Session at Midpoint
It was a strange week at the Montana Legislature. Lawmakers wrapped up the hearings on non-revenue bills on Monday and Tuesday. Then it was to the floor for second and third readings on the non-revenue bills.
Today, Friday, February 27, is the 45th day of the session, or the halfway point of the 90-day meeting. Meanwhile, the bills with money in them were put on hold in committees, because any non-revenue bill not transmitting houses today is dead.
Looking back on the first half of the session, there have been 982 bills introduced, 591 to the House and 391 to the Senate. This means that 982 bills will at least have a hearing. Then they can be tabled in committee, defeated by vote on the House or Senate floors, or be passed and headed to the governor’s office for either a signature or a veto.
What has NFIB/Montana accomplished so far?
Minimum Wage
A number of bills important to small business and NFIB/Montana members have been tabled in committees. For example, two minimum wage bills were tabled in the first 45 days. They were Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 384.
Both bills would have raised the state minimum wage from its current $8.05 per hour to $10.10 per hour and kept the annual consumer price index (CPI) in tack. That would mean the minimum wage would increase about one percent to three percent every year going forward.
Workers’ Compensation Premiums
Also tabled was Senate Bill 103 that would have given professional firefighters a presumptive disease classification if they developed a laundry list of diseases because of their work. This could have opened Pandora’s Box on workers’ compensation benefits, and opened the door to other professions like body shop workers who work around dangerous materials every day.
An important bill to NFIB/Montana is Senate Bill 254. This measure by Sen. Jim Keane (D) of Butte would take $50 million out of the reserves of the Montana State Fund and pay down the liabilities of the Old Fund of workers’ compensation. It was dead in Senate Business Committee on a 5-to-5 tie. It was revived and passed out 6 to 4, and then passed out of Senate Finance Committee 11 to 8. It goes to the full Senate in March for a second reading vote. Currently, the Old Fund is being paid out of the general fund of the state. Such a raid on the State Fund’s assets could cause the non-payment of dividends to workers’ compensation policy holders for many years to come, while it recouped the $50 million.
Paycheck Fairness
A paycheck fairness proposal, Senate Bill 158, would have prohibited an employer from not allowing his employees to talk about wages and benefit to other employees. It was tabled, too.
Paid Sick Leave
Senate Bill 197 would have mandated employers that have paid sick leave or vacation benefits to allow employees to use that time for situations of domestic violence and family situations. It, too, was tabled in committee.
Unemployment Benefits
Senate Bill 310 would have allowed certain school employees to receive unemployment benefits for time off between academic years, otherwise known as school employees getting paid for summer vacations.
Balanced Federal Budget
The one disappointment was the defeat of the balanced budget amendment bills. House Joint Resolution 3 and Senate Joint Resolution 7 were tabled in committee. The one making it to the floor of the House was House Joint Resolution 4. These bills would have invoked Article V of the U.S. Constitution that would call a constitutional convention of the states to draft a balance budget amendment, forcing the U.S. Congress to balance its budgets annually as the majority of states do now. HJ 4 was defeated on the floor of the House 23-77.
Tax Cuts
There are still six tax-cutting bills alive and well.
- House Bill 166 would reduce the tax rates by two-tenths of a percent and has passed the House, 56-41, and passed the Senate, 29-21.
- House Bill 169 would give taxpayers a one-time tax credit of about $500. It passed the House 57-41.
- House Bill 266 would put a tax cut on the next ballot for voters to decide what to do. It is stalled in the House Tax Committee. Opponents say the people should not cut or raise taxes. It should be the duty of the Legislature.
- House Bill 359 would put an inflationary figure on the various levels of tax. It passed the House 97-3.
- Senate Bill 200 would lower the rates and levels of taxes to the tune of $75 million dollars. It passed the Senate 27-21 on a party-line vote and is pending a hearing in the House next month.
- And, finally, there is Senate Bill 171 that would lower the tax rates considerably, but also eliminate certain tax deductions for things. This bill would be basically revenue neutral. It is said in the halls of the Capitol that these tax bills are all being kept alive to give the Republican-majority in both houses some bargaining tools when the legislative branch gets down to the final days of the session and needs to bargain with the governor’s office to balance the budget.
Infrastructure
Another interesting bill was heard Monday in the Senate Finance Committee. SB 354 is the Republican answer to the governor’s infrastructure bill that would use cash and bonds to develop a select number of infrastructure programs around the state. The governor’s bill would cost some $450 million. The Republican bill by Sen. Rick Ripley of Wolf Creek would take a portion of the coal tax trust fund money and earmark each year some $30 million of cash toward a select program of infrastructure repair and building. No bond money would be use in SB 354. It is has passed the Senate in second reading 31 to 19 and is awaiting third reading after the transmittal break.
Equipment Tax Exemptions
And, finally, the interest is growing for House Bill 213. This is the business equipment tax bill that would raise the exemption threshold from $100,000 to $500,000. It has a $20 million or so fiscal note attached to it. It has passed the House Tax Committee 12 to 8 and is awaiting House floor action in the next few weeks.
Speaking of the transmittal break, the legislators leave today for the break until next Thursday morning. It is a recess at the halfway mark of the session.So, there is no legislative action on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of next week.
Getting Involved
Getting involved in the 2015 Legislature is easy. The best way to have your voice heard quickly is to phone 406-444-4800. Operators are on hand in the Capitol Building to take messages to up to five legislators on each call, and delivery is within a half an hour. For those wanting more information on locating legislators, getting an e-mail address, looking to view committee meetings and floor sessions on television or over computers, and just to review all hearings and reading of the actual bills, you can go to www.leg.mt.gov and access everything electronically.
Past Reports
