HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Montana lawmakers were unable to override Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock’s vetoes of eight bills that had passed with more than a two-thirds majority.
The secretary of state’s office released results of a mail-in vote on the final three bills Tuesday. It’s been 20 years since a governor’s veto has been overridden.
The vetoes addressed the proceeds of state consumer protection lawsuit settlements, appraising property values and state agencies reporting financial assistance to tribal governments.
Bullock said the consumer protection proceeds bill was not needed. He said the Department of Justice already has to transfer to the general fund excess proceeds from consumer protection activities and noted he had signed a House bill to transfer $4.3 million from the state’s consumer protection account to the general fund.
Bullock also rejected a bill to revise the property tax appraisal process, saying it is contrary to a state Supreme Court ruling and nationally accepted appraisal standards. He said the bill would make it difficult for the state to set a value because taxpayers could prevent appraisers from entering structures without providing evidence of the property’s market value.
When lawmakers voted to override a bill in 1999 it also dealt with determining the market value of property for tax purposes.
Lawmakers also upheld Bullock’s veto of a bill to require state agencies to report financial assistance to tribal governments, saying it unfairly singled out tribes and didn’t require similar reports from city or county governments. While 120 of 150 lawmakers voted in favor of that bill during the session, only 78 voted to override the veto.
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