MATR Newsletter – July 12, 2021
The state with the best education wins!

TODAY!

2023 Montana Legislature and Politics

• Redistricting commission adopts criteria for Montana’s new congressional district

  Montana’s five-member redistricting commission voted Friday to formally adopt criteria to guide its work in establishing lines for the state’s new congressional district. A vote on criteria governing how the commission will redraw state legislative boundaries was pushed to July 20.

• President Biden Just Announced Plans to Restore Net Neutrality

  But it could take months to get rolling.

• Montana Legislature Districting and Apportionment Commission – July 20, 2021 – Room 102, State Capitol, Helena and Zoom

  The meetings starts on July 20 at 10 a.m. in Room 102 of the Capitol in Helena. The public can join the commissioners in person at the Capitol or online using Zoom.

Corona Virus Information

• Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin asks legislature to reconvene following mandatory vaccine for health systems

  “I am calling on the Idaho Legislature to reconvene and take action to protect Idahoans from medical tyranny. No one should be forced to choose between keeping their job and undergoing an experimental medical procedure that violates their conscience.” Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin

• Can employees be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Idaho?

  With three of the Treasure Valley’s healthcare providers now requiring staff and employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, many are wondering if its legal.

Come Home Montana

• Montana Career Opportunities – Site Leader, Senior Software Engineer Operations, Senior Manager – Software Engineering and more…. – SoFi

  Shape a brighter financial future with us. Together with our members, we’re changing the way people think about and interact with personal finance. We’re a next-generation fintech company using innovative, mobile-first technology to help our 2+ million members reach their goals. The industry is going through an unprecedented transformation, and we’re at the forefront.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• Sharing the love of the Lower Yellowstone – $4 million state plan launched

  Montana has launched a $4 million plan to expand access along the eastern stretches of the longest undammed river in the Lower 48 in hopes of drawing tourists and tapping economic potential.

• City of Hamilton to host a week of public input sessions ahead of city plan update

  The goal of the update is to revisit Hamilton’s growth policy, as western Montana sees a recent boom in popularity.

• What happens to the economy when $5.2 trillion in stimulus wears off?

  “Our economy does not do a terribly good job of slowing without creating a lot of pain,” America’s nascent economic boom has been propped up by history’s most expensive training wheels. Some doubt it will be able to keep growing under its own power.

• Bring back corner stores to create a connected, equitable city

  A call for zoning reforms that legalize commercial buildings in residential neighborhoods in Seattle—a building type and land use that has fallen out of favor all over the United States.

• 3 Ways Biden’s Latest Executive Order Could Give Your Business an Edge

  The order calls on the Federal Trade Commission for new rules to restrict the use of non-compete clauses and excessive occupational licensing requirements.

The Telecommuting and Gig Workforce in Montana

• How to Achieve Sustainable Remote Work

  Companies must move away from surveillance and visible busyness, and toward defined outcomes and trust.

Montana Businesses Seeking Investment or For Sale

• Y Combinator Wants to Find You a Business Partner

  Many in the orbit of Y Combinator know a curious fact: Of the top 100 companies that have come out of the renowned startup school and accelerator, only four had solo founders.

Housing

• Inside One City’s Efforts to Convert Motels into Affordable Housing

  Housing advocates agree that California’s Project Homekey had a significant impact on the Fresno community, but there is still more that must be done to ensure all residents have safe, affordable housing options.

Montana Business

• Missoula law firm, Kimberly Dudik & Associates to offer free services for families of missing and murdered Indigenous people

  Kimberly Dudik & Associates will provide services at no cost for victims’ families, including legal representation by an attorney, legal advice, legal correspondence related to the investigation, obtaining available information and related records, serving as a referral source and advocating for reform.

• SoFi Technologies: Big Banks’ Days Are Numbered

  Millennials and Generation Z are the rising consumer class that thinks little of traditional financial institutions.

• SoFi CEO says customers are warned on every crypto trade ‘you could lose all of your money’

  Online finance company SoFi warns crypto customers before every purchase on its platform to be wary of volatile digital currencies, CEO Anthony Noto told CNBC on Thursday.

Visit Montana

• Iconic Yellowstone Park Faces Startling Climate Threats

  A new report details global warming’s effect on the national park and its surroundings, including everything from its forests to the Old Faithful geyser.

•  Missoula, Montana’s Endless Drift Outfitters – we are here to help make your Montana fly fishing dream come true. 

  Fly fishing is a “life sport” and an athletic endeavor that continues to challenge the angler willing to push him or herself. In addition, fly fishing delivers you to the world’s most spectacular natural destinations.

• Yellowstone, Glacier National Parks see “revenge travel” over July Fourth weekend

  As of July 10, Yellowstone National Park is under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions which means campfires are only allowed in designated campgrounds within metal fire grates but are strictly not allowed in the backcountry.

Funding and Building your Business

• How the combination of our cultures of service and tipping leads to sexual harassment in restaurants – What about the ad industry?

  The combination of tipping-based compensation structures with demands for overexaggerated friendliness lead customers to feel they have power over service workers.

• Why Successful Entrepreneurs Put Themselves First

  Selfish. Self-centered. Unconscientious. Careless. These are some of the shame and guilt-ridden words that might swim around in an entrepreneur’s head when they choose to put themselves first.

Come Home Idaho

• Small Boise-area town OKs emergency moratorium to halt growth. This is why

  Worried that growth could overrun the town, the Melba City Council has voted unanimously to impose an emergency moratorium on new subdivisions for up to six months. The City of Caldwell passed a similar moratorium in May .

Rural Communities

• “Amenity Destinations” : The Rush to Rural – What Comes Next?

  Researchers wonder if migration to rural areas will be stymied by the end of the pandemic. An influx of affluent urban dwellers deepened an already existing housing crisis in many rural parts of the country.

MAPS : Media Arts in the Public Schools

• Film by Harlem, MT students, “Looking Forward from Yesterday,” showcase the joys and sorrows that create a culture

  “My teacher told me that we can’t get mad at people for being so ignorant because we don’t put anything out there to teach them. So I want to teach more about my culture while learning my culture,” explained Blackcrow.

Careers

• Attn Gamers Everywhere! – Free Cybersecurity Game CyberStart Aims to Recruit and Train 25K Specialists by 2025

  The National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF) is taking aim at the U.S.’s cybersecurity talent gap, with recently announced plans to turn out 25,000 high-level specialists by 2025 — and it’s relying on a free game to recruit.

• It’s okay not to have career goals. Here’s what to do if you don’t

  Here’s a thought experiment: what would you do with your time if you didn’t have to work?

Transportation

• Taking the train to Billings? Or Miles City? – Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority

  Federal transportation bill holds promise for left-behind rural rail

• High-Speed Rail Is at a Crossroads, Industry Experts Say

  The possibility of new funding and potential expansion opportunities has high-speed rail advocates watching the activity in Washington, D.C. If new infrastructure is funded, it could jumpstart a new era of rail travel.

• Tesla finally begins shipping ‘Full Self-Driving’ beta version 9 after a long delay

  Let the fun begin

Energy and Climate Change

• More Power Lines or Rooftop Solar Panels: The Fight Over Energy’s Future

  The president and energy companies want new transmission lines to carry electricity from solar and wind farms. Some environmentalists and homeowners are pushing for smaller, more local systems.

• As extreme weather intensifies, a growing need for private-sector engagement in government

  The importance of weather and climate prediction for saving lives and protecting property has never been greater

MATR Newsletter Supporters: