Legislative Update

Transmittal Break

by Rep. Denley Loge, HD-14

This letter deals more with the process of the legislature than with the actual legislation. Currently you can find the legislation that has passed through the committees and on to the appropriate chamber floors by looking at the Montana State Legislature site online. This will give you a chance to find all the bills by number and by topic that were introduced and what the current status of the bill is. It also gives you the bill language as written, the amendments, the votes and bill sponsor. If you want to know about the bill, please read the entire bill and not just the title. Too often people get upset about a vote on a bill by only reading the title and not seeing the words in the bill that sometimes change the intended or unintended consequences, especially if the bill has been amended. At this time, the House has heard over 800 bills and the Senate nearly 400.

Last week we had committee meetings lasting until 8:30 p.m. to get everything done. This week we will also have committee meetings late into the evening Monday and Tuesday but bills must be out of committee by Wednesday to give them the appropriate time to be read across the rostrum for first reading, and two more house chamber meetings to get through the second and the third reading process. At the end of this week, we are 45 days into the 90-day session. All general bills originating in the House must pass third reading by adjournment March 3 to transfer to the Senate, unless they are revenue bills, appropriation bills or bills proposing referenda, which have until day 67 to transmit to the other chamber. This is true for the Senate bills as well. They have to pass third reading by adjournment March 3 to pass on to the House committee and chamber, unless they are revenue bills, appropriation bills or bills proposing referenda.

This brings us to the Transmittal Break. Most representatives will be back in their districts for this break. This break lasts until March 9, at which time we come back to Helena to start our committee hearings and floor debates in our respective houses, hearing the bills that came to us from the other chamber. I am looking forward to being home to meet with friends and constituents, check on my logging operation, work on farm machinery for spring work, gather seed for spring planting, and relax for a few days. Please feel free to call me or contact me.

Rep. Denley M. Loge, House District 14, St. Regis

[email protected], 406-544-5220