HELENA, Mont. (NMB) – A Senate panel has advanced a bill that would use a bed tax to fund the construction of the Montana Heritage Center.
As Shaylee Ragar with the UM Legislative News Service reports, Senator Terry Gauthier, a Republican from Helena, is sponsoring Senate Bill 338. It would increase the sales tax on accommodations by 1 percent to pay for the new home for the Montana Historical Society, which has been collecting historical artifacts since 1865.
The Senate Finance and Claims Committee passed it 10-9 Monday.
The bill would also create a grant program to fund restorations of historical sites and museums across the state, which Historical Society Director Bruce Whittenberg says would allow more community museums to showcase the society’s artifacts.
“An important way for Montanans and visitors to enjoy the collections of the Historical Society is through loans to local partners.”
In 2005, the Legislature approved a budget to build the center, but never allocated funding.
