Will Mine Jobs Come Back to Montana?

Senator Steve Daines is hoping that an "anti-dumping duty rate" will give the Stillwater Mine the edge it needs to counter the Russian effort to control palladium and put the Montana mine back online.

It's been over a year since the Sibanye-Stillwater Mine south of Big Timber shut down, citing the sagging palladium market, idling some 800 workers.

Daines and other members of the Montana delegation had kept pressing for the Trump Administration to take action. And last week, the Administration finally announced imposition of a duty to keep the Russians from "dumping palladium" of just over 132%.

"So this is all about palladium," Daines notes. "There's only 3 mines in the world that mine Palladium. It is one of them is right there in Montana. That's the Stillwater Mine south of Columbus and Big Timber, and then you've got a mine in South Africa and one mine in Russia."

"The problem is the Russians are dumping. They're palladium into the US market undercutting the ability for our US miners to compete." -Senator Daines

That duty is more than double what the Congressmen and the mine had been hoping for.

Back to the cold, and some snow

The first "real" winter weather of 2026 has moved into the Northern Rockies with some areas of heavy snowfall and gusty winds. Some of that snow was coming down in fast-moving snow squalls, which caught some drivers off guard, leading to more accidents than we've seen in recent weeks.

At the same time a cold front moved in the west, a push of Arctic air was pushing down temperatures into the low single digits and below zero, especially in North Central Montana.

Cold weather is expected to last for the rest of the week, with some locations falling to 15 below.

Western Montana gas prices get competitive

If you want cheap gas in the Treasure State, you should be living in Western Montana.

That's because communities like Plentywood and Glasgow have continually had some of the lowest prices in the state, recently hovering around $2.52 for a gallon of regular.

But the latest survey from GasBuddy.com shows something going on in Western Montana as well, with several stations in Missoula and Kalispell seeing competitive averages as well.

In fact, the Missoula Costco is second-lowest in the state at $2.54 for a gallon of regular. Love's Travel Stop in Missoula, and the Kalispell Costco aren't far behind at $2.59 a gallon.

Election season begins

Montana's incumbents and challengers left the starting blocks today, as filing opened in Helena for the mid-term elections. And it promises to be a busy campaign season, with Senator Steve Daines, as well as House incumbents Ryan Zinke and Troy Downing, all seeking re-election.

Four Democratic challengers will be running against Zinke, with two Democrats and an Independent saying they'll run against Downing.

Newcomer Troy Gregory of Bozeman plans a GOP Primary run against Daines, along with Charles Walkingchild, who is frequently on the Republican ballot. Four Democrats have announced, and we're waiting to see if UM President Seth Bodner will run as an Independent.

The filing period, including local races, is open through March 4th.

Tax exemption deadline approaching

Governor Greg Gianforte is reminding Montana property owners they have until March 1st to apply for the new "Homestead Reduced Rate", which was approved last year as a tool of tax reform.

The deductions can apply to a primary residence as well as long-term rentals.

To qualify, applicants must attest that they will own and live in their Montana home as their principal residence for at least seven months during 2026.