You may have read or heard that the Legislature took an unexpected couple of days off. What happened was that a lobbyist had a few legislators over for a couple of meetings and then he tested positive for COVID-19. When that happens a contact tracing is attempted and in this case up to 15 Representatives were at his gatherings. The number depends on who you talk to about the … [Read more...] about Legislature Hits A Bump
Four big issues dominate the legislature
As the legislature heads into the 17th week of the session, four issues are looming large. They are, HB 2, HB 632, marijuana bills and tax bills. Let’s take a look at all of them. As is usual, HB 2 has been on the scene since the beginning of the session and will continue pretty much until the end of the session. HB 2 is the budget for the State and, as such, deserves our … [Read more...] about Four big issues dominate the legislature
HB 632 Comes Together in Appropriations
I have mentioned HB 632 before but its progress has been unknown until this week. I will recount the work on the Beast as we know it. I have had the opportunity to be in the many meetings held during the last two weeks, including every Saturday and Sunday. First, let me bring one misconception to the surface. We do not have 2.74 billion dollars to apply as we see fit. This … [Read more...] about HB 632 Comes Together in Appropriations
A Week of Big Projects
As we get deeper into the session bigger projects begin to come together, especially concerning the budget and financial affairs. This year is no exception. I wrote at length about the HB 2- the state budget- process last week but I didn’t get into the behind-the-scenes work. As per usual, several legislators need to be informed as to what is in the bill. We have a few that … [Read more...] about A Week of Big Projects
The House Bill 2 Process
I have written about HB 2 before. As you probably know, HB 2 is the budget for the State of Montana and as such is a critical part of what we do in Appropriations. The process begins long before the Legislature come to Helena when the departments turn their requests into the administration for approval. The administration does its magic and sends it back to the … [Read more...] about The House Bill 2 Process
