Update from Helena

Hope you had a great Easter. I enjoyed the time with my three-year-old granddaughter. It’s good to be with family and friends, especially since I was disappointed that we were not finished in Helena before Easter.

I was too optimistic last week, hoping we’d be finished that early. We will still be able to save a few days from our 90 day total. That way if we have to have a special session there is some money saved.

Years ago special sessions were the norm. Former Speaker John Mercer was instrumental in establishing the “get it done in 90 days” concept. I remain optimistic that the economy will not crash further, and we will not need to cut the budget during the next two years.

I have reserved a trade fair booth at the Polson High School this Saturday. Please stop by with your questions and comments. Senator Mowbray will be there with me and Representative Salomon, if he can free up his schedule.

Seems like every state employee has emailed me to vote for the pay plan. We have many hard working public employees, but I also get emails from our area small businesses, telling me that they can’t afford their taxes and will have to lay off employees or go out of business.

The pay plan is a one percent increase this year and three percent the next. All state employees have already received a small increase in health benefits. Last biennium the state employees did not get any pay raises, but they did get a raise in benefits. Benefits are not taxed, so some people prefer that to a raise.

I wish the Governor had negotiated a pay plan that would give larger percentage raises to the lower paid workers and little or no raises to the top paid. For example, I do not think that the Commissioner of Higher Education, $211,000 per year, needs the three percent increase. The solution is a dollar raise, not a percent raise.

Interestingly, we may put a trigger on the pay plan. If the revenue is a certain amount, than the raises will be in effect. I like the idea of coupling spending with revenue.

Many states are looking at large pay decreases for public employees along with layoffs. As a state, we seems to have weathered the recession better. Montana state unemployment is 8.1 percent. The highest unemployment is in the northwest: Lake County 12.4, Flathead 13.1, Sanders 18.3 and Lincoln 19.3 percent.

Contrast that with the far east edge of Montana: Fallon, Wibaux and Richland Counties all have unemployment below 4 percent. That brings me to education funding. How much oil and gas money should these counties share with the state?

The Senate and the House will agree on education funding. There will be a slight increase, but not much. We all knew that displacing education money with stimulus money last session would come back to haunt us.

I still get the most emails about marijuana. Many are “form” or identical. Some are abrasive and even obscene. Senate Bill 423 puts the “care” back in caregiver and removes the money.

Hope to see everyone on Saturday. In the meantime leave me a message at 406-444-4800, my cell 253-8766 or email jannataylor@montana.com.

I never forget that I work for you.