A Sales Tax is Going Nowhere, Let’s Stop Taxing Social Security

Whether a Republican is elected governor, or a Democrat is elected governor- let's be honest, a statewide sales tax is going nowhere in Montana. How many decades have we been talking about that now?

Nonetheless, I did have to laugh when I saw a news story about banning a statewide sales tax here in Montana. I know Democrat gubernatorial candidate Mike Cooney's campaign was simply hoping to get some media attention. In the end; though, they basically ended up calling more attention to the fact that Cooney himself supports local option sales taxes, and had his name on a statewide sales tax bill in the early 2000s.

From that same Lee Newspapers report:

"Greg Gianforte has been clear: He opposes a sales tax. Period. The fact is 44-year career politician Mike Cooney worked on imposing a 4 percent sales tax on hardworking Montanans when he was a state senator, and Cooney should come clean with Montanans about it,” Travis Hall, Gianforte campaign spokesman said in a statement.

 

Either way, both Gianforte and Cooney say they oppose a statewide sales tax. So what's a much more important topic to actually cover? How about a bill that actually went somewhere?

As I've previously reported, Montana is one of just a handful of states that actually taxes your social security benefits. A bill to reduce taxes on your social security benefits was carried by State Sen. Dave Howard (R-Park City). It actually passed both the state house and the state senate, but was vetoed by Cooney's running mate- Gov. Steve Bullock (D-MT).