MATR Newsletter – July 23, 2021
The state with the best education wins!

2023 Montana Legislature and Politics

• ‘Economic transformation’ Montana commission adopts priorities, seeks public input on how to allocate $150 Million

  Lawmakers and Gianforte administration officials tasked with allocating $150 million to bolster Montana’s post-COVID economy name business innovation, value-added ag, worker training and affordable housing as priorities.

• Housing costs emerge as key to Montana’s labor shortage

  On Wednesday, a commission tasked with distributing part of the $900 million in federal coronavirus relief that Montana received named affordable housing as one of four categories they will consider for funding proposals.

Come Home Montana

• Californians are arriving in Montana in droves. But they’re not welcome.

  That was in September 2020. By Thanksgiving, they had moved there, joining the thousands of people who have relocated from California to Montana in the past two years.

Montana Department of Commerce

• Gov. Gianforte Seeks Public Comment on Use of ARPA Economic and Workforce Funds

  Beginning yesterday and through August 9, 2021, Montanans may submit their public comment

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• The Red Ants Pants Music Festival brings economic boost to rural Montana in the White Sulphur Springs region.

  Festival Producer and owner of Red Ants Pants Sarah Calhoun says the festival is not just about jamming out to music, but actually strengthening Montana by raising funds for the Red Ants Pants Foundation which is dedicated to fostering strength and self-reliance in women, in rural communities.

• Communities Across the Country will be able to Apply for $3 Billion in Funding Immediately

  Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced six programs, collectively called Investing in America’s Communities, that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) will execute to equitably invest the $3 billion it received from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

• Billings ranks No. 1 for its appeal to remote workers

  Due to its affordability and appeal to remote workers, Billings ranked No. 1 this week in the Wall Street Journal and Realtor.com Emerging Housing Markets Index.

• Bioscience: Driving Force for Montana’s Economy

  This year’s annual Economic Update Series will bring expert panelists together highlighting Montana’s ‘Centers of Opportunity’, including bioscience, manufacturing, and high-tech,- industries critical to Montana’s economic recovery.

  Dr. Pat Barkey from University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research will also present his state and local post-pandemic economic projections.

  The Economic Update Series takes place in 4 cities across Montana.

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

• Virginia Governor Announces $700 Million for Broadband

  Gov. Ralph Northam has announced a plan to invest $700 million toward broadband infrastructure for unserved areas in Virginia. The funding for this investment comes from the American Rescue Plan.

• Governor Gianforte Devotes $3.9 Million to Bridge Digital Divide in Schools

  Montana K-12 public school districts are eligible for similar funding through ESSER funds.

Housing

• Smart City Tech Is Being Built Into Planned Communities

  Some of the smart city technologies being made available to residents include drone delivery by DroneUp, ferrying goods from the New Haven Marketplace — a new retail area — to resident homes. New Haven will also feature “robot carts” by gita, a self-operating enclosed cart about the size of a wheelbarrow, that can follow pedestrians with groceries or other items. Residents can also hop on a three-wheeled electric scooter by Clevr Scooters.

• Converting Unused Parking Garages to Affordable Housing

  As garage operators find their businesses increasingly unsustainable, some are looking to affordable housing as the logical next incarnation of their buildings.

• “Keep it Bitterroot” campaign enters home stretch

  “We all see it and it’s great for our local economy,” Lauren Rennaker tells me as we survey lands already protected from atop the Stevensville Bench. “But at the same time we want to make sure that we protect what makes this place so special, and that’s our critical water resources, open lands for wildlife habitat and local agriculture.”

• Self-powered home in Melbourne gives back to the grid

  The house is amongst the first of its kind to act as a power station, supplying around 79 kwh of excess sustainable electricity to the grid daily

Funding and Building your Business

• The 7 Steps To Success Silicon Valley Startups Swear By

  You don’t have to be in Silicon Valley to be in technology, but it definitely makes sense to learn from their success.

• Why Rural America Needs Immigrants

  There is no better place to help grow our economy than rural communities like ours. We need smart public policy for sustained growth – and immigration reform would be a big one part.

• Skydiving Classes, iPhones and Pizza: How Some Employers Are Overcoming America’s Labor Shortage

  With 8 million unemployed, business owners are still struggling to find help. Experiences may be their answer.

Regional Business News

• Pivot Bio Nears $2 Billion Valuation As It Raises Whopping $430 Million To Replace Synthetic Fertilizers On Corn And Wheat

  “I don’t think there’s ever been something like that in agriculture,” Temme, the company’s 41-year-old CEO, says of the massive cash influx. “We are starting to see where innovation can disrupt sectors of this industry.”

Wyoming Business

• Mountain West Extends Blockchain’s Digital Frontier

  The technology is taking root in the region, with states like Wyoming and Colorado opening doors to developers and agencies. But potential technical and regulatory barriers need to be addressed.

21st Century Education Initiative – “You Should Care…”

• Missoula College Announces Online, 1-Year Legal Studies Certificate

  Providing an immersive experience in areas that include legal writing, terminology, the function of law, interviewing and preparing for trial, the program also exposes students to the function of law and legal ethics.

Transportation

• Butte, Montana will now have daily flights to Salt Lake and Denver

  SkyWest Airlines will start providing Butte flights to and from Salt Lake City and Denver starting in January, giving the Mining City a second, big-destination city it has sought for years.

• To Make Cities More Livable, Get Rid of Pavement

  Paved surfaces take up close to a third of space in U.S. cities, polluting waterways and contributing to the urban heat island effect.

Energy and Climate Change

• PG&E says it will bury 10,000 miles of power lines to reduce California fire risk

  Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said Wednesday that it wants to bury 10,000 miles of its power lines in the coming years, hoping that such a far-reaching and expensive effort will finally turn the company’s disastrous track record around.

VR/AR, Blockchain, Bitcoin, Artificial Intelligence and The Internet of Things

• Blockchain Gets Real Across Industries

  Blockchain use cases are exploding across industries because these days trust is ‘a thing.’ Here are 11 examples.

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