As is usually the case, things have picked up a little but the pace is still slower than usual as bills are not coming out quickly, amendments are causing delays and fiscal notes aren’t keeping up. I believe week three will show a major increase in activity. In my case, I have picked up three bills in the last two days so I will be busy with them. My sub-Committee began in … [Read more...] about Week 2 in the 67th Legislature Session
Week 1 of the 67th Legislative Session
Every session takes on a different dynamic but this session goes above and beyond the usual. I equate it to being in my first term when I came here not knowing how this would work. Believe me, the effects of Covid-19 and the resulting technologies are creating the same feeling. The staff here has done wonders to get the technology in place to allow for remote participation but … [Read more...] about Week 1 of the 67th Legislative Session
PLACEHOLDERS VS BILLS
There seems to be some confusion about the way draft requests are handled in the Legislature before session. I hope this will eliminate some of the confusion. If you still have questions about this or other issues, please contact me at Ken.holmlund@mtleg.gov or text to 951-6764. Before the general election, in November of an even year, carryover Senators and unopposed … [Read more...] about PLACEHOLDERS VS BILLS
RULES AS PROPOSED BY RULES COMMITTEE
The rules that govern how a session is run are set at the start of each new session. Until the new rules are voted on and adopted the Legislature operates on the rules from the previous session. The rules are usually not changed that much but this set of proposed rules set new standards of changes. I will highlight some of the more egregious rules brought to the rules committee … [Read more...] about RULES AS PROPOSED BY RULES COMMITTEE
RANSOMWARE: WHAT IT IS AND WAYS TO AVOID IT
In light of what happened to the television station in several cities in Montana last week, I thought it would be a good topic to discuss in an article. This is not intended to be an in-depth discussion on the subject, but rather a shallow dive into a very worrisome issue. I have just returned from an international taskforce meeting on Cybersecurity in Phoenix, and … [Read more...] about RANSOMWARE: WHAT IT IS AND WAYS TO AVOID IT
