Local legislative report

By Denley Loge

As I stated last week, the hustle and bustle in the House has picked up. We had a House session this Saturday, as did the Senate. It will be the first of many to come. Legislators have one week left of non- revenue bills which will be heard in hearing and then brought to the floor for second and third readings.

These bills must be passed before the following week in order to make the transmittal to the Senate for review.

We are still reviewing expenditure bills and getting the press to say we are cutting spending to many favorite programs. I assure you that a priority list is going to control the spending and with that list we are trying to avoid cuts to important education and social programs.

There is also an effort to avoid increased expenses to most programs. We keep seeing that there is a big shortage in revenue, more than previously reported. There are some audits going on which show some agencies gave unauthorized raises since the last legislative session and not all spending was authorized. These agencies are being questioned about discrepancies.

Infrastructure is one topic looking for solutions. There are options being considered to pay for needed work. A gas tax is one idea, bonding is another, or a combination of both. Actions on infrastructure will not be worked out for possibly a month or more.

One topic of interest for residents of western Montana is a hearing tentatively scheduled for Friday, February 24 at 3 PM in room 172 in the Capitol. This hearing is in front of the Natural Resources Committee and deals with a House Joint Grizzly Bear Resolution. The idea behind this resolution is to delist the Grizzly Bear. Delisting could have an enormous, positive effect on the economics of western Montana. Timber sales, forest plan revisions, and mining would all be effected by this resolution. It would give management of Montana’s grizzly bear populations back to the state of Montana.

If you want to testify in person or in writing, please attend the meeting, or respond to Montana State House of Representatives Natural Resource Committee, PO Box 200400, Helena Mt. 59621-0400.

Please feel to contact me at: DenleyLogeHD14@gmail.com or call 406-544-5220.

Denley Loge, a St. Regis Republican, represents House District 14.