Legislative update from Rep. Loge

We are down to the crunch time this week. By the time you see this, all appropriation bills, revenue bills and referenda will have had to pass to the other chamber.

The discussion if proposed constitutional amendments should be passed on to the Senate will have taken place. The last week has been long hours with some committee meetings going past 8 p.m.

The final proposed bill count in the house was near 970. Some Senate bills have been heard in House committees as well as some House bills have been heard in the Senate so the next 23 days of session should give ample time to finish our business but they will not be short days.

We have a four-day break scheduled for Easter and then it is back to work. The spending bills for a balanced budget will also be passed to the Senate side for approval.

One bill I carried has passed on to the governor to be signed. In keeping up with the increased number of electric vehicles on the road, HB 60 places a road use fee on electric vehicles that places an amount equivalent to the appropriate gas tax they would pay for appropriate weight vehicles. The fee is paid to the treasurers office at the time of licensing and gets sent to Helena to go into the gas tax fund.

To follow bills, check in to the Montana State Legislature website and follow any bill whether it is still progressing or not.

— Rep. Denley M. Loge, R-St. Regis