Keeping in touch with Rep. Pat Ingraham

This past week, House Resolution 2 (HR 2) on Redistricting passed the House and was forwarded on to the Redistricting and Reapportionment Commission for their consideration. The Commission will deliberate on February 12, 2013 to determine if any changes will be made to their proposed plan. However, House District (HD) 13 will remain as originally planned and will be comprised of Heron, Noxon, Whitepine, Trout Creek, Thompson Falls, Marion and Kila. My amendment to request a change to HD 13 was amended out of HR 2.

On Tuesday, February 5th, I presented House Bill (HB) 264 before the House Business and Labor Committee. HB 264 will exempt, if passed, senior citizen centers from operator’s license requirements for bingo and live card games, such as pinochle. On Friday, February 8th, I presented HB 264 to the Committee of the Whole in the House Chambers which passed on second reading with a vote of 100 in favor. An amazing vote of support, along with a bit of good natured fun as those members of the House that spoke called out numbers like B8, I, N G, O until someone shouted BINGO! On Saturday, February 9th, HB 264 passed out of the House 92 – 1 and is now headed over to the Senate Chamber to begin the process once again.

This week also saw some exciting action on the House Floor. We voted on a major package of job creation bills. We all know that Montana’s small, neighborhood businesses are the people who create jobs. They hire our friends, neighbors and family members. So I voted for three bills which will make it easier for businesses to do just that. They all focused on limiting litigation and workers compensation costs. When a small business spends less on liability insurance, it has more money on hand to put people to work.

We also passed a bill to give parents a choice over how their children are taught controversial subjects. Schools will have to get parents’ permission when kids are given a sex education class. It’s the same system we already use for field trips and athletic events – parental permission is required. One of my colleagues called it a mom’s dream bill and I agree. It doesn’t change anything about what schools teach in sex education classes. It just says that the moms and dads have to give permission for their kids.

Another bill, HB 73, known as “the wolf bill”, opens up a lot of new avenues for controlling the wolf problem here in Montana. It allows hunting and trapping of wolves near national parks, allows hunters to get more than one wolf tag, and allows hunters not to wear orange when they’re outside the standard big game season. This bill has passed both the House of Representatives and Senate Chambers, on a bipartisan vote, and will soon be headed to the Governor’s Office for his approval and what is the final leg of HB 73’s journey to become law.

Remember to please “Keep in Touch” with me during the session by leaving messages for me by using an online form available at www.leg.mt.gov/message, or by calling the information desk at (406) 444-4800 to leave a message regarding your opinion, thoughts and concerns, or by e-mailing me at pathd13@blackfoot.net or you may mail them directly to me at: Representative Pat Ingraham, Capitol Building, PO Box 200400, Helena, MT 59620-0400.

Online video and audio broadcasts can be accessed by visiting www.leg.mt.gov/broadcast. Viewers will need RealPlayer software. In addition to Internet broadcasts, the Legislature will broadcast its proceedings over cable television through TVMT. While TVMT programming is not available in our area, those areas that are covered can be found by visiting www.leg.mt.gov/tvmt or by calling the Legislative Information Office at 444-2957.