Majority Fails To Deliver Lean, Responsible Budget

By Senate Democratic Leader Carol Williams

My favorite cowboy, Gene Autry, lived by a code. In Autry’s code, a cowboy would “be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals; help people in distress; respect women, parents and his nation’s laws; and never go back on trust confided in him.”

I wish Gene Autry could have joined me for the 14-hour marathon debate on the state budget in Montana’s Senate. My colleagues from across the aisle refused to compromise and ignored Democratic attempts to restore our budget to the lean, balanced budget proposed by Gov. Brian Schweitzer months ago. While Senate Democrats offered responsible amendments to restore the extreme budget cuts passed by House Republicans, Senate Republicans instead rubber-stamped:

$45 million in cuts from K-12 education,

$32 million in cuts from higher education that will raise tuition for students 26 percent over the next two years,

$124.2 million in cuts of federal and state dollars from critical programs, eliminating food stamps, home heating assistance and health care for thousands of low income Montanans.

No heating aid for 12,000

Montana’s budget is not just about numbers. Our state budget reflects our priorities and values. Will we be gentle with our children and help those in distress, or ignore our responsibilities? These budget cuts have faces, names and lives attached.

Here is what we face: Rejected funding for the popular, voter-approved Healthy Montana Kids Program means 5,000 children will go without health care. Rejection of federal LIEAP (Low Income Energy Assistance Program) funds means over 12,000 families will go without heating. Rejected federal money for family health services means over 27,000 Montana women will lose access to health care screenings and preventative care. Seniors will now go without the largely volunteer-run Meals on Wheels. Personal assistants will lose their jobs helping the elderly and those with disabilities. And hard-working Montana families will lose the food stamps they depend on.

Tax loopholes protected

I’ve been nostalgic lately — not just for singing cowboys, but for the long-held legislative tradition of working together and deliberating on a responsible budget that invests in Montanans, not special interests.

These cuts don’t have to happen. Montana’s economy is improving; our revenue estimates and record wage withholdings show that. Democrats have also proposed over $53.9 million in savings by closing tax loopholes which go largely to nonresidents and out-of-state corporations. That’s enough to fully fund the higher-education cuts and tobacco prevention, or health care for children, family services and home heating. So far, Republicans have rejected closing tax loopholes by voting against ending the trust tax advantage for wealthy individuals, against eliminating the Nevada tax dodge, against ending the corporate net-operating-loss tax break, and against eliminating corporate audit advantage. Those funds could have gone to Montanans over special interests.

There is nothing gentle or helpful about Republican cuts to an already lean budget. Gene Autry would not be proud of the Republicans in the Senate. It’s time we started living up to a real cowboy’s code.