Helena update: Rep. John Fleming
Hello from Helena! As you may or may not know, this is a busy place. Even as bills begin to trickle onto the house floor for votes, the committee hearings are in full swing. The trickle will soon become a torrent with nearly 2,000 bills proposed. Of course, the committee hearings are the most critical point in the life of a bill as it journeys into law or the wastebasket.
My three committee appointments (business and labor, agriculture and education) are well suited for some of the things I would like to do for Lake County. In business and labor, we have already tackled Workers Compensation (the state fund). Administration and cost of this fund are receiving close scrutiny. In my first sponsored bill, I testified before the Education Committee regarding the Educators Loan Repayment Plan. My bill (HB 46) is written to remove confusion over who is eligible for the loan repayment program, originally passed in 2007.
A four year extension of the Water Compact Commission (SB 39) received unanimous support in testimony before the Senate Long Range Planning Subcommittee. State, tribal and legislative representatives testified affirmatively and the committee voted unanimously to move the bill to first reading in the Senate.
The most critical news is the budget. It is clear from both the governor’s proposed budget and the budget prepared for the Legislature by the Legislative Fiscal Division that state revenues are declining. The economy continues to slow and revenues led by decreased coal, mineral, and oil taxes follow the economy. Appropriately so, the Legislature is required to pass a balanced budget prior to ending the session.
Montana is one of only six states not currently running a deficit budget. I believe legislators will critically look at any bill requiring new money. A rising possibility is that the next federal administration’s economic stimulus plan will provide some of the money for critical needs here in Montana. Incidentally, Senator Jon Tester emphatically stressed in his speech to the combined House and Senate that Montana will not be penalized in the stimulus plan for having a balanced budget.
I used a rare “off” day on Saturday to attend a powerful energy conference sponsored by Northwest Energy and Carroll College. Topics ranged from business climate for power companies and distributors, to the government role, to efficiency programs and traditional and renewable energy sources.
I continue to receive daily communications from you in Lake County. I appreciate this and will respond to each of you. Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Please contact me if you are coming to Helena. I look forward to hearing your concerns and visiting with each of you.