” the event continued with panel discussions and informational sessions on the four core objectives of Envision 2026: infrastruc-ture; business climate; workforce development; and entrepreneurship.

Breakout Sessions Offer InsightDarryl James, Executive Director of the Montana

Infrastructure Coalition (MIC), presented a package of bills the coalition is working on during the infra-structure breakout session. The MIC is proposing a fuel tax increase, local option infrastructure tax, uti-lizing the Coal Tax Trust Fund, as well as bonding.

During the business climate session, Michael Marsh, of Midland Claims spoke to the impact of workers’ compensation in Montana, where rates are nearly three times more expensive than our neigh-bor North Dakota. Lowering worker’s compensation is a key priority in the Chamber’s strategic plan. Bob Story, of the Montana Taxpayers Association spoke about the fuel tax proposal, as well as pos-sible changes to other taxes including the business equipment tax. Don Chery of Glacier Bancorp mod-erated the session.

Corey Stapleton, Secretary of State and John Don-ovan, of the Small Business Administration ad-dressed a crowd on the topic of entrepreneurship in Montana. This session was moderated by Paddy Fleming of the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center.

Workforce has become a buzzword in Montana and is a core objective of the Montana Chamber’s stra-tegic plan. Matt Springer of RevUp Montana; Steve Arveschoug of Big Sky Economic Development; and Barb Wagner, of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry addressed this topic during a breakout session. Kelly Cresswell of Reach Higher Montana moderated the panel.

Attorney General Tim Fox concluded the event with “The Last Word” luncheon” where he detailed his focus on combating dangerous drugs in Montana.

Business Days at the Capitol 2017 was a fantastic way to kick off the 65th Legislative Session. Plans for next year’s event are already underway, save the date for January 10-11 in Helena!

BUSINESS DAYS AT THE CAPITOL

Richard Miltenberger, House Speaker Austin Knudsen, and House Minority Leader Jenny Eck

Eye on Business February 2017 7

BUSINESS DAYS AT THE CAPITOL

OVERALL EVENT SPONSORSAssociated Employers

Boeing

Cloud Peak Energy

EBMS

First Interstate Bank

Montana State Fund

NorthWestern Energy

PacificSource Health Plans

Town Pump Hotel Group

Walmart

LAWMAKER BANQUET SPONSORSCharter Communications Crowley Fleck

Glacier Bancorp

Republic Services

EGGS & ISSUES SPONSORSMontana Bankers Association Washington Companies

LAST WORD SPONSORSPayneWest Insurance Weyerhaeuser

Tha n k you TO OUR SPONSORS!

8 Montana Chamber of Commerce Eye on Business

INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT

Report Details Montana’s Infrastructure CrisisInfrastructure investment needed to improve safety

The failing state of Montana’s roads and bridg-es was announced last month when a recent study was released by national research group TRIP. Mon-tana Transportation by the Numbers: Meeting the State’s Need for Safe, Smooth and Efficient Mobility is the TRIP report that details the poor condition of our state’s roads and bridges.

Key findings from the report include:• 34% of major urban roads are in need of repair

• 18% of Montana’s bridges need to be replaced

• $794 million is the total added cost to Montan-ans due to driving on deficient roads

You can view the full report at www.TripNet.com.

Rocky Moretti, director of policy and research at TRIP, stated that the Montana Department of Trans-portation should be spending an additional $874 million to maintain Montana’s roads and bridges and improve their safety. This clearly demonstrates the need for finding new funding mechanisms for the state’s critical need infrastructure this legisla-tive session.

Infrastructure Coalition Leading ChargeThe Montana Chamber has long supported invest-

ing in our infrastruc-ture and has emerged as a leader in the move-ment to provide solu-tions to this growing problem. Webb Brown, President and CEO of the Montana Chamber serves as Chair of the Montana Infrastruc-ture Coalition (MIC), a bi-partisan group made up of organiza-tions, cities, and towns from across the state.

Improving infra-structure is a ma-jor component of the Montana Chamber’s ten-year strategic plan Envision 2026. We need good infrastructure to transport Montana products; to keep Montanans safe; and to build Montana’s economy.

“The Montana Infrastructure Coalition is bring-ing a balanced package of bills supported by a broad spectrum of Montanans,” said Brown. “We expect

some tough discussions, but believe Montana’s law-makers are ready to step to the plate and work on real solutions to these very real problems.”

Darryl James, executive director of the MIC, pre-sented some of the solutions the group will be working to pass this Session. “We’ve talked about infrastructure for a long time, it’s time for action,” said James.

Solutions for the FutureThe MIC, as well as the Montana Chamber, sup-

port the passage of a ten cent fuel tax increase, which would generate an additional $80 million for Montana roads and bridges.

A local option infrastructure tax is also included in the MIC infrastructure package. This tax would mimic Montana’s current resort tax, giving com-munities the opportunity to vote on a local sales tax on luxury items with funds being spent on identified infrastructure projects.

The group is also looking into solutions surround-ing the use of the Coal Tax Trust Fund, as well as private-public partnerships.

Representative Frank Garner of Kalispell an-nounced he will be sponsoring the Bridge and Road

Safety and Account-ability Act. The bill will focus on finding efficiencies, identify-ing potential revenue sources, and ensur-ing accountability on spending.

Garner was firm in asserting that the in-frastructure crisis in Montana is a public safety issue that needs to be addressed now. The Montana Chamber and MIC look forward to working with Garner on the passage of this important infrastruc-

ture bill.

You can help improve Montana’s infrastructure by contacting your legislators and telling them to vote for pro-infrastructure investment bills this Session. Visit www.Leg.MT.gov to contact your leg-islator today.

Rocky Moretti, director of policy and research at TRIP addressed a crowd during the release of a Montana infrastructure report at the Capitol.

Rep. Frank Garner stands behind him.

Eye on Business February 2017 9

ENVISION 2026

10 Montana Chamber of Commerce Eye on Business

CHAMBER UPDATES

Member Engagement is Vital During Legislative Session Greetings! This year’s Business

Days at the Capitol was a great success and informative on many levels. Our banquet honoring the legislators was very well attended by both legislators and business people from all over the state.

We want to thank all the spon-sors for helping us put on a great event. We look forward to next year.

Our next event will be at the Capitol on March 1. We will be holding our Manufacturing and

International Trade Day and giving out the Manu-facturer of the Year Award. We have a great line-up of manufacturers that have been nominated and we look forward to presenting one of them the top award on March 1.

As many of you know we are also the state manu-facturing association and we promote manufactur-ing throughout the state and beyond. Montana has a lot of manufacturers and exporters that help move the economy here in Montana. We feel it is only right that they be recognized with an award and promoted to all of Montana. Watch for sponsorship opportunities and registration on our website www.MontanaManufacturingAssociation.com.

Pete Burwell

Membership DirectorMontana Chamber

of Commerce

Eye on Business February 2017 11

MEMBERSHIP REPORT

Avis-Ral Co., MissoulaBig Sky Kubota, Missoula

Bozeman Dental Associates, BozemanBulkley Electric Inc., Helena

BXL Inc., SavageCasino Creek Concrete, Lewistown

CB1, MissoulaCentron Services Inc., Helena

Columbia Grain Inc., Great FallsCrazy Creek Products, Red LodgeDaniels County Chamber, Scobey

Dawson Community College, GlendiveFairfield Chamber of Commerce

Farmers Insurance, MissoulaGarfield County Bank, Jordan

Gilman Excavating, ButteGreat Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

HCR Inc., LewistownHelena Area Chamber of Commerce

Intermountain Equestrian Center, BillingsLaurel Chamber of Commerce

Lehrkind’s Coca-Cola, BozemanLibby Area Chamber of Commerce

Lodgecraft Furniture, EurekaMarathon Seat Covers, Bozeman

Master Your Card, BillingsMelissa Lewis & Associates, Helena

Miles Community College, Miles CityMissoula Motor Parts, MissoulaMontana Arts Council, Helena

Montana Association of Realtors, HelenaMontana Bankers Association, Helena

Montana Coal Council, HelenaMontana Credit Union Network, Helena

Montana Dental Association, HelenaMontana Electric Cooperatives’

Association, Great FallsMontana Logos, Helena

Montana Society of CPAs, Helena Montana Taxpayers Association, Helena

Pew Corporation, MissoulaRyan Restaurant Corp., Billings

Sidney Area Chamber of CommerceSieben Live Stock Company, Helena

Smartlam, WhitefishStaggering Ox Inc., Helena

Sweet Pea Sewer & Septic, MissoulaTaylor Luther Group, Helena

The Fort, Big TimberThe University of Montana, Missoula

Townsend Area Chamber of CommerceVan’s Thriftway, Helena

Wolfe-Daniels Insurance Agency, Scobey

December 15, 2016 to January 15, 2017

Treasure State Members ($35,000+)

Renewing Gold Level Members ($10,000+)

Renewing Copper Level Members ($1,000+)

RY Timber, Townsend

Harrington Pepsi, Butte

Tractor & Equipment, Billings

Moody’s Market, Polson

Kalispell Regional Medical Center,

Kalispell

Aspen Springs Consulting, Bozeman

State Farm Insurance, Bloomington

CHS Inc., Laurel

JCCS, Helena

Glacier Park Inc., Phoenix

Roseburg Forest Products, Missoula

Kramer Enterprises, Kalispell

RENEWING MEMBERS TIERED MEMBERS

NEW MEMBER

Sysco Montana Inc.1509 Monad RoadBillings, MT 59107

www.Sysco.com

P.O. Box 1730Helena, MT 59624-1730

Presorted StandardUS PostagePAID

Helena, MT 59601Permit No. 68

Stay Informed This Legislative

SessionAre you getting our weekly Capitol Connection for

the latest updates on what’s happening in Hele-

na? The Capitol Connection gives you a review of the

week’s legislative actions that affect Montana busi-

ness. It also gives you a heads up on bills to watch the

following week. This is a great resource for members

who want to be in the know and engaged throughout

the 65th Legislative Session.

If you’re not receiving this weekly update, email

Nate@MontanaChamber.com to be added to our Cap-

itol Connection email list.

Follow us on Twitter @MontanaChamber for daily

news and updates on what the Chamber is doing to

represent and support the state’s business commu-

nity at the Capitol.

MANUFACTURING & INTERNATIONAL TRADE DAY

March 1, Capitol Rotunda, Helena

HSBC CHALLENGE BOWLApril 29

ECONOMIC UPDATE SERIESJuly 25-27

GOVERNORS’ CUP GOLF TOURNAMENTJuly 27-29

HEALTHCARE FORUMNovember 16

M I S S I O NTo create and sustain an optimal business climate, business prosperity, and a strong Montana economy, the Montana Chamber of Commerce, through advocacy, education, and collaboration, works to provide an empowered and educated workforce, reduce business growth obstacles, and advance positions that promote success for Montana businesses.

@MontanaChamber