Helena-Legislators began hammering out the details of a weekend budget compromise in committee on Monday. Republicans will get a budget that spends less than the House plan originally suggested. Democrats will have more ongoing state support for K through 12 education and have the Children's Health Insurance Program implemented as voters intended. However legislative news reporter Natalie Neumann found out some lawmakers are unsatisfied that the compromise removes CHIP funding for contraceptives.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Interview with Senate President
Legislative News Reporter Natalie Neumann sits down with Senate President Bob Story, R-Park City to talk about the work to be done in the last days of the 61st Legislative Session and if a special session is in the works.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Property Tax Mitigation Bill Earns Senate Approval
The Senate approved their version of the only bill alive for mitigating property tax reappraisal. Every six years property tax is reappraised. If nothing is done, Montana homeowners would see their property values rise an average of 56 percent since the last reappraisal in 2003. Legislative News Reporter Natalie Neumann found out legislators are sticking to a similar approach used in past reappraisals.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Senate Approves Timber Bond Bill
The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is a step closer to purchasing some land in the Potomac Valley. The Senate approved a bill that many proponents hope will help the timber industry. The bill would allow bonds to help the state to purchase land for recreational use, sustainable forest management and income-generating potential. Legislative News reporter Natalie Neumann found the bill brought out an eastern versus western Montana debate.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Senate Wrestles with Decision to Support Stimulus Funds, Ultimately Approve
The governor's budget director calls the bills dealing with the state budget and stimulus funds unacceptable. In a meeting with Senate Democrats, David Ewer said legislators need to get the budget up to par now, in conference committee or special session and says the governor won't sign the bill dealing with the stimulus funds without changes. Ewer says the administration, among other things, would like to changes to funding of education and the Healthy Montana Kids, which has been reduced from the voter approved 250 percent of poverty to 200 percent. The Democrats tried unsuccessfully to make their mark on the Senate Republican budget. Legislative News Reporter Natalie Neumann reports on how the bill passed on a 27 to 23 vote, with three Republicans voting against the bill and three Democrats voting for it.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Legislator Threatens Special Session with Tax Reappraisal Bill
Helena-A Whitefish representative wants to make homeowners the priority in mitigating property tax reappraisal. Legislators continued their quest for mitigating the changes Tuesday. The Senate Taxation committee held a hearing on the only bill alive to do so. Every six years property tax is reappraised. If nothing is done, Montana homeowners would see their property values rise an average of 56 percent since the last reappraisal in 2003. Bill sponsor Mike Jopek, D-Whitefish, says his support hinges on the support for homeowners. One senator likened Jopek's request to an ultimatium and a hand grenade. Jopek says he's seen the cuts the House and Senate have made to the budget and says depending on who you ask the state has two to four hundred million dollars under the mattress.
"Take the money out of the mattress. Let's give it to the homeowners; there's nothing wrong with that. Let's put them at the top of the list: low income homeowners, elderly homeowners, people who saw extraordinary increases, and disabled American vets. Let's put them at the top of the line."
Jopek threatened the committee to table the bill and cause the legislature to go into a special session. Jopek says he'll pull the pin from the metaphorical hand grenade and become an opponent to the bill, if the support for those groups in the form of relief programs ceases.
Rep.Brian Hoven, R-Great Falls, supports the bill, especially the circuit breakers for people of middle and low income, disabled Amerincan veterans, and the elderly. A circuit breaker caps property taxes at a percentage of a taxpayer's income. However, Hoven warned the committee against broad, general circuit breakers.
"The general circuit breaker, while it will help those, it will also aid those folks that are living beyond their means. Those people that have bought more house than they can afford and are paying more in property taxes will get a significant break and that's fine, they should. But I don't think we have the money to support that."
Organizations like the Montana Taxpayer's Association, Montana Realtors Association, and Montana Farm Bureau Federation support the bill but believe it is not completely revenue neutral. The governor would not like to see increases in property tax across the state on average. Senators fielded questions on how the bill would affect homeowners on a county to county basis, what changes to the bill people would like to see and what proposed amendments would do fiscally. The committee will take action on the bill Wednesday afternoon.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Senate Committee Reduces Budget By Two Percent
The Senate Finance and Claims committee took their whack at the state's budget Friday. The Republican controlled committee voted on party lines to make two percent across the board reductions in state government with an 11 to 8 vote. Legislative News Reporter Natalie Neumann found out that the move would shave about $26 million from the $8.1 billion two-year state budget.
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