The Burton K. Wheeler Center, based at Montana State University, will hold a conference on April 6-7 focused on tax policy and its impact on civic life, according to an April 1 announcement.
The event aims to provide a platform for public discussion about state taxation, including its economic effects and long-term consequences for communities. Organizers say the sessions are designed to address both practical and philosophical aspects of tax policy, with the goal of encouraging informed civic engagement.
Titled “Use Your Voice: A Civil Conversation on Tax Policy,” the conference will take place in Norm Asbjornson Hall on the MSU campus in Bozeman. The keynote address is scheduled for April 6 by Bob Story, former president of the Montana Senate and current executive director of the Montana Taxpayers Association. On April 7, attendees can participate in panel discussions featuring Manish Bhatt from the Tax Foundation and economist Kristin Smith from Headwaters Economics. There will also be a moderated discussion between former Governor Marc Racicot and former Representative Dorothy Bradley revisiting their debate over statewide sales tax during the closely contested 1992 gubernatorial race.
Registration is open to all members of the public at $99 per person through online sign-up. MSU students may attend free by contacting info@wheelercenter.org for more information.
Montana State University leads in research funding within the state with annual expenditures exceeding $288 million according to its official website. The university also contributes significantly through volunteer work, outreach programs, and research that seeks to improve lives and protect natural resources according to its official website. MSU ranks among the top five percent of global universities as reported by the Center for World University Rankings according to its official website, enrolling approximately 17,165 students evenly split between residents and nonresidents according to its official website.
As Montana’s land-grant institution located in Bozeman, MSU focuses on research, education, and community outreach addressing key challenges faced by Montanans according to its official website. The university’s influence extends beyond state borders through academic programs and scholarship as well as access to outdoor recreation amid vast wilderness areas according to its official website.
Since it was founded in 1988, “the nonprofit Burton K. Wheeler Center has provided Montanans with nonpartisan discussions of important policy topics.” Its stated mission is “to facilitate informed discussion and civic engagement on issues critical to the future of Montana.” More details about this event are available at www.wheelercenter.org/conferences/.