HELENA — As the 69th Montana Legislature begins there are proposals on the table to reallocate marijuana tax revenue for uses aside from the outdoors.
Members from programs supported by the marijuana tax revenue gathered at Capital Sports in Helena on Wednesday to discuss the future of the tax revenue.
In 2021 Montana made the historic investment with the passage of House Bill 701 which dedicated a portion of the state’s recreational marijuana tax revenue to support both conservation and recreation across the Treasure State.
Montana is in a strong fiscal position with last year's ending fiscal balance sitting at over one billion dollars. The state is expected to have an additional 2.4 billion dollars in revenue to allocate in the next biennial budget.
The funds are currently being distributed to the Habitat Montana Program, Montana Trails Stewardship Grant Program, non-game wildlife management, and Montana State Parks.
Chris Smith, the vice president for the Montana State Parks Foundation shares the importance of marijuana tax revenue to state parks.
"The marijuana tax revenue is a significant and really important part of the state parks budget," Smith says. "With the decline in the coal severance tax over the years which has been an important part of the state parks budget, marijuana tax has really filled that hole.”
Currently the governor’s office is looking to modify the formula per their executive budget proposal. Since Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has consistently said Habitat Montana is fully funded to continue conserving habitat and increasing public access, the governor's budget proposes reforms to boost funding for public safety and improve Montana's infrastructure.
