Schweitzer signs business equipment tax bill

HELENA — Gov. Brian Schweitzer has signed a bill giving a tax break to all businesses operating in the state.

The Democratic governor had opposed the Republican plan to reduce the business equipment tax for all the businesses in Montana, saying large, out-of-state companies shouldn't get the break.

But he says he signed the bill Friday because vetoing it also would have thrown out help for small businesses.

Schweitzer had favored his own proposal to eliminate the tax altogether for businesses with less than $1 million in equipment. He says his proposal would have left 450 of the state's l...