Greetings, MFDA members!
Spring is upon us, and I’m glad this signals the end of what was another snowy winter. This year has been a busy one for the association, and there is great news to report in terms of our participation in Montana’s 2025 legislative session.
A bill drafted by Jim Brown changing the statutory requirements for investment of trust monies passed the Senate and House with only one opposing vote! Rather than government-backed securities only, we now can follow the prudent investor standard which opens the opportunity for growth in different investment products. As the fiduciary for the trust, this bill signals the potential to stop the bleeding in terms of trust revenue falling within the invested corpus and solidifying the financial health of the association. I am deeply grateful to Jim, Terri, the Executive Board, our lobbyist Brad Longcake and the Trust Committee for pushing this bill agenda with great success. In the beginning, we thought it might not be possible, but this could be one of the most positive and consequential bills to pass in MFDA history. Many thanks also to our new administrative and investment partner U.S. Alliance. Jack Brier and Katherine Kosloski have been so supportive and willing to walk with us through this process.
The voter cancellation bill was also signed into law, and the MFDA members were given the opportunity to assist the Secretary of State’s Office by providing valuable insights and input into the process.
A study bill, HJ 27, sponsored by Rep. Baum from Billings, is moving its way through the legislative process. In short, the study bill seeks to define new and alternative forms of disposition like natural organic reduction and alkaline hydrolysis and the proper statutory and regulatory language associated with these new modes of disposition. The Board of Funeral Service will be directly involved in working on this with input from our association.
Congratulations to our new executive director, Terri James. Terri has been a rock as an administrative assistant and membership director for so long, and now that the administration of the association is in her hands, we are thrilled with her leadership and excited for what the future holds for us. Jim Brown has been an absolute gift to this association over the past 10 years. His intelligence, commitment and levelheaded direction have made us both financially successful and a true steward for our members and their families. Jim will continue to serve in a consultant capacity, which we are grateful for. Thank you, Terri and Jim, for all you do.
District meetings have now concluded, and I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with all of you and discussing matters of importance. We had some great speakers lined up, and attendees were able to earn continuing education credits as well.
Coming up on June 22-24 is the state convention in Billings. We hope to see you there. You’ll have great opportunities to network, get credits from some great speakers and enjoy all that the Magic City has to offer as your host.
Thanks to all the members for your support, and I look forward to seeing you in person. May 2025 continue to bring you health and success.
Steve Kirkegard
MFDA President
