Montana Self Insurers' Association
JUNE 2026 UPDATE
SAWW, Housing Benefit, COLA & Interest Rates Information Effective 7/1/2026
The Dept of Labor has released the updated SAWW, Housing Benefit, COLA and T-Bill interest rates needed for benefit calculations effective July 1, 2026.
The SAWW has increased from $1132 to $1196 – a 4.84% increase, moving the benefit basis to $596 per week for benefit calculations. The Housing Benefit for wage inclusion has also increased, with the increases in rent throughout the state. Finally, the COLA is to be 4.84% and the interest rate for the US 10-year Treasury Bill, for calculation of discounts and amortizations is 4.76%. All these numbers are to be effective in the system as of July 1, 2026 and will be in effect until July 1 of next year.
Here is the link for the SAWW, the COLA and the T-Bill Interest rate - WC Compensation-Benefits-Rates
Here is the link for the Housing Rates – WC Value-of-Employer-Furnished-Housing
Bureau of Bus & Econ Research Mid-Year Economic Update
– Are Data Centers the New Montana Gold? - Coming Near You in July/August
The University of Montana Bureau of Business & Economic Research (BBER) runs two annual Economic Outlook Seminars (EOS) reviewing the latest in economic data and issues for the state and the country as a whole. The mid-year program, during the summer, is much more informal and focuses primarily on an individual issue. This summer the issue is Data Centers. The BBER seminars will be held in seven cities across the state starting July 28 in Helena and ending August 6 in Missoula.
Other stops include Great Falls, Kalispell, Billings, Bozeman and Butte.
Learn more and register here: Economic Update - EOS 2026.
The Seminars provide valuable information to help understand what drives the Montana economic results, the outlook for the coming year, and always at least one of the hot button issues that will be discussed at the legislature.
FREE Safety Programs, courtesy of State of Montana and a Susan Harwood Grant
The Montana Department of Labor has secured a one-time grant for safety education and training programs for 2026 & 2027. These OSHA Susan Harwood grant funds support training and education by focusing on specific topics with a two-hour program on each topic.
The first sessions are in Billings June 29 & 30 at the Billings Hotel & Conference Center. Advance registration is required – use this link, DLI Susan Harwood Training - General Industry and Construction for more details. The 2-hour courses available are:
Electrical Hazards
Fall Prevention/Protection
Hazardous Temperature Exposure
Health Hazards/Hazard Communication
Chemical Inhalation and Absorption Hazards
Lock Out/Tag Out
Machine Guarding/Amputation Prevention
Noise/Hearing Conservation
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Residential Construction Hazards
Respirable Crystalline Silica Hazards
Warehousing
Here’s the link again for the June 29 and June 30 sessions of the DLI Susan Harwood Training - General Industry and Construction at the Billings Hotel & Conference Center.
The Primaries – What It All Means
How did things shake out in the primaries last week (June 2)? From our seat, as it so often is, it is a mixed bag. Generally the consensus seems to be the conservative Republicans seem to have been more successful than the moderate Republicans. The next iteration of the battles will be at the Montana Republican State Convention in Missoula on Thursday and Friday. While allegedly all Republicans are invited, some may be more welcome than others and some may stay away.
Lets start with the turnout – about 37.5% of eligible voters came out for the primaries. That means those who were really interested in the primaries, carried the day for their candidates. That’s far from a mandate – but it is an indication of how the individual candidates were able to drive the party loyalists to the polls. For many Montana seats, the winner of the primary is the winner of the election. Typically, the minority party in the specific district has a harder time recruiting anyone to run for the seat, let alone more than one person. Of course, there will always be some contested seats, but those numbers typically do not create a majority.
This year the Montana Republican Party identified specific primary individuals as being part of their ‘Honor Roll.’ It is unusual for a state party to take sides in a primary. Usually the party lets the local electorate identify the person they prefer, and then the party offers support. Not this time. The Republican party identified 42 races where they tried to sway the local electorate towards their preferred (more conservative) candidate.
As a result of the June 2 primaries the Chair of the Republican Party, Art Wittich said the results will lead to a “Bright. Red. Future.” In short, some people, although members of the party, were deemed not Republican enough. It will be interesting to see how things shake out in the general election. We expect the Republicans to again control both chambers in the next legislative session and the conservatives to control leadership positions. Will the leadership be able to hold the caucus together? How will they work with the Governor, who will see his last session and the last two years of his term?
Notable Results: Llew Jones (R-Conrad) won his primary against Zack Wirth (R-Wolf Creek) for a Senate seat. Jones is considered by all to be the budget architect and driver of tax policy. Jones had been the target of some heavy campaign efforts to remove him from the ballot. Last session, as he has done for a number of sessions, Jones put together a package of taxes and budget that the Governor could sign. In that he worked across the aisle to put together a coalition to get it passed, made him an enemy of the conservatives. Likewise, moderate House Representative David Bedey defeated conservative House Representative Kathy Love in Hamilton for the Senate seat that was open. Great Falls House Representative George Nikolakakos defeated self-proclaimed RINO-Hunter (Republican In Name Only) Randy Pinocci by 36 points for a Senate seat. I’m not sure that Nikolakakos is a moderate, but certainly he is less conservative than Pinocci, who is an elected member of the PSC.
Conservative Wins: Also in Great Falls, conservative Rep. Steven Galloway defeated Rep. Ed Buttrey by 32 points in their Senate primary. Buttrey was a leader in the legislature on business issues and carried the Medicare expansion bill last session – earning the ire of the conservatives. In Gallatin County, conservative Caleb Hinkle defeated incumbent Senator Shelly Vance by 47 points. Vance was the only one of ‘The Nine’ Senators who worked with the Democratic caucus to drive the Senate agenda who ran for re-election this year. Jedidiah Hinkle (brother of Caleb), beat Belgrade’s longest serving Mayor Mike Meis by 41 points. John Fitzpatrick lost to newcomer Trish Schrieber. Fitzpatrick had turned a Democratic seat when he was first elected two sessions ago. He is also father of House Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick (R-Great Falls). There is some thought that with such a conservative candidate, this Anaconda/Deer Lodge seat will revert to a Democrat again.
Head Scratchers: In every election, there are races and results that make you wonder. House Speaker Brandon Ler (R-Savage) defeated Ric Holden. Veteran incumbent Billings Senator Barry Usher lost to Chris Rindal. Billings Rep. Nelly Nicol, lost to another newcomer, Troy Charbonneau. Neither Speaker Ler nor Senator Usher are thought of as moderates, and Nicol was a member of the Freedom Caucus (Nicol also works for Victory Insurance – the domestic WC insurance carrier in the state). The leader of ‘The Nine’ last session, former Senate President Jason Ellsworth, lost in an eastern Montana House district to solidly conservative Rep. Jerry Schillinger, and it wasn’t close. Ellsworth claimed to have a home in Ismay, Montana which gave him the opportunity to run. Interesting that Ellsworth has represented western Montana Ravalli County since 2019. Ellsworth has also had some interesting times since he allegedly steered a no bid $170,000 contract for work the legislative staff routinely does to a friend of his. One of the things that made me scratch my head about this race was why Ellsworth was running at all – and why he was running in Ismay.
Welcome new MSIA Member - CCMSI
CCMSI is a leading national independent third-party administrator specializing in workers’ compensation, liability, and property claims management. We are built on a distinctive model defined by three core principles: 1. Employee Owned, 2. Client Aligned, and 3. Results Driven. These are not simply stated values; they shape how we operate, collaborate, and deliver superior outcomes for our clients. As an employee-owned organization, CCMSI fosters a culture of accountability and long-term commitment, which supports lower adjuster caseloads and contributes to significantly reduced turnover, ensuring clients benefit from experienced, stable claim teams and consistent service delivery.
CCMSI’s client-aligned approach means every program is tailored to meet the unique needs of each organization, from flexible vendor partnerships to fully customized service models. Transparency and collaboration are central to our approach, with clients benefitting from clear visibility into claims data, adjuster performance metrics, and vendor financial arrangements. Our performance-driven model has helped us maintain a 98% client retention rate while consistently delivering lower allocated loss adjustment expense (ALAE) costs. We deliver tailored, innovative, and technology-driven solutions. From claims administration and loss control to managed care, advanced analytics, and a state-of-the-art RMIS platform with on-demand, customizable reporting, we partner with our clients to provide scalable, comprehensive programs that achieve tangible results.
Our commitment to excellence extends to our workplace culture. CCMSI has earned Great Place to Work® certification for eight consecutive years, reflecting our ability to attract and retain exceptional talent across the organization. For more information contact Scott Sexton at Scott.Sexton@ccmsi.com or 612-309-0110.