The 62nd Legislative Session has come to a close, but much of the work is still incomplete and in the final hours the Republican leadership fails to uphold bipartisan compromise.  On Friday, 4/22, the Governor and Republican leaders, Rep. Milburn and Sen. Peterson, announced they had reached a compromise on the budget.  The agreement reinstates $100 million in federal funds previously rejected by the Republican lawmakers, but it slightly under funds other important programs including K-12 education.  On Tuesday, 4/26 after returning from the second recess in as many weeks, Democrats and the Governor agreed to support the reduced budget, but emphasized the need to support HB 13 (Cynthia Hiner, D-Deer Lodge), the state employee pay plan which would give the first small pay increase to state employees in nearly 4 years, as well as HB 439 (Galen Hollenbaugh, D-Helena) known as the "bonding bill" which would create many jobs in the state while investing in Montana's educational infrastructure.  But in the last two days, the Republican majority has demonstrated that, contrary to their rhetoric, they care little for jobs in the state and even less for the spirit of compromise.

Sadly, both HB 13 and HB 429 are dead as of this morning.  Hiner's state employee pay plan was killed on Wednesday, 4/27, when the House failed to accept the amended version of the bill by a vote of 42:58.  The motion to reconsider this action failed by a larger margin of 39:58.  The much talked-about "bonding bill" that would have authorized the state to issue nearly $100 million in bonds to build new state buildings immediately creating jobs in communities across the state, died today, 4/28, when the House failed to pass a reconsidered 3rd reading with a vote of 60:39. HB 439 would have funded upgrades to the University of Montana College of Technology, the MSU-Northern Auto Tech Center, MSU-Billings Science and Technology Building, as well as projects in Helena, Butte, Bozeman and Great Falls.  Debate on the bill included support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.  But Republican leadership was clearly pushing members of their party to change their votes; between the 2nd reading and the 3rd, 13 Republican lawmakers changed their vote from supporting the bill to opposing it.  These lawmakers include: Bill Beck (R-Whitefish), Mike Cuffe (R-Eureka), Ron Ehli (R-Hamilton), Kelly Flynn (R-Townsend), Alan Hale (R-Basin), Bill Harris (R-Mosby), Gordon Hendrick (R-Superior), Pat Ingraham (R-Thompson Falls), Doug Kary (R-Billings), Tom McGillvray (R-Billings), Mike Milburn (R-Cascade), Wayne Stahl (R-Saco), and Ted Washburn (R-Bozeman). 

Today, 4/28, will be a very busy day for state lawmakers as they attempt to close up shop.  There are still a number of the companion bills to the budget that have not yet been sent to the Governor's desk.  Without these bills the state potentially faces litigation for not complying with the state constitution as significant funding could be left in limbo for the upcoming biennium.  It seems that lawmakers at the Capitol are scrambling to get these bills to the Governor. For example, the House has already moved this morning on Sen. Zinke's SB 329 that has become the K-12 education funding bill, approving the amendments from conference committee by a one vote margin (50:49). There is little doubt that in these final hours, the state's Republican leadership will continue to demonstrate its disregard for the process as they push through bills that have not been fully debated, and as they fail to demonstrate compromise that Montanans expect of their lawmakers.