Civic leaders unveiled a new plan Wednesday morning to assist 30 federal TSA officers in Billings who have not received pay for nearly 40 days during the partial government shutdown.
For the next week, the Billings Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the Big J-Show Cares program to gather donations for all Transportation Security Administration employees at Billings Logan International Airport. The donations will help with everyday essentials like rent, gas and groceries.
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The announcement was made at the chamber's annual State of the City and County address, held at the Hilton Garden Inn.
"They are doing their job without pay. They're there to help us. They're there for our safety, our security. And it's good to keep in mind that they're not just government employees. These are our residents, our neighbors, people that are struggling right now without having a paycheck for two months. And if things are resolved quickly, it's probably gonna be another month before they see a paycheck," said John Brewer, president of the Billings Chamber.
The shutdown affects employees at Homeland Security, which includes TSA workers. Democrats and Republicans are locked into a showdown over immigration enforcement, which has left TSA workers caught in the middle.
Also at the morning event, new Billings Mayor Mike Nelson held his first address to city members.
"It brings me great pride that the state of the city of Billings is excellent. Thank you very much. It is excellent. I am the luckiest human being on the planet, because I get to live in Billings, Montana," Nelson said.
Nelson and Yellowstone County Commissioner Mark Morse discussed the growth they expect Billings to see. They also gave an update on the data center in Broadview and the forensic mental health facility in Laurel.
"We're going to need to make some hard decisions in the future, because Billings is going to be faced with unprecedented growth. Think the Skyline Trail. Did you know there's room for 7,000 home lots up there? We're going to get big, because if you build it, they will come," Nelson said.
"There's a lot of unknown. I know there's a lot of concern in the county, but the fact is, there are no hard facts to share with you on that. And it's kind of the same story with the mental health prison that's going in over in Laurel," Morse said.
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