Legislative Update

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 appointed to the Interim Transportation Committee. The function of interim committees is to discuss topics that were voted on by the house and senate bodies that need to be studied before our next session and any topics the committee feels they need to discuss with the possibility of future legislation.

Our study bills include traffic safety, passenger travel in Montana, and bicycle and pedestrian travel plans, costs, and sources of revenue for each. This committee will meet about every two months with small subcommittee meetings between main meetings. Other topics we will potentially cover are the autonomous vehicle use and regulations since they are coming very soon, and we want to be proactive. Electric car use, regulations, and plans revolving around their needs. There are also reports from the Montana Department of Transportation and Montana Contractors that will be discussed for efficiency in spending and development of highway projects.

This past week after spending an afternoon baling hay, I left at midnight to get to a conference in Big Sky, Montana.

Montana was the host state for the annual convention for the Council of State Governments. This is a bipartisan meeting of past and present senators and representatives from 13 western states, including Alaska and Hawaii.

The convention set a record attendance. The number attending with staff, stakeholders and legislators was 541. The convention provides an opportunity to engage in discussion on policy issues affection our region. It is a way to work on important regional issues with some collaborative solutions created by stakeholders and legislators and help establish a network of help from outside your state with what may have worked or not worked on similar issues in our neighboring states.

There were workshops and committee meetings on Census 2020, Agriculture, Education, Economic Development, Water and Environment, Supreme Court Review, and Forest and Range Management. Along with these workshops were specialists on each topic and an interactive question and answer session. It was truly an education convention because of the chance to get the important information form peers on successes and failures.

On one other note, our county fairs for Mineral and Sanders counties are fast approaching. I urge you all to attend as many fair activities as you can to support your respective counties and use the opportunity to visit with friends. I would especially encourage you to support the 4-H members and recognize the hard work that goes into their projects. I would also encourage your attendance and support at the livestock auctions at each fair.

Respectfully,

Representative Denley M. Loge, House District 14