The Montana economy is strong, but companies have to maintain a strong presence at the Capitol to keep the tax and regulatory environments as friendly as possible, a business leader said Thursday.

Speaking at the Montana Chamber of Commerce's annual Business Days at the Capital, Karen Olson Beenken, vice president of Blue Rock Companies in Sidney and president of the Montana Chamber board, said last year's Legislature came close to several law changes, including amendments to the tax code, that would have hurt Montana businesses.

"The state of business in Montana is strong and financially healthy," she said. "It hasn't hurt that the global economy is demanding a lot of our products and services, including natural resources."

Still, she cautioned that business needs to remain vigilant.

"The anti-development, anti-business forces are stronger than they have ever been in the last 30 years," she said.

Beenken announced the formation of a political action committee, the Montana Prosperity Pact, to support legislative candidates who take a pro-business stance on issues like workers compensation, tax policy, energy regulations and other legal developments.

"If you're a business person, you need to either get into politics or get out of business," Beenken said.

She added that the PAC is necessary "so we can educate Montanans about which candidates are interested in strengthening our economy and creating good-paying jobs."

Blue Rock Companies is a beverage distributor, carrying Pepsi, Miller and Coors products to the eastern third of the state.

Beenken said fuel and labor issues are top priorities for her company, with the added problem of securing affordable housing for workers in the state's northeast corner, where the energy boom has placed a premium on finding a place to live.

She said that despite a boom in energy -- "the state owes the natural resource industries huge thanks for the budget surpluses we enjoy" -- Montana's legal climate still scares off potential investors.

"Montana's regulatory environment encourages more lawsuits from obstructionists than it does responsible development," she said.

Reporter John Harrington: 447-4080 or john.harrington@helenair.com