Howdy! Here are the topics for today’s column:

• Montana Legislature
• 100 Days of Trump
• Trump & Columbus Day
• Trump & Truck Drivers
• One More Thing

MONTANA LEGISLATURE:

This session of the Montana Legislature is (thankfully) coming to a close. It’s been a circus with many clowns running around. 

However, they still have not dealt with property tax relief, and Montana is still taxing Social Security Retirement benefits (one of nine states that still does). There are reports that there may be some sort of property tax relief passed in the final days. 

Most Montanans would like to see some of the surplus given back to us. Maybe they could just send us a check for a few thousand dollars, and we’ll call it even. 

On Monday, Governor Greg Gianforte signed a bill into law that cuts income taxes. According to the Daily Montanan, House Bill 337, sponsored by House Speaker Brandon Ler, R-Savage, lowers Montana’s top tax rate by .5% over two years, expands the eligibility threshold for filers to pay the state’s lower tax rate, and doubles the Earned Income Tax Credit. 

So, when the circus is over and the clowns come home to tell you how hard they worked for you in Helena, they will probably tout the income tax cuts as one of their successes. We all know that most of them don’t understand anything about the tax rates and the Earned Income Tax Credit. 

100 DAYS OF TRUMP:

Fox News is reporting that President Donald Trump is underwater in most polls about his first 100 days, even the ultra-MAGA Fox News poll.

President Trump stands at 44% approval and 55% disapproval in the latest Fox News national poll. 

Fox News also shared the bad news from other polls:

The president’s numbers are also underwater in polls released the past few days by ABC News/Washington Post (42% approval-55% disapproval), New York Times/Siena College (42%-54%), CNN (43%-57%), Reuters/Ipsos (42%-53%), Pew Research (40%-59%), and AP/NORC (39%-59%).

TRUMP & COLUMBUS DAY:

The Associated Press (AP) and other sources are reporting that President Donald Trump made clear Sunday that he would not follow his predecessor’s practice of recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day alongside Columbus Day in October, accusing Democrats of denigrating the explorer’s legacy as he pressed his campaign to restore what he argues are traditional American icons.

There’s a lot of hate in the Trump Administration. 

The Montana Legislature recently passed Senate Bill 224 that officially recognizes Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the second Monday of October, in addition to Columbus Day. It also falls on the same day. 

The Bill has not been signed into law by the Governor.

So now what will the MAGAs in the Montana Legislature and the Governor do since “Dear Leader” has said he won’t recognize Indigenous Peoples Day? 

I liked what the Montana Legislature did with SB 224. The Governor should sign the bill into law. 

TRUMP & TRUCK DRIVERS:

One of the latest Executive Orders from President Donald Trump requires truck drivers to be proficient in English:

My Administration will enforce the law to protect the safety of American truckers, drivers, passengers, and others, including by upholding the safety enforcement regulations that ensure that anyone behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle is properly qualified and proficient in our national language, English.

I hope the “properly qualified” includes being licensed and trained to drive the truck. 

ONE MORE THING:

A waitress asked me if I wanna box for my leftovers. We went three rounds before she knocked me out…

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