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Democrats promise fight over CHIP cuts
Posted by:MATT GOURAS of the Associated PressHELENA - Democrats promised Monday to stand firm against Republican plans to undo expansion of the children’s health insurance plan - while GOP leaders insisted they stand by the cuts.
The budget battle over the Children’s Health Insurance Program expansion approved last fall by voters is shaping up as the biggest area of disagreement. The budget plans head to the Senate floor Thursday.
On Friday, a committee controlled by Republicans advanced a budget that took about $30 million out of the CHIP expansion.
Under the plan, the state would increase eligibility to 200 percent of poverty level instead of the 250 percent approved in Initiative 155. Right now, families making up to 175 percent of poverty qualify.
If the full Senate approves the idea, the issue heads to a House split 50-50 between the parties.
HB 645 Passes House Easily
Posted by:The bill to spend Montana’s share of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act easily passed the House Thursday. House Bill 645 will now move to the Senate. Read More→
Van Dyk to Carry Brandon’s Bill in House
Posted by:After passing with bipartisan support on a 36-14 vote in the State Senate Thursday, SB 234, known as Brandon’s bill will head to the State House. SB 234 is named for Brandon Simonsen, a 5 year old autistic boy from Billings. Read More→
It’s not often that state and federal changes align for the immediate benefit of Montana children as they did in the Nov. 4 elections. Seventy percent of Montana voters supported the Healthy Montana Kids initiative. On the national level, a strong supporter of the States Children’s Health Insurance Program 
was elected president. The reauthorization of SCHIP, which provides health coverage to about 6 million American children through state-federal partnerships, was one of the first accomplishments of President Barack Obama’s administration. Montana Sen. Max Baucus was a chief author of the children’s legislation, which was supported by Sen. Jon Tester and Rep. Denny Rehberg.
To read the whole story in the Billings Gazette, Click Here.
CHIP funding hits roadblock
Posted by:By MATT GOURAS of the Associated Press
HELENA - Plans to pay for the voter-approved expansion of children’s health insurance hit a roadblock Wednesday - the same day U.S. Sen. Max Baucus arrived at the state Capitol to laud the program.
The Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services deadlocked along party lines on a motion to pay $35 million for the Initiative 155 enhancement of the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Democrats in the Legislature, Gov. Brian Schweitzer and state Auditor Monica Lindeen immediately railed against the vote.
"I think that it’s going to all work out, with the changes that we have agreed to. It’s not as much (spending for some programs) as I would’ve hoped, but apparently it’s more than other people wanted. As usual, we are trying to find the middle.” 
"[On term limits:] You empower the executive, you empower the lobbyists and that's not good for the system because then we lose what the citizen Legislature brings.” 