As we near the halfway point of the legislature, the pressure mounts. We're striving for a steady hand to get Montana through these tough times. Our state fiscal division has once again lowered our budget surplus estimates for the next two years to $251 million. While that number is significantly lower than originally forecast, we have a surplus. Montana is one of only a handful of states that has a budget surplus. Considering the current national outlook, I think that this a tremendous accomplishment. I think it says two things. First, we have fostered enough economic growth, which broadly includes our energy development policies. Secondly, we have lived within our means. We have used restraint in our government. Unlike other states, we spend less than we take in. I think that this speaks exceptionally well for all of us as citizens of Montana.

Now we are working hard to keep that surplus. We are working very hard to increase our natural resource development. This includes the development and increase production of natural gas, clean coal, wind, solar, geo-thermal, bio-mass and hydroelectric. Currently there are several bills that address issues that make production easier for development. House Bill 338 gives pipelines for transporting carbon dioxide similar legal status to pipelines for oil and gas. Natural resource projects that choose carbon sequestration will have an option for moving the carbon around and selling it. Other pro-energy production bills are HB 483, HB 566 and HB 529.

These bills address the current policies of the state and help streamline the process for new development of conventional energy as well as renewable energy.

Both parties have also used constraint in government spending. Now is not the time to increase our government spending. Our economy is much different now than it was a year ago, or even six months ago. This past week some of my fellow Republicans made a very hard decision to delay the implementation of a recently passed initiative named Healthy Montana Kids. Passed by initiative last fall, Healthy Montana Kids expands a current state program. It establishes a level of 250 percent of the federal poverty guidelines to receive government-paid insurance for children. A family of four could get these benefits while earning more than $55,000. For larger families the amount is much, much more. This may seem like a great thing, however once you increase these benefits to virtually every family in the state, you have serious funding concerns for the state. It would encourage families that can afford private insurance to dump their private insurance and sign up for the state insurance. This overuse of the system could bankrupt the insurance fund in our state, as it has done in other states. We will have to take a closer look at this program over the interim.

I have heard from many of you regarding certain concerns and issues. I thank you for your e-mails and messages. Keep them coming to sreichner@centurytel.net. I would also like to publicly thank my wife for pinch hitting for me last week. As many of you know, Jill outshines me in just about every way. Now you all know she is a much more entertaining writer than I am as well.