HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – Governor Steve Bullock held a press call Wednesday, May 13 to discuss and provide updates on Montana’s state budget and when the state’s national parks can expect to reopen.
Bullock said that Montana is looking better financially but they will know more after income taxes are received.
“My Budget Office is projecting that we still will have $113 million dollars in general fund reserves on June 30th of next year and that isn’t even tapping into the additional $92 million that would be available to access in the Budget Stabilization Reserve.”
Bullock said these numbers are just projections and they will have a better idea in July.
Though Yellowstone National Park gates in Wyoming are reopening Monday, May 18, Bullock said that entrances into any national parks in Montana will not open until maybe June 1.
“In conjunction with conversations with Yellowstone National Park, the Wyoming Governor, the park in Gallatin County, I’ve determined that the entrances on the Montana side of the park will not reopen until June 1st at the earliest.”
Bullock said the main reason for this, is to make sure protocols and surveillance procedures are in place before the gates reopen.
“Just as our Businesses need time in preparing their reopening plans so to do our county health offices in the gateway community. To bring online increased surveillance testing to workers and park staff, capacity for quarantine and isolating, staffing the interface with business in the public, and to support expected response needs. This June reopening date is dependent on our continued monitoring of new cases in Montana in line with increasing our test capacity throughout the state ”
For more information visit MT.gov.
