A letter from your local legislator

Greetings to all. Just a short note to again say what a privileged it is to once again serve you in Helena and let you know what went on this first week of the 66th Montana Legislative Session. On the 7th of January was the swearing in ceremony for all legislators. Guests and family were allowed on the floor for this special occasion and I was so pleased my brother and sister-in-law came to join me. The rest of the week has been filled with schooling sessions including legislative law, appropriation training, ethics, and a study of the budgets to name a few topics. Committee meetings were also fit in around the training sessions. I am pleased to report that I was chosen by house leadership it chair the House Transportation Committee. It is not often that a sophomore legislator is given a chair position so I feel a little overwhelmed. I am also on the Business and Labor Committee and Fish, Wildlife, and Park Committees. These are both repeat committees for me. Rep. Bob Brown, HD 13, is chair of the FWP committee so I feel western Montana is well represented there.

This next week, the hard lifting will start. We had an uneventful vote on the operating rules this past week and a bill referred to as the feed bill, which authorizes the pay for this legislative session and the first week the the next session. We also had a few bills that were presented to committees after the committee organizational meetings were held. The executive actions will be taken next week as well as a full schedule of hearings. After the executive actions, the bills voted through committees will go to the house floor for full house consideration. If you get on the Montana State Legislative web site, you can follow the committee actions, house actions, bill information and hearing schedules. You can also find legislators contact information on that site.

Please contact me and thank you again for your trust.

­—Rep. Denley M. Loge

House District 14

denleylogehd14@gmail.com

Cell 406-544-5220