Montana Lawmakers to Meet in Miles City to Explore Economic Development

The Economic Affairs Interim Committee of the Montana Legislature will
hold a public meeting in Miles City Nov. 8 to explore the issue of
value-added agriculture and local economic development initiatives in
southeastern Montana.

The meeting will be in the auditorium of the Veteran’s Affairs Hospital
at 210 South Winchester. It will begin at 8 a.m. and end at about 4 p.m.

Susan Fox, executive director of Legislative Services, said the meeting
in Miles City is viewed by committee members as a way to reach out to
local communities.

"One of the things we heard after this last session was legislators
commenting on the great efforts citizens make to get to Helena and be a
part of the legislative process," she said. "Meetings such as this one
are a way for legislators to show their appreciation. It’s also a great
opportunity for them to listen to local concerns and voices outside of
their own constituencies."

The committee is charged with studying issues related to business and
labor, agriculture and livestock, insurance issues, and economic
development. In the morning, it will explore current initiatives
involved in value-added agriculture as a way to bring economic growth to
Montana generally, but with a particular focus on the southeastern
region of the state. An afternoon panel will discuss the current state
of the economy in the region and how local governments, economic
development organizations, and business leaders can work together to
sustain economic growth.

The public is invited and will have an opportunity to offer comments or
ask questions of committee members.

Members of the Economic Affairs Interim Committee are Sens. Roy Brown,
Ken Hansen, Frank Smith, and Donald Steinbeisser; and Reps. Scott
Mendenhall, Mike Milburn, Michele Reinhart, and Bill Thomas.

For an agenda, visit http://app.mt.gov/ecal and click on Legislative
Branch. Then click on the Nov. 8 meeting entry. More information also is
available from the Legislative Information Office at 406-444-2957.