One week before Gov. Greg Gianforte was scheduled to give his State of the State address to the Montana Legislature, a panel of lawmakers tabled and then revived one of the flagship bills in his tax package, which would spend a quarter of the state’s nearly $2 billion surplus on property tax relief for homeowners.

In the Legislature’s third week in Helena, two key property tax bills got hearings in the House Taxation Committee – House Bills 222 and 189.

Rep. Tom Welch, R-Dillon, is sponsoring House Bill 222, which would deliver $500 million in property tax rebates over the next two ye...