To spur further job creation, the budget includes funding to reimburse schools and local governments for reducing the Montana business personal tax to its lowest level this century. Montana had the highest business taxes in the nation and the continuation of this reduction is needed to allow the state to compete for new investments, jobs, and economic opportunity. If Montana is to continue as a civil society, then criminal offenders must be accountable for their crimes and Montanans need to feel safe in their communities and homes. The budget fulfills the requirements of the Governor's compact with higher education to fund the state share of the salary and improvement plan. The budget provides funding for new enrollments and initiates funding to bring twenty-first century technology to the classrooms both on campus and off.
All systems receive state funding increases.
The Regents are encouraged to continue to work to reduce costs and make every possible effort to moderate increases in student fees. The Executive Budget has as a principal priority those items that provide for support and assistance to Montana families. In mid-1996, the Governor appointed a council to create public forums to engage Montanan's in discussions and actions to strengthen families, to advise the Governor on state policies and laws affecting families, and to facilitate the recognition and exchange of successful family strategies among Montanans. Expenditures in 1998 and 1999 include Guaranteed Tax Base appropriation for tax relief General fund expenditures for the 1999 biennium have increased by 5 percent over 1996-97 levels, while revenues, less property appraisal, for that same time period increased 5.2 percent. Combined with higher education funding, the state will spend nearly 60 cents of every general fund dollar on education.