After last week's Republican-fueled, four-day recess only eight working days remained in this session of the Montana Legislature during which time all companion bills to the Montana budget (HB 2) need to be finalized and sent to the Governor's Office.  Yet, after being back at the Capitol for only three days, and failing to send most of the long list of companion bills to Schweitzer's desk to be considered along with the budget, the Republican leadership in Helena decided to recess again, this time for five days. That's right, on Wednesday, 4/20, majority Republicans voted to take a five-day break and resume the session's final five days next Tuesday, 4/26.  The GOP majority attempt to blame Governor Schweitzer for their second Spring Break, by saying that talks over the state budget have reached an impasse.

Like last week's "Spring Break," the Republican majority suggests that they're taking the time to await the Governor's response to HB 2.  According the Republican leadership, the Governor has not been wiling to give them his veto recommendations for HB 2 in writing; therefore, they're going home.  This break will push the final day of the 62nd legislative session back to Saturday, 4/30 (9 days past its originally scheduled close). Yet on Wednesday, 4/20, Governor Schweitzer indicated he will issue an amendatory veto to HB 2 that will set spending between his original budget and that of the Republican leadership.  Schweitzer has said that he will not accept HB 2 over the past several weeks because it needlessly rejects more than $100 million in federal funding and unnecessarily shorts many government programs like human services and education. 

The reality, however, is that with a second recess, the GOP is stalling as they refuse to compromise on any of the funding bills.  It is a sad reality when elected officials fail to do their job, and then play politics by blaming someone else.  

There are more than a dozen bills companion bills to HB 2, but only four of them are are on their way to the Governor's Office; the rest await legislative action.  Therefore, it is very difficult for Governor Schweitzer to respond to the complete budget plan, particularly with the bill for funding K-12 education still in legislative limbo.  

This is the list of companion bills and their status as of the Republican majority's Spring Break 2:

SCHOOL FUNDING BILLS:

• HB 42: Transfers $8.5 million from an account to pay for water impacts from coal-bed methane drilling to a school-funding account, to help pay for public schools. Status: Awaits action in House-Senate conference committee (hearing for 4/7 in committee was canceled).
• SB 329: The session's primary school-funding vehicle. It currently contains a House-endorsed plan that would increase state funding for schools about 1 percent over two years and uses a piece of oil-and-gas money to pay for it. Status: Awaits action in House-Senate conference committee.
• HB 316: Originally a bill that decreased coal-tax and trust revenue for a variety of programs, it now also includes nearly $30 million of oil-and-gas tax revenue for public schools statewide, redistributing part of that money that currently goes only to school districts where oil-and-gas production occurs. It still transfers another $9 million to the state treasury, to help balance the budget. Status: Awaits action in House-Senate conference committee.
• HB 611: Originally a bill that adjusted some minor accounts, it now sets increased state funding for public schools at an approximate 2 percent increase over two years. Status: Awaits action in House-Senate conference committee.

MISCELLANEOUS FUNDING BILLS:

• HB 375: Reduces by 10 percent the transfers from the state treasury to pay for various programs, such as junk vehicle recycling, search and rescue and the state departments of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Military Affairs. Increases the treasury by $600,000 the next two years. Status: Awaits action in House-Senate conference committee.
• HB 604: Transfers nearly $57 million from various funds into the state treasury, both to help balance the budget and manage a state workers' compensation fund. Accounts losing money include one that provides telecommunication services to the deaf, junk-vehicle recycling, the coal-bed methane protection account and an account that pays for hazardous waste cleanup. Status: Awaits action in House-Senate conference committee.
• HB 619: Authorizes spending for Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to study sustainable yield on its forest lands. Status: On its way to the Governor's desk following enrolling on 4/20.
• HB 621:Determines the state responsibility for detecting and preventing invasive species, such as the zebra mussel, with funding authority to carry out the duties. Status: House passed Free Conference Committee Report on 4/20

HEALTH INSURANCE BILLS:

• HB 612: Amends several health-care programs to coordinate with House Bill 2, the major spending bill, such as placing limits on who gets subsidies in the Insure Montana program for small business health coverage. Status: Awaits action in a House-Senate conference committee.
• HB 613: Catch-all measure on several budget-related items, such as setting the base budget for the state Community Services Division in the Department of Public Health and Human Services, exempting the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind from "vacancy savings" budget reductions and revising reporting requirements for the Office of Public Defender. Status: On its way to the Governor's desk following enrolling on 4/20.
• HB 633: Revises Healthy Montana Kids, the voter-approved health insurance plan for children from low- and middle-income families, and tobacco-cessation money to coordinate with Republicans' action to reduce funding authority for both programs. Status: On its way to the Governor's desk following enrolling on 4/20.
• SB 424: Transfers $8 million from the Older Montanans Trust Fund to the state treasury, to pay for a prescription-drug subsidy for the elderly and part of the budget for the Area Agencies on Aging in Montana. Status: May be sent to House-Senate conference committee.