Budget and infrastructure legislation

HELENA - Last week, the State Budget passed out of the House and is now on its way to the Senate Finance and Claims committee. As Finance and Claims begins having hearings on the budget, the legislature will receive another update on the State’s revenue projections and we will have a better idea of what we are working with, allowing us to all but put the finishing touches on the budget for next two years.

In the same week, the House voted on and passed out almost every single one of the normal infrastructure bills. I say “almost every single one” because Democrats decided to stop HB8 (Regional Water Loan Program) from passing in order to use it as a bargaining chip. HB8 funds large rural water projects across the state by granting loans to local communities, backed by the coal trust. Because the loans are backed by the coal trust, HB8 requires a 3/4ths vote, or 75 votes on the House Floor in order to pass.

There is wide spread agreement that HB8 is good policy and it normally passes with 90+ votes, but because it requires 75 votes, it cannot pass without Democrats voting for it. Democrats decided they would rather play games with important water projects across Montana and they decided to hold the bill in the House in order to try to “trade it” for the passage of other legislation they care about.

But even with the games on HB8, the state is still poised to once again pass one of the largest State investments in infrastructure in the last decade. Water, sewer and bridge projects from all across the state. There is just one piece of the infrastructure puzzle left to go, HB652 (The State and Local Infrastructure Act) is set to be on the House Floor this week. HB652 will provide funding for another 80 infrastructure projects across the state, in addition to a new grant and loan program aimed at K-12 schools and communities throughout Montana affected by natural resource development. The new grant program will fund at least another 18 projects. It is the second part of the new infrastructure program we have been discussing and building all session.

The State and Local Infrastructure Act, along with the IDEA Act (HB553) is one of the most important fiscal policy discussions of the session. Once passed, they will change future discussions around infrastructure in Montana, based on best practices from surrounding states and best practices from our own infrastructure programs.

We are starting down the road to the end of the session. After our final votes on the last remaining infrastructure bills, we will take up the Medicaid expansion bills and the other final tax increase bills from the Democrats.

All told, this has been one of the more interesting Legislative Sessions that I have been involved with. There is a real possibility that this could be one of the most successful legislative sessions in quite some time.

As always, if you ever have any questions or just want to get in touch, you can call/text me anytime at (406) 531-1775. Thank you for allowing me to represent you in the Legislature!