An update on the 64th Montana Legislature
Guest Commentary:
Work of committees, where bills are first presented, is an important part of the legislative process, and many unworthy bills stop at this point. Good ones can also get held up.
Recently, I was successful in removing a couple of bills from the table in Appropriations Committee. Most significant for Lincoln County is House Bill 360, which allows the county to receive a larger percentage of metal mines tax. It is moving through the Senate.
I tried to get a few other bills off the table, without success. Too many others were opposed to the special tax credit for the filming industry, so that bill failed. A similar fate came to House Bill 13, the state pay plan, but I understand the plan will move in other legislation.
On the other hand, I helped to table House Bill 5, my own bill for Quality School Projects, for lack of money. The source of money to cover these projects of deferred maintenance and capital investment is in the red largely due to payments on previous school debt. It didn’t make sense to take on 20-year debt to service former debt along with proposed projects which would add to future debt.
That is why we tabled House Bill 5, the governor’s infrastructure and bonding bill which would have doubled our long-term debt. I was turned down repeatedly on offers to pay cash for many projects. Finally, we moved several smaller infrastructure bills forward which included only projects paid for by cash, mostly through state special funding streams dedicated to those types of projects. I carried house bills 6, 7, 8 and 11.
Meanwhile, several senators are advancing infrastructure funding with a mix of cash, bonding and loans. I’m told this would fit with my bills. Senate Bill 416 will come to the House after the Easter break.
Some have asked about the Cultural and Esthetics Bill, House Bill 9, which I carried. It is in the Senate. It has a dedicated source of endowment funding, and although earnings were disappointingly low, the money covers grants which provides statewide for things like museums and Eureka Sunburst events and Children’s Shakespeare in the Park.
In March, I arranged for city, county and economic development officials from Lincoln County to visit Helena to learn about state agencies and potential project funding. The meetings went well.
We took a few days off for Easter break, which was good timing for JoAn and me. We slept many extra hours to heal up from colds and flu, and now I’m ready for the exciting final month of the 64th Legislative session. We have many big things to wrap up.
— Rep. Mike Cuffe represents House Dirstrict 2 in the Montana Legislature.