National Guard facilities to get funding through stimulus

WASHINGTON — All of Montana's National Guard facilities will get new maintenance funding as part of $580,000 for the state in the recently passed stimulus bill, Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester announced Tuesday.

The new funding will create jobs by upgrading National Guard facilities with energy-efficient lighting. The funding will also upgrade bathrooms at the Guard's readiness centers in Malta and Culbertson.

Here's a breakout of the funding:

• $103,000 to install energy-efficient lighting in 16 of the Guard's cold storage buildings across Montana.
• $25,000 to install energy-efficient LED lighting fixtures in all Montana National Guard buildings.
• $226,000 each to repair and upgrade bathrooms at the Culbertson and Malta readiness centers.

"This is great news for the Montana National Guard and all Montanans who rely on their hard work, said Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Tester said he voted for the bill because it rebuilds the state's economy by putting people back to work andinvesting in infrastructure.

"Our Guardsmen and women represent the best of our communities," said Tester, a member of the National Guard Caucus and the Senate Appropriations Committee, which oversees funding for the military. "We owe them the best facilities possible, and I'm pleased that the Jobs Bill will make that happen."

The money brings Montana's share of stimulus bill funding to $982 million. The measure also cuts an estimated $575 million in taxes for Montana residents.