impact businesses that can already ….
impact businesses that can already afford trade education for their laborers, but provide the financial support needed by those that can’t.
House Democrats criticized Republicans’ tax-cutting approach to revitalizing the economy, saying it favors wealthy corporations and the rich.
“In terms of a tax credit like the one Representative Jones proposed, it’s an inefficient way to be approaching workforce development,” Democratic House Minority Leader Kim Abbott said during a press call on Tuesday, Feb. 9, adding that her caucus would rather pursue public-private partnerships.
Casey Olson says the credits would help him better afford the cost of year-long apprenticeships and continuing education, which he says will allow him to reinvest to grow his business.
“If we could get some help through this tax credit, it would be easier for us to spend a little bit more money to get them the education to make them more confident and hopefully find a little bit of loyalty in those employees,” Olson said. “The turnover rate is tough.”
Ultimately, Olson expressed optimism that the Legislature would advance Gianforte’s tax plan and bolster Montana’s trades industry from the ground-up — including the “little guy” along the way.
“I’m a small business — most drilling contractors in the state are. We’re not the big-employee industry that a lot of this tax stuff is targeted at,” Olson said. “But what we are is a dwindling population. Anything helps.”
( Publisher’s Note: Austin Amestoy is a reporter with the UM Legislative News Service, a partnership of the University of Montana School of Journalism, the Montana Broadcasters Association, the Montana Newspaper Association and the Greater Montana Foundation. He can be reached at austin.amestoy@umontana.edu.)
