Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/tag/montana-legislature/page/2/)
HELENA—Shortly after the Montana House convened in special session on Tuesday, Gov. Steve Bullock, in a surprise announcement, said he was immediately implementing $76.6 million in general-fund budget cuts. Bullock originally hadn’t planned to make the budget cuts until after the special session adjourned. (more…) Continue Reading →
HELENA—On the first day of the special session Tuesday, lawmakers expanded the agenda to consider furloughs for state employees and to stop a proposed health department rule to make it easier for transgender Montanans to change their gender status on their birth certificates. (more…) Continue Reading →
As state lawmakers laid the groundwork for a special legislative session to tackle Montana’s $227 million budget shortfall on Monday, the proposed GOP deal for how to plug the gap was coming into focus. (more…) Continue Reading →
HELENA—Home health-care workers and others on Monday endorsed a Bullock administration bill to temporarily raise the state taxes on accommodations and rental cars, while some business groups opposed it. (more…) Continue Reading →
HELENA — Business groups and others denounced one of Gov. Steve Bullock’s key revenue-raising proposals as risky and discriminatory at a hearing at the special legislative session on Monday. Bullock’s plan would temporarily require the workers’ compensation State Fund to pay a 3 percent management fee on its assets exceeding $1 billion that are invested by the State Board of Investments. The bill, if enacted, is projected to raise $30 million over the two-year period before the fee goes off the books in June 2019. (more…) Continue Reading →
HELENA—This will be the 33rd special legislative session in Montana history and the first called by Gov. Steve Bullock, who took office in 2013. The most recent special session was a one-day session in September 2007, called by Gov. Brian Schweitzer to replenish the state’s wildfire firefighting fund. Among the tasks of the session next week is to restore money to the firefighting fund. (See related story.) (more…) Continue Reading →
Editor’s note: Veteran state political reporter Chuck Johnson will be covering the special legislative session for Last Best News and Missoula Current. He will be covering his 19th special session out of the 33 special sessions in Montana history. (more…) Continue Reading →
This year, a staggering 1,600 Montanans will die from tobacco use — the leading cause of preventable death. Montana also faces a staggering $220 million budget shortfall, forcing the state to cut vital health programs and seek ways to raise new revenue. (more…) Continue Reading →
Last March, Gov. Steve Bullock was presented with the Montana Alzheimer’s and Dementia State Plan, which is a direct call to action to improve dementia care in communities throughout our state. (more…) Continue Reading →
My legislative email is blowing up with desperate messages from Montanans pleading for a special legislative session to save our essential public services. (more…) Continue Reading →
