HELENA, Mont. (AP) - The Latest on the Montana legislative session (all times local):
5:20 p.m.
Both Democrats and Republicans are taking credit for accomplishments during Montana’s legislative session, including lowering health care and insurance costs, doing a better job investigating missing persons’ reports and the approval of $2.7 billion in infrastructure spending.
Legislators from the parties held separate news conferences Thursday after the session adjourned. Democrats were unhappy that lawmakers did not continue funding for public preschool while conservative Republicans decried several tax increases.
Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock says more than 300 bills have passed the Legislature and still haven’t been forwarded to his desk.
Bullock says some of those bills will be vetoed because there is not enough money to pay for all the proposals. He says he will look at all the bills before deciding which ones to sign.
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3:45 p.m.
Montana lawmakers have adjourned the 2019 legislative session after approving a $10.3 billion budget and funding for an expanded and remodeled Montana Historical Society museum.
The session ended Thursday after a failed attempt to salvage one of Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock’s top priorities, continuing and expanding the state’s publicly funded preschool program.
Another measure billed as an effort to extend the life of the Colstrip coal-fired power plant also died. That bill would have given NorthWestern Energy the ability to buy additional shares of the plant from its co-owners and increase its ownership of a high-voltage power line.
Increased tax collections made budget negotiations less contentious this year compared to previous sessions. Lawmakers rejected most of the governor’s tax proposals, but they did pass a lodging tax hike for the historical society museum and for upgrades to other museums statewide.
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2:55 p.m.
The Montana Senate has adjourned and the state House doesn’t appear to be far behind as the 2019 legislative session wraps up.
Senators voted 25-24 Thursday to adjourn until 2021. In doing so, they rejected an attempt to take up one last measure to decide tiebreaking votes in interim legislative committees.
Meanwhile, the House passed a $10.3 billion budget bill and a measure to raise the state lodging tax to pay for museum upgrades across the state on Thursday.
Afterward, House Speaker Greg Hertz announced on the floor that Thursday would be the final day of the session.
Lawmakers earlier rejected a measure to continue a publicly funded preschool program. Another measure billed as an effort to extend the life of the Colstrip power plant also died.
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1:45 p.m.
A Montana legislative committee has rejected efforts to include funding for preschool in the state budget over the next two years.
The four Republicans on the committee voted against the proposal Thursday while two Democrats supported it.
Republicans argued the pilot preschool program was created in 2017 in order to take advantage of federal funding, but now that federal funding has ended.
The proposal was a priority of Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock.
The House is scheduled to take final votes Thursday afternoon on a $10.3 billion budget and a bill that would increase a lodging tax to raise money to remodel and expand the Montana Historical Society museum and offer grants for upgrades to other museums statewide.
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Noon
Montana lawmakers are poised to pass a $10.3 billion budget to pay for state services over the next two years as they move toward adjourning the 2019 session.
The House is scheduled to hold its final budget vote Thursday afternoon. The budget bill estimates a $210 million surplus in the event expenses run higher or revenues come in lower than expected.
Major legislation still undecided as the Legislature considers adjourning until 2021 includes Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock’s proposal to fund preschool education. Also in the mix is an effort to allow NorthWestern Energy purchase an additional share of a high-voltage power line and possibly a larger share of a coal-fired power plant in Colstrip.
Lawmakers earlier this month passed a measure to continue Montana’s Medicaid expansion program for another six years.
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