WEB EXTRA Helena update: Rep. Janna Taylor

We heard an interesting bill in House Transportation last week. House Bill 615 would set up a system to identify vehicles that are uninsured. Senator Brueggeman has a similar bill in the Senate Transportation Committee.

 Many of us realize the cost we all pay for uninsured motorists. There were no opponents to this bill and the Montana Highway Patrol strongly supports it.

HB 615 would begin the process of choosing a company to install a web-based insurance identification system. Initially, the cost would be $1 on every license and after two years, reduced to 50 cents. All insurance companies that insure vehicles in Montana would be required to input their data. This is already done for about 85 percent of all the vehicles in the US.

But don’t worry about privacy. The data transmitted would be insurance on vehicles only, no names, addresses or social security numbers. The insurance would be verified by license plate number and/or VIN number.

 The first test of a system like this was in Florida in 2006. New York developed their own technology and Wyoming, Texas and Utah use a purchased system. California is planning to begin this fall.

The bill calls for insurance verification to be a secondary offense, like our seat belt law. That means that law enforcement cannot stop you for this, but can ticket you if you are stopped for something else or are in an accident.

Interesting, Wyoming is so pleased with their verification system that their legislature changed the law to a primary offense.

On another note, we begin hearing the reappraisal bills in House Taxation this week. So far I like the Joint Taxation Sub-committee bill developed by Senator Essmann (R, Billings) and Representative Jopek (D-Whitefish).

Although Representative Jopek’s name is on the bill, he has another plan in another bill. . .

Senator Tutvedt (R-Kalispell) and Representative Hoven (R- Great Falls) have another plan as does Representative Stahl (R-Saco) and Senators Brueggeman and Kaufmann (D, Helena). Most of these plans keep the 34 percent homestead exemption and the multiplier rate of 3 percent. The first plan also calls for a 17% deduction on top of the 34 percent for homes of Montana residents.

    All of the plans have some type of mitigation design for low income homeowners. I’d like to remind any homeowner that needs assistance to contact the Department of Revenue. The Kalispell office handles Lake County and their number is 758-5700.

    The increase in residential value in Flathead County (72.6 percent) and Lake County (74 percent) are no longer number one and two. Three oil and gas producing counties, Richland, Garfield and Dawson have increases closer

to 80 percent. These natural resource counties are seeing actual economic growth. Flathead County has 11.7 percent unemployment and as I’ve written before, Lake County is 44th in average income compared to the other 56 Counties.

    One new addition to the reappraisal plans is a two or three year review of value. If the market continues to decline we can have the Department of Revenue lower appraised values.

    Please continue to contact me. I never forget that I work for you. Leave me a message at 406-444-4800, write Representative Janna Taylor, Capitol Building, PO Box 200400, Helena, MT 59620-0400, or e-mail jannataylor@montana.com.