Schwaderer stands alone on HB-1 vote

Only days into his first session as the representative for House District 14, Nick Schwaderer is standing alone.

The newly elected representative was the only vote against House Bill 1 (99-1), a bill which establishes funding for the legislative session.

Schwaderer told Media Trackers Montana he disagreed with the bill because it increased spending and would also include an increase in total compensation for legislators.

“My basic reasoning is that it goes against the small government, conservative principles that I campaigned on,” Schwaderer told Media Trackers.

“I couldn’t vote for a bill in the first week that increased spending and increased my own remuneration.”

The bill was introduced by House District 43 Rep. Duane Ankeny and would fund the legislature for the next two years. The cost of $9,230,853 is a 10.9% increase over the last two-year session.

HB-1 is an essential bill, in that the legislature must approve funding in order to work. However, Schwaderer disagreed with the spending increase.

Schwaderer told Media Trackers he is focused on garnering support for a bill he is introducing that will revise state income tax laws by removing the lowest bracket of income tax (House Bill 143.)