Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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As a result of legislation requested from the Montana Department of Transportation, House Bill 56 allowed the department to use alternate-colored lights on their snowplows. In the winter of 2020-21, 20 snowplows were hit while clearing and sanding our highways. So far this winter, 21 snowplows have been hit. You may have noticed recently, green flashing lights are showing up on snowplows around the state. One hundred trucks have been fitted with these lights so far, starting with the newer...
This month I was in Helena for an interim Transportation Committee meeting. This is a six-member committee consisting of House of Representative members and State Senate members. This committee meets every two to three months to discuss concerns and possible legislation for the 2023 legislative session. Topics of discussion were electric vehicle road use fees. This was an informational discussion that also included the need to discuss options for charging stations as well. The information coming...
This past week, HB 418 came to the floor of the House of Representatives. There was and is some confusion of what this bill could have done. On the surface it sounded like it would simply open access to public lands. That was the intent of the bill, but the unintended consequences were worrisome. It could have taken any old trails, logging railroads, and even pack trails that lead to public lands and created an access to public lands. The problem with the bill, it would have threatened private...
I wanted to let the constituents of HD14 know a little of what I have been doing since our legislative session ended. Upon returning from Helena much of my time has been spent on the tractor catching up on my farming and now haying. I have also been doing background work in the community attending many meetings and soliciting letters of support for projects that will positively affect our area with either jobs, education opportunities or economic boosts. At the end of our session, I was appointe...
The legislative session is now officially over. We finished last Thursday, so now the results get discussed, assessed, and scrutinized. Many of the results can not be “fairly” evaluated for days, months, or even years, but we are all hopeful to have made the right decisions. At this point, the blame game also kicks into gear. Again, I say time will tell the true story and we don’t need the blame game like we see and hear on the national level. My decisions were made to try and do the best for m...
I hope everyone had a great Easter. I was able to come home for a few days and spend time relaxing on the tractor. Rain slowed some of my progress, but that is needed as was a short rest. This past week saw much action at the legislature as well as much tension. There was the infrastructure bill which passed that will bring some much-needed work around the state that has been put off year after year, greatly increasing need and costs. The key bill that did pass this past week was HB 658,...
This week I had some welcome guests. Mr. Bishop and former Representative Gordon Hendrick spent a day at the Capitol with the Superior High School government class. We have been doing about 20 to 30 bills per day in our House sessions. We met last Saturday, which was day 78. Most committees have completed business for this session, which means no more new bills. Most bills we deal with on the floor are Senate bills or Senate amended bills. Medicaid Reform is still in the Senate as of Saturday...
We had day 71 last Friday. From that day forward, we have 19 days left of the regular session to finish business. The final outcome of many bills is still very much in limbo. Last minute amendments come into play in the committee meetings or on the chamber floors. The original title of a bill often is a little different from the final passing of a bill. Sound bites coming from the newspapers and television news are also not always close to the final wording of a bill as it becomes law. This is...
We still have a few House bills that will be worked across to the Senate soon. The committee meetings have been going late to take care of business. There will still be a few bills dropped in the House hopper before the deadline. One big issue that will be discussed on executive action in Health and Human Services Committee will be the two Medicaid Expansion bills that were given a hearing a week ago. One bill is an extension of the last version implemented in 2015 and the other bill is a...
This was a very busy week in Helena. On the first day back, I presented HB 439 to the House Judiciary committee. This bill deals with fraudulent service animal usage. On Thursday, I presented four bills – HB 37, HB 38, HB 82, and HB 440 – to the Senate Transportation committee, and Friday I presented HB 282 to the Senate Judiciary committee. This bill takes away any possible sexual consent for anyone employed in an alternate adolescent facility with a resident of that facility. Along with the...
Just a short note to say hello from Helena. We have been meeting early and staying late to try and get bills acted on before transmittal break. All kinds of bills from wolf hunting and trapping to child abuse. We will be taking a break for about five days starting next Friday. I plan to be at the Mineral County Commissioners room on March 5 around 11 a.m. if anyone would like to meet and discuss any topic. I also plan to be at the Sanders County Courthouse, weather permitting, on March 6 at 10...
This week saw the hustle and bustle the legislature is known for. The bills are now coming out of committees and on to the floor in greater numbers. The Senate has also passed enough bills across the floor that they are even showing up in House committees and vice versa. The process is that a bill goes into committee, has a hearing there, discussion and executive action is taken by the committee. If the bill is voted to pass out of the committee, it is then referred to the appropriate chamber...
This last week finished week two of the 66th legislative session. Week two brought a lot of bills to committees and out of committees. In the first few weeks of session, many bills are brought forth as a result of interim committee meetings throughout the last year and a half. Many other bills are brought forward by request of agencies. Both these types of bills are to clean up language, streamline operations, or simply because of a need to address an issue. I brought three of these bills...
