Archive for Legislators
by CHARLES S. JOHNSON
The chief sponsor of the lone remaining property tax mitigation bill vowed Tuesday that he will try to kill it if the Montana Senate doesn’t better fund programs to help the elderly, the poor and disabled veterans with their tax bills.
“I am willing to advocate for the bill being tabled if we’re not committed to the programs,” Rep. Mike Jopek, D-Whitefish, told the Senate Taxation Committee. “That’s a big statement because that throws us into chaos and that throws us into a special session. Nobody wants that.”
Jopek said he can quickly turn into a “tenacious opponent” of the bill if necessary. However, that doesn’t need to happen, he said, because the money is there to adequately fund these programs in House Bill 658. Read More→
by State Bureau
A bill clarifying state law on public access to certain rivers and streams from county roads and bridges is headed to Gov. Brian Schweitzer for his expected signature.
In a final vote, the House Monday accepted Senate amendments to House Bill 190, by Rep. Kendall Van Dyk, D-Billings. The vote was 96-3. The Senate previously approved the amended bill on a 48-2 vote. Read More→
By Courtney Lowery, NewWest News
The opposition that lined up against House Bill 445, or the Farmer Protection Bill, last week wasn’t exactly unexpected.
Whether the bill would make Montana “unfriendly to business” was one topic of conversation. Another line of questioning involved whether the bill would scare off big bio-tech companies, such as Monsanto, from investing research dollars in the state’s university system. Read More→
IR State Bureau
Sen. Carolyn Squires, D-Missoula, has returned to the Capitol after an operation for colon cancer.
Squires returned to the Senate March 19 after missing part of this month because of her surgery and recovery. Read More→
Lawmakers endorse House Bill 2
Posted by:By MIKE DENNISON, State Bureau
The session’s major budget bill easily won endorsement by the Montana House Monday, as all 50 House Democrats and some Republican allies beat back attempts by conservatives to reduce the measure’s $8.1 billion price tag.
The House voted 64-35 for House Bill 2, setting up a final, binding vote on Tuesday that will send the measure on to the state Senate, which is controlled by Republicans. Read More→
"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.” 