Today the Montana Budget & Policy Center announced its new project - Big Sky Brighter Future - a bold agenda providing policymakers with a clear course to prioritize Montana’s families and children as we rebuild our state.
Montana is a place we love to call home. Natural beauty and commitment to community make Montana an extraordinary place to live for many. However, many Montanans face barriers to building the best futures for themselves and their families, and the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare discrimination in the very programs and systems meant to support workers and families.
To move Montana forward and truly make it a state where we can all live, work, and enjoy all that Big Sky Country has to offer, we must be bold. We need to rebuild our systems and eliminate structural barriers so that we all have what we need. Not just during times of crisis, but every day.
Big Sky Brighter Future includes 35 forward-thinking policies to point Montana toward a brighter future. We developed this plan with an eye toward equity for Montanans who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color. MBPC met with nonprofit organizations, advocates, and experts to develop a plan that includes policies to strengthen families, boost workers, educate for our future, and build resilient communities. Policies, such as investments in early childhood education, support for tribal health services, and paid sick days, are needed now more than ever. You can read the full plan here.
Big Sky Brighter Future also provides a down payment to pay for these policies with ten common-sense proposals that create a tax code that will work for everyone and bring in $241 million in new revenue.
Over the next few months and leading to the 2021 legislative session, we will work with partners, advocates, and families to make sure candidates running for office hear what our state needs. With your help, we can build the support to make this plan a reality.
We hope you will join us by reading our plan on our website at bigskybrighterfuture.org and following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also sign up to learn more, start conversations in your community, and submit letters to the editor.
Big Sky Brighter Future is charting a clear course with concrete policy solutions to rebuild our state.
There's a better Montana on the horizon, and we know how to get there.
MBPC is a nonprofit organization focused on providing credible and timely research and analysis on budget, tax, and economic issues that impact low- and moderate-income Montana families.