Montana Gov. Schweitzer blasts professors over business climate findings ~ right-to-work and at-will employment. Several Respond

Gov. Brian Schweitzer has criticized two University of Montana professors for suggesting that Montanans debate some controversial changes in law to make the state more attractive to business.

Among the issues raised by business professors Jack Morton and Michael Harrington are whether Montana ought to enact a right-to-work law and weaken its strong constitutional guarantee of a clean environment. They also questioned Montana’s high workers’ compensation premiums and the lack of an at-will employment law, making it harder to fire an employee.

Without naming the professors, Schweitzer last week blasted them for trotting out “the same worn-out, tired” solutions Montanans heard when the economy lagged in the 1990s.
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“We’ve got the fastest growing economy in America, the fastest three years in (state) history and the whole world is coming to an end,” Schweitzer said in an interview. “We’re doing everything wrong.”

By CHARLES S. JOHNSON of the Missoulian State Bureau

Full Story: http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/02/20/news/local/news05.txt

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Can We Open Our Door Wider?

Posted by: Editor

Government/Politics Is Montana open for business? Perhaps a better question is "Could Montana be more open for business?" posed Mike Harrington, from the University of Montana School of Business Administration.

States around Montana have a long list of nationally known companies that moved to those states or grew in them. Idaho boasts of Albertsons, Hewlett-Packard, Micron Technology, Washington Group, J.R. Simplot. In South Dakota there’s Citibank and home-grown Daktronics and Gateway Computers. While Montana has some outstanding businesses, few are of the size that can be found in other states.

The reason for the difference might have something to do with Montana’s "underlying legal structure," said Harrington, who in concert with Jack Morton, presented the keynote address at the 2006 Montana Economic Outlook Seminar that is annually presented by the U of M’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

Montana is surrounded by "states of envy," when it comes to economic opportunities, according to the professors, who pondered whether there is anything Montana can do to change the situation.

Full Opinion: http://www.bigskybusiness.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1187&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

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Bozeman lawmaker defends controversial economic seminar

By Charles S. Johnson of The Standard State Bureau –

A Republican legislator and businessman from Bozeman took issue Monday with Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s criticism of a presentation by two professors on some controversial changes that might make Montana more business friendly.

“I think it was a great study,” said Rep. John Sinrud, R-Bozeman, who heads a design firm. “I think we need to hear more about it.” Sinrud said he attended the annual Montana Economic Outlook Seminar, sponsored by the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research. It attracted a total of 1,100 people in the state’s seven largest cities.

The presentation at the hub of the controversy was by UM business professors Jack Morton and Michael Harrington, both lawyers, on the topic: “Montana’s Legal Environment: Are We Open for Business?” They informally talked to or e-mailed several hundred Montana business people, lawyers and accountants and asked them to identify issues that were barriers to business development in Montana, particularly when compared to Idaho and South Dakota.

Full Story: http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2006/02/21/newsstate/hjjdjhhijcedjd.txt