Governor Gianforte Outlines Vision To Secure Montana’s Future

Delivers 2025 State of the State address

• January 13 2025

HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte tonight delivered his third State of the State address to a joint session of the Montana Legislature and directly to the people of Montana.

Gov. Gianforte’s address highlighted Montana’s accomplishments over the last four years and emphasized the need to secure Montana’s future for future generations in the face of the nationwide affordability crisis created by failed leadership in Washington, DC. Governor Gianforte outlined his priorities to expand opportunity for all Montanans, protect Montana’s children, and invest in Montana’s future to help more Montanans achieve the American dream.

Gov. Gianforte delivering the 2025 State of the State address

Highlights from Governor Gianforte’s 2025 State of the State Address:

Cutting Income Taxes

“Since 2021, we’ve lowered the income tax rate most Montanans pay from 6.9% to 5.9%. We should go farther. We should reduce that income tax rate from 5.9% to 4.9%, providing tax relief to workers and small business owners alike. That’s why we should expand the earned income tax credit for hardworking lower- and middle-income Montanans… Our proposed tax cut provides more than $850 million in permanent relief, a new record tax cut that benefits Montanans at every income level. That’s $850 million that will remain in the pockets of Montanans who earn it.”

Cutting Property Taxes

“Rising property taxes fuel the affordability crisis that’s pinching homeowners across the country. We must do something about it. We must enact a homestead rate cut for Montana homeowners for their primary residences, the place they call home. This reform is estimated to lower property taxes for Montana homeowners by 15% and for small businesses by 18%. It’s projected to directly reduce property taxes for more than 215,000 homeowners and more than 32,000 small businesses, as well as provide indirect relief to over 130,000 renters… One of my top priorities is delivering meaningful, permanent property tax relief for Montanans in 2025. To make that a reality, to deliver a permanent homestead rate cut for Montana homeowners this year, the bill needs to become law by mid-February.”

Making Housing More Affordable

“In Montana, our population grew by nearly 10% between 2010 and 2020, while housing grew by less than 7%. With more people moving to Montana and with not enough homes being built, the price of housing has skyrocketed, putting a key element of the American dream out of reach for many. Facing the problem, we launched our Housing Task Force, which included legislators, stakeholders, and experts. They developed substantial recommendations, some of which we enacted together in 2023, and now, Montana leads the nation in pro-housing reforms.”

Unleashing American Energy

“Just last month, I brought together consumers, energy leaders, and legislators. We discussed how Montana can unleash American-made energy to meet the growing demand here in Montana and across the region. There were many good ideas, but this pressing issue requires a thorough, thoughtful approach. That’s why tonight I’m announcing that we will launch an Unleashing Energy Task Force in the coming weeks. The task force will complement the work of our energy leaders in the legislature, and will build on this Legislature’s energy accomplishments, because we need long-term solutions to ensure we have affordable, reliable energy now and well into the future.”

Boosting Teacher Pay

“As a son and a father of teachers, I’m well aware that teaching is one of the most noble professions. For too long, though, Montana teachers, especially those just beginning their careers, have not been compensated properly for their work. Over the last four years, we’ve worked together to boost starting teacher pay by establishing the TEACH Act. Building on the success of the TEACH Act, our budget invests a historic $100 million to raise teacher pay, with a focus on educators who are just starting their careers.”

Creating “Cell Phone-Free” Schools

“Creating a distraction-free learning environment is crucial for student success, and ‘cell phone-free’ schools are a proven, powerful solution. By eliminating this distraction during the school day, educators have seen significant improvements in student engagement, focus, and academic performance. Our budget provides $1 million of one-time-only incentives for school districts to adopt ‘cell phone-free’ policies statewide. Schools with these policies have experienced higher test scores, fewer discipline issues, and better social interactions among students.”

Protecting Montana Kids

“We’ve responded strongly and unequivocally to the far left’s extreme agenda that threatens the health, development, and wellbeing of Montana children. Together, we enacted a ban on boys in girls’ sports to preserve fairness and integrity in women’s sports. Together, we enacted a ban on exposing kids to highly sexualized public performances in their schools and libraries. Together, we enacted a ban on exposing kids to pornography online. Together, we enacted a ban on unproven, invasive medical treatments used to permanently alter kids’ healthy, developing bodies. Now together, we’ve also defined an individual’s sex into law, because the sex one is born with is an unchangeable, biological fact.”

Protecting Kids from Social Media

“One of the least obvious, but most prevalent, threats to our kids and grandkids is social media. I’ll be blunt about social media’s impact on our kids. It’s addictive. It warps their impressionable young minds. It results in bullying. It causes kids to lose sleep. And it increases their risk of depression, anxiety, and suicide… Right now, the burden is on parents, and parents alone, to try to protect their kids online. To support parents and protect kids, we should take action, as other states have, like Arkansas, Texas, Utah, and Louisiana…Kids need more rest. Not more reels on Instagram. They need more sleep. Not more Snapchat.”

DC’s Dysfunction and Failed Leadership

“For the last four years, Washington, DC has been mired in dysfunction. We’ve felt the failures that come from that dysfunction: failures to restrain spending, ultimately fueling our nationwide affordability crisis; failures to contain our national debt, ultimately leaving a monstrous tab for our kids and grandkids; and failures to secure our nation’s borders, ultimately letting cartels profit off misery. Washington, DC is dysfunctional and failing the American people. With President Trump taking office in exactly one week, I’m confident he won’t tolerate this dysfunction, and will get our country back on the right track. While America lives here, Washington, DC and its dysfunction do not.”

Securing Montana’s Future

“Our policies aim to unleash that spirit – to create an environment where every Montanan can pursue their dreams, prosper, and build a wonderful life; where families thrive; where our communities are safe; where our public lands are protected for future generations; and where opportunities abound, a child growing up in one of our smallest towns has the same chance to succeed as one in our largest cities. We’re building a foundation for greater opportunity and long-term prosperity – one that can weather storms and emerge stronger than ever.”

View a transcript of the speech below.

Mister Speaker, Mister President, Members of the 69th Legislature, Lieutenant Governor, statewide officials, leaders of Tribal Nations, members of the judiciary, members of our Cabinet, the First Lady of Montana, my dear wife Susan. And finally, my fellow Montanans.

Just last week, we gathered on the front steps of the Capitol to commit to four more years of strong, conservative leadership in Helena. As I did last week, I stand before you today with a message of hope and prosperity, and an unwavering commitment to serving Montanans.

As we gather in this chamber, we’re reminded that America lives in Montana: in our vast landscapes, our thriving communities, and most importantly, the hearts of our people.

Over the last four years, we’ve made great strides together, but our work is far from over.

I’m filled with optimism. Not only for our state, but for our nation.

In just one week, President Donald J. Trump will return to the White House after his resounding victory in November. Last Thursday, I had the honor of having dinner with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago, and I can tell you he’s ready to get to work. And I’m eager to work with President Trump and members of his Cabinet, many of whom I’ve worked alongside in Congress and as governor,  to Make America Affordable, Safe, Prosperous, and Great Again.

Our vision for Montana remains simple and steadfast: create more good-paying jobs, open the doors of greater opportunity for all Montanans to achieve the American dream, and protect our Montana way of life. It’s a conservative vision centered on family and community.

We stand at a pivotal moment in our state’s history. The choices we make today will shape Montana, for our children and grandchildren.

For the first two decades of this century, state government hasn’t always done best by them. As I’ve said before, Montana’s biggest exports were our beef, grain, and sadly, our kids and grandkids. They left Montana for greater opportunities elsewhere, for better jobs with higher pay.

We’re reversing that trend by improving educational opportunities, and creating an environment where job creators and innovators can thrive, set up shop, grow, and create good-paying jobs right here in Montana.

At its core, our vision is about freedom, opportunity, and community. We believe in the unsurpassed spirit of Montanans: our resilience, our work ethic, and our deep connection to this land we love.

Our policies aim to unleash that spirit – to create an environment where every Montanan can pursue their dreams, prosper, and build a wonderful life; where families thrive; where our communities are safe; where our public lands are protected for future generations; and where opportunities abound, a child growing up in one of our smallest towns has the same chance to succeed as one in our largest cities. We’re building a foundation for greater opportunity and long-term prosperity – one that can weather storms and emerge stronger than ever.

We’re building a foundation that emphasizes self-sufficiency over government dependency. Over the last four years, we’ve boosted self-sufficiency. There is dignity in work, whether you’re serving customers, building homes, working the land, or working behind a desk. We must encourage work and the dignity that comes with it.

We have an obligation to support and care for the most vulnerable among us. To those who need temporary help to get back on their feet, we have an obligation to make sure the help we provide is a hand up, not a handout.

I’m proud of the successful work of our Cabinet to make government more responsive, to increase efficiency, and to emphasize self-sufficiency over government dependency.

In addition to prosperity and self-sufficiency, we’re building a firm foundation on our shared commitment to fiscal responsibility, but it’s not just about balancing the books. It’s about respecting all Montanans who work hard to earn a living, and it’s about ensuring government remains a servant of the people, not their master.

Montanans endorsed that vision loudly and clearly. They want leadership that delivers results, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.

And I’m proud to say, thanks to our shared efforts and successes over the last four years, the state of our State is strong.

Our economy is growing. Over the past four years, wages here have grown at the second-fastest rate in the country. Montanans are finding new opportunities, with record job creation. More Montanans are working than ever before. Montana entrepreneurs continue to start businesses, with record business creation.

This success didn’t happen by accident. This success is the result of our commitment to creating an environment where hardworking Montanans prosper and businesses flourish.

We’ve done all this despite strong national headwinds from failed leadership in Washington – failed leadership that has driven up the cost of living throughout our country. To be sure, Americans have struggled with higher prices. I’ve heard about it from Montanans in every corner of our state. They’ve had to rework their budgets to make ends meet.

But Washington, DC has not. Joe Biden and members of Congress have not tightened their belts. The federal government does not live within its means. As a result, they’re imposing a crushing national debt on the backs of our kids and grandkids.

In contrast, we’ve been fiscally responsible, enacting conservative, balanced budgets. Over the last four years, we’ve cut income taxes for Montanans at every income level, held the line on new spending, kept spending under inflation, and even paid off all the state’s debt.

Because of our conservative budgets, Montana has a surplus again. Our budget invests part of that surplus into our current and future needs. This is one-time-only funding. It does not grow state government. Again, this is one-time-only funding invested today, on a one-time basis, for future generations.

While we’ve been fiscally responsible, the reality is the nationwide affordability crisis has harmed hardworking Montanans. To help Montanans navigate the affordability crisis, we propose the largest income tax cut in state history so they can keep more of their money. I’ve heard from many of you that this is a priority – that Montanans should keep more of what they earn and that we shouldn’t tax work more than we need to.

Since 2021, we’ve lowered the income tax rate most Montanans pay from 6.9% to 5.9%. We should go farther. We should reduce that income tax rate from 5.9% to 4.9%, providing tax relief to workers and small business owners alike. That’s why we should expand the earned income tax credit for hardworking lower- and middle-income Montanans.

Let me share with you why it’s important to deliver meaningful, permanent income tax relief.  It makes a real difference for folks like Bill Miles, from Kalispell, who’s with us here tonight. Bill served in the U.S. Air Force during the Gulf War. Despite the challenges of a service-related disability, Bill’s belief in America, and the American dream, remains strong. Bill started Cowboy Country Painting and Remodel in 1997.  For nearly 30 years, Bill’s worked hard and supported fellow veterans as the Junior Vice Commander of his local VFW.

Our income tax cuts have helped Bill, other small business owners, and Montana taxpayers, and we need to do more to support them. Bill joins us here tonight, even after his 27th surgery last week. When we asked if he could make it, he refused to say “no.” In fact, he was eager to come, because this is so important to him.

Bill, we’re glad to see you, and we wish you a speedy recovery. Thank you, Bill, for your service and thank you for being here.

Our proposed tax cut provides more than $850 million in permanent relief, a new record tax cut that benefits Montanans at every income level. That’s $850 million that will remain in the pockets of Montanans who earn it.

This isn’t just about numbers. It’s about the fundamental idea that people should keep more of what they earn – that they should keep more of the fruits of their labor. It’s their hard-earned money, not the government’s.

And cutting the tax on work will allow Montanans to invest in their futures, their children, and their communities. It’s money for food on the table, a baby’s diapers, a new winter coat for a growing kid, or more breathing room in the monthly budget.

And while providing permanent tax cuts, we also recognize the burden of rising property taxes on Montana homeowners and small businesses. Rising property taxes fuel the affordability crisis that’s pinching homeowners across the country.

We must do something about it. We must enact a homestead rate cut for Montana homeowners for their primary residences, the place they call home.

This reform is estimated to lower property taxes for Montana homeowners by 15% and for small businesses by 18%. It’s projected to directly reduce property taxes for more than 215,000 homeowners and more than 32,000 small businesses, as well as provide indirect relief to over 130,000 renters.

This is about making Montana more affordable for families.

Some have asked me, “Why are you so focused on Montanans and their primary home?” I don’t believe, for example, a Californian, who drops into Montana just to ski near his vacation mansion, should get a property tax cut. It’s not fair to Montanans who own their home, live here, and invest their lives in building their community.

One of my top priorities is delivering meaningful, permanent property tax relief for Montanans in 2025. To make that a reality, to deliver a permanent homestead rate cut for Montana homeowners this year, the bill needs to become law by mid-February. I know that’s a tight timeline, but the Department of Revenue needs a runway to implement this rate cut for Montana homeowners in 2025. Montanans are counting on us to get this done this year, and we should.

I also know corporate lobbyists are prowling the halls, trying to get carveouts for their clients in property tax relief, but if we go that route, Montanans who own and live in their home will see less relief. I believe our focus must be on Montana homeowners, not on corporate interests.

Here is a key question: Why does a homeowner with a $400,000 home in Missoula County pay higher taxes than a homeowner with a $400,000 home in Flathead County?

Because local governments set a homeowner’s property taxes, and we must also encourage those same local governments to help keep property taxes as low as possible.

That’s the only way to make this work for Montanans.

Just as property taxes are fueling the nationwide affordability crisis, so too is the rising cost of housing. In Montana, our population grew by nearly 10% between 2010 and 2020, while housing grew by less than 7%. With more people moving to Montana and with not enough homes being built, the price of housing has skyrocketed, putting a key element of the American dream out of reach for many.

Facing the problem, we launched our Housing Task Force, which included legislators, stakeholders, and experts. They developed substantial recommendations, some of which we enacted together in 2023, and now, Montana leads the nation in pro-housing reforms. As a result of our work in 2023, counties and cities are reworking their growth plans, with a keen eye on increasing housing supply and bringing down housing costs.

Another element of our pro-housing reforms is delivering immediate results: the HOMES program. The Board of Investments reports that the HOMES program has led to the construction of nearly 1,000 new homes. This is not a handout. The money the state invests comes back to us to reinvest.

Given the success of this program, we should strengthen it, investing an additional $100 million of one-time-only funding. By boosting the program, the increased proceeds of the fund can lead to the construction of more homes for Montanans. If the fund, and its proceeds, were twice the size they are now, we’d have another thousand homes under construction right now.

There’s more for us to do to make housing more attainable and to keep the American dream alive. Even after our bipartisan, pro-housing reforms in 2023, our housing task force delivered even more recommendations just seven months ago. I look forward to working with each of you to secure more housing solutions for Montanans.

While we’re making progress on making housing more attainable, we must address our future energy needs. A home or a small business cannot thrive if its power bill is too high. Unfortunately, the affordability crisis has forced Americans to pay higher utility bills. In fact, Americans have seen the cost of electricity rise nearly 30% since President Biden took office in 2021.

While demand for power rises, the heavy hand of the federal government has thwarted energy development. We need affordable, reliable power, and we need the federal government’s support, not obstruction. We need to unleash Montana and America’s all-of-the-above energy production. I committed to President Trump that Montana stands ready to expand energy production to Make America Affordable Again.

Montanans need and deserve solutions. Just last month, I brought together consumers, energy leaders, and legislators. We discussed how Montana can unleash American-made energy to meet the growing demand here in Montana and across the region. There were many good ideas, but this pressing issue requires a thorough, thoughtful approach.

That’s why tonight I’m announcing that we will launch an Unleashing Energy Task Force in the coming weeks. The task force will complement the work of our energy leaders in the legislature, and will build on this Legislature’s energy accomplishments, because we need long-term solutions to ensure we have affordable, reliable energy now and well into the future.

Enacting solutions to today’s affordability crisis – through lower taxes, a growing housing supply, and greater energy production – will help Montanans now and into the future, and we must keep our eyes to the future.

Our state has worked to build an education system with our children and grandchildren at the front of our minds. As we know, the cornerstone of our state’s future lies in the well-being and success of our children. They’re our most precious resource, and it is our duty to invest in their future.

The Big Sky Scholarship Program provides lower- and middle-income Montana families with scholarships to access education opportunities that best meet the needs of their children. I’ve heard from parents and kids about how much the program means to them. That’s why our budget increases funding for the popular program to $6 million, giving more Montanans the chance to pursue the education that works for them, regardless of their financial circumstances.

We’re also expanding educational opportunities through the Digital Academy and increasing funding for STEM and career and technical education. These initiatives will prepare our students for the jobs of tomorrow, right here in Montana.

We also have an obligation to all students and families to ensure our schools prepare them for the future. A bloated bureaucracy is not the solution. That does not serve our students and families well. Our focus must remain targeted on our classrooms where our teachers teach and our kids learn.

As a son and a father of teachers, I’m well aware that teaching is one of the most noble professions. For too long, though, Montana teachers, especially those just beginning their careers, have not been compensated properly for their work. Over the last four years, we’ve worked together to boost starting teacher pay by establishing the TEACH Act.

Building on the success of the TEACH Act, our budget invests a historic $100 million to raise teacher pay, with a focus on educators who are just starting their careers.

Why is this an important investment?

Let me tell you about Alex Cameron, a young teacher from Wibaux. When I met her in October, she told me about herself, her background, and her love of teaching. Because of our TEACH Act, Alex and her husband used her higher salary to buy their first home. This is the kind of impact we’re having on our education system and our communities. While Alex and her family could not be with us tonight, they – as well as her friends and colleagues from Wibaux Public Schools – are watching from home. Join me in showing appreciation to her for unlocking the imagination of young Montanans.

Recruiting and retaining the best teachers in our classrooms will prepare young Montanans for the future, but academic success requires our students to be focused when they’re in the classroom. Too often, though, the swarm of notifications and content from social media distracts them. Students in our classrooms should be focused on their teachers, not on TikTok.

Creating a distraction-free learning environment is crucial for student success, and “cell phone-free” schools are a proven, powerful solution. By eliminating this distraction during the school day, educators have seen significant improvements in student engagement, focus, and academic performance. Our budget provides $1 million of one-time-only incentives for school districts to adopt “cell phone-free” policies statewide.

Schools with these policies have experienced higher test scores, fewer discipline issues, and better social interactions among students. I’ve met with school administrators, teachers, and parents. I’ve heard how “cell phone-free” policies are working in our schools. That’s why I called on school superintendents and school board trustees to consider implementing “cell phone-free” policies.

Molly Blakely is the superintendent of the Hellgate Elementary School District in Missoula. In November, I got a letter from Molly about the district’s new “cell phone-free” school policy. She wrote, “By limiting cell phone use during the school day, students are more focused on their learning and present in their interactions with peers and teachers. Teachers have reported fewer classroom disruptions, and students have expressed appreciation for the opportunities to build stronger in-person connections.”

Tonight, we’re grateful to have Molly with us. Molly, thank you for being here and for your strong leadership for your students and teachers.

Eliminating unnecessary disruptions in the classroom is one step to protecting our kids and their long-term interests. I’m proud of the work we’ve done together to protect our kids, our grandkids, and their future.

We’ve responded strongly and unequivocally to the far left’s extreme agenda that threatens the health, development, and wellbeing of Montana children. Together, we enacted a ban on boys in girls’ sports to preserve fairness and integrity in women’s sports. Together, we enacted a ban on exposing kids to highly sexualized public performances in their schools and libraries. Together, we enacted a ban on exposing kids to pornography online. Together, we enacted a ban on unproven, invasive medical treatments used to permanently alter kids’ healthy, developing bodies.

Now together, we’ve also defined an individual’s sex into law, because the sex one is born with is an unchangeable, biological fact. Some courts, including our own, haven’t grasped that simple fact. These are all commonsense laws, designed to protect Montana children, but far-left lawyers challenged all of them. And our courts? Well, they’ve sided with the far left, either tying the laws up or tossing them out. And it’s no wonder.

Let’s revisit last year’s races for the Supreme Court. The ACLU dumped more than a million dollars into those races. So did extreme-left, dark-money groups who devise clever names to hide their intent. So did trial lawyers. Their goal? Elect judges to do their bidding.

Let’s face reality: we already have partisan Supreme Court races here. They’re nonpartisan in name only. Montanans have a right to know the values and principles of the judges they elect. Let’s bring light to this darkness. That’s why I’m asking you to send to my desk a bill that empowers Montana voters to know a judicial candidate’s political party. This is not a new idea. Texas and six other states run their Supreme Court elections just like this.

Despite our setbacks, we must continue to honor one of our most solemn responsibilities: protecting our kids. I welcome legislation to my desk that provides privacy and security to women and girls, because a man shouldn’t be in a women’s restroom, shouldn’t be in a women’s shower room, and shouldn’t be housed in a women’s prison.

While we’ve taken steps in protecting our kids and grandkids in Montana, we must not waver, we must remain strong advocates for Montana children, and we must remain steadfast in our defense of our most vulnerable and impressionable minds.

One of the least obvious, but most prevalent, threats to our kids and grandkids is social media. I’ll be blunt about social media’s impact on our kids. It’s addictive. It warps their impressionable young minds. It results in bullying. It causes kids to lose sleep. And it increases their risk of depression, anxiety, and suicide.

Social media companies are profiting off their harmful impacts on our kids. Right now, the burden is on parents, and parents alone, to try to protect their kids online.

To support parents and protect kids, we should take action, as other states have, like Arkansas, Texas, Utah, and Louisiana. We should ensure parents can consent for their kids to create social media accounts. We should allow parents to get access to their kids’ social media accounts. We should ban social media companies from collecting and selling data and personal information about kids who are on their platforms. We should require default privacy settings for minors on social media. Lastly, we should have a curfew, a blackout, on social media overnight for kids. Kids need more rest. Not more reels on Instagram. They need more sleep. Not more Snapchat.

Finally, to support parents and protect kids, we should empower parents with a legal course of action against companies that violate these laws and harm our kids, and we should allow the state to investigate and enforce these laws. When it comes down to it, we must protect our kids from the substantial dangers of social media, and we must empower parents to do the same.

A safe community is the foundation of a prosperous future. That’s why our budget significantly increases support for law enforcement, because in Montana, we back the blue. We’re investing $7 million to increase pay for the men and women of the Montana Highway Patrol, and we’re ensuring they have the tools to get the job done. They put themselves in harm’s way, and they deserve to be compensated for it. We must show our law enforcement officers that we value their service and are committed to their success.

Let me share a story with you about one of our law enforcement heroes. In June 2021, a state helicopter was fighting the Deep Creek Canyon Fire in Broadwater County. It was a windy day, so windy that the helicopter was forced to do a hard landing. It landed right in front of Montana Highway Trooper Amanda Villa. Trooper Villa immediately jumped out of her patrol car, radioed for help, and ran into the fire. In a testament of bravery, she climbed into the burning wreckage and pulled four people to safety.

It’s men and women like Trooper Villa who protect our communities, and we need to pay them what they deserve. Tonight, we’re honored to have Trooper Amanda Villa with us. Trooper Villa, thank you for your service to the State of Montana.

Let’s be clear about one thing: our law enforcement officers, who put their lives on the line every day, are at the receiving end of failed border policies. Those reckless policies have brought more criminals and drugs into our country: not just into states along the southern border, but into Montana and states across the country. Every state is now a border state.

Law enforcement officers should have the resources they need to fight rising crime. We’ve worked alongside the attorney general to fund more prosecutors and forensic scientists, because we should hold criminals accountable and ensure they receive justice. We need more judges to address the growing caseload, and we need more resources to support victims of crimes.

We can’t find and prosecute criminals if we don’t have a place to put them. The fact is too many criminals who ought to be at the state prison are filling up county jails. I’m told there are thousands of unserved warrants in Montana due to a lack of space to lock up criminals. We must be able to serve these warrants and lock them up.

For the safety of our communities, we must fix this. Building on the work of legislators, stakeholders, and agencies, we should expand capacity in our state prison by 500 beds by spending $150 million of one-time-only funding, and keeping an eye to the future, we invest $250 million in one-time-only funding to develop and execute a long-term plan to improve public safety and keep criminals off our streets.

We should also better support the corrections officers who supervise inmates and ensure order and safety in our secure facilities. That’s why we invest $6.5 million in our corrections officers, providing them a pay increase, more training, and better resources.

We also know a strong Montana requires strong infrastructure. Our budget allocates an additional $10 million a year toward bridge repairs, with the goal of fixing 500 bridges over the next five years.

To protect our communities from potential natural disasters, we also invest $100 million in one-time-only funding in a local disaster resiliency fund. This fund will support state and local projects that reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from future disasters, like aging levees and canals that could fail. We can leverage state dollars for up to a 9-to-1 federal match, maximizing the impact of our investment. We do this all while preventing ongoing general fund spending to address disaster resiliency.

Let me give you an example of how this fund could make a difference. In a small town along the Yellowstone River, there’s an aging levee, a source of concern for years. With the resources from our disaster resiliency fund, we can reinforce that levee, protecting homes and businesses from potential flooding. This isn’t just about preventing disaster. It’s about giving our communities and our people the peace of mind they deserve.

While we propose these critical investments for our future, we remain committed to fiscal responsibility. Our budget is not unlike the budgets Montana families have. They spend within their means. So do we. They spend on what they need. So do we. If they have extra money, they invest it in long-term projects, like fixing a leaking roof, replacing an unreliable heating system, or buying a new refrigerator. So do we: with our schools, roads, bridges, and corrections system.

Our budget is balanced, keeps spending under inflation, and maintains a strong ending fund balance to protect against economic uncertainty. We avoid cuts to essential services.

Working with legislators in 2021 and 2023, we enacted conservative budgets that delivered results: providing permanent tax relief, making smart investments, keeping spending under inflation, and producing a surplus. This budget continues our tradition of fiscal conservatism while making strategic investments for our state’s future. It’s about using our resources wisely to create greater opportunities, strengthen our communities, and secure our future.

Our budget is our Path to Security and Prosperity. It’s a reflection of our values, our priorities, and our unwavering commitment to the future of our great state. We live in an inspiring place – full of good, hardworking people. I’m filled with great optimism for our state, our people, and our future.

Our budget prioritizes our people and our communities. It prioritizes our future – the next generation of Montanans – by spurring job creation, boosting education in our classrooms, and opening the door of greater opportunity to all Montanans. Montanans keep more of what they earn. We pay law enforcement for their heroic work, and we ensure they have the tools they need. We take more criminals off our streets, and we make our communities safer. We fix our infrastructure, and grow Montanans’ access to affordable, attainable housing. Our budget does all this while being fiscally responsible.

As I said on the steps of this Capitol one week ago, “America lives here.” America lives in Montana. Since our state’s earliest days, people have flocked here for opportunity and our way of life. People worked the land. They established a government to serve the people. As our Founding Fathers envisioned, public servants weren’t professional politicians. They served to make our state a better place – for the people they served and for future generations.

That remains a hallmark of public service in Montana. Like all of you here tonight, public servants are committed to make our state a better place – for the people we serve and for future generations. Not only during this legislative session, but for years to come, I ask you to hold close the noble purpose of public service and always consider why we’re here – for the people we serve and for future generations.

Serving as the twenty-fifth governor of Montana is the greatest honor of my life. Like some of you here tonight, I entered public service after a career, a career of starting businesses, creating jobs, and growing opportunities.

I say all this, because Washington, DC has largely lost the fundamental principles of public service that guided our nation’s founders. Largely lost is the idea that public servants should serve the people, not themselves. Largely lost is the idea that public servants should be public servants, not professional politicians. While America lives here, while America lives in Montana, Washington, DC does not.

There are, however, hard-working, principled policymakers, like the members of our federal delegation, who are focused on the people they serve. They understand and consider the long-term impact of today’s decisions.

But there are also some in Washington, DC whose focus seems to be chasing the hot lights of a television camera and likes on social media. They don’t seem as interested in the long-term impact of today’s decisions.

For the last four years, Washington, DC has been mired in dysfunction. We’ve felt the failures that come from that dysfunction: failures to restrain spending, ultimately fueling our nationwide affordability crisis; failures to contain our national debt, ultimately leaving a monstrous tab for our kids and grandkids; and failures to secure our nation’s borders, ultimately letting cartels profit off misery. Washington, DC is dysfunctional and failing the American people.

With President Trump taking office in exactly one week, I’m confident he won’t tolerate this dysfunction, and will get our country back on the right track. While America lives here, Washington, DC and its dysfunction do not.

We owe it to the people of Montana to keep it that way. We owe it to the people of Montana to keep front of mind how our decisions today will impact our kids and grandkids. We owe it to the people of Montana to keep our focus on them, our communities, and future generations. And we owe it to the people of Montana to keep the American dream alive and within reach for all Montanans.

When we maintain that kind of focus, Montanans find greater opportunities, and they thrive. Last summer, I stopped by a new, growing business in Sweet Grass County. I met with Wes Tuscano and his team. I learned about their manufacturing business, including how they support young apprentices and their employees.

That’s where I met Tayla Kober. Tayla was born, raised, and lives in Big Timber. Her father has worked at the mine for 26 years, and her mother works at the local school. Tayla had been working two jobs, as a bartender and a bank teller, and then, Wes provided her an opportunity at his growing company. Now she’s a 3-D Printing Engineer. In 2023, Tayla was able to buy her first home at just 22 years of age. She continues to grow in her role and is further planting roots in her community.

Thanks to employers like Wes and his business partner, Julie, Montanans have access to more opportunities here than ever before. This is what’s possible when government stays out of the way: workers and small businesses thrive. Tonight, Tayla, Julie, Wes and his family are with us. Please join me in showing appreciation to all of them.

Tayla, Julie, Wes, and the countless other Montanans who I meet are proof that the state of our state remains strong, and that’s because we’ve worked together for the people we serve. I look forward to continuing that work with you, during the 2025 session and beyond, to continue our shared success and to continue delivering results for the people of Montana. Working together, we can ensure the state of our State remains strong, not just today but well into the future.

As we move forward on this path to security and prosperity, let us remember that America truly lives here in Montana. It lives in our commitment to our children. It lives in our support for our communities. It lives in our dedication to creating greater opportunities for all Montanans.

With what we’ve been able to achieve together so far, Montana can and should be a model for our sometimes-fractured nation.

Together, we will continue to make Montana a shining example of what can be achieved when, guided by our faith and our commitment to serving Montanans, we put our families, our communities, and our way of life first. We will show the nation that America – the ideal of America and the American dream – is alive and well, right here in the Last Best Place.

God bless you, God bless our United States, and God bless our great state of Montana.