Guest Commentary:

We’re almost half done. Friday, Feb. 27, marks the 45th day of Montana’s 64th Legislature, the mid-point of the 90-day session. General bills must move between the House and the Senate by this date.

I have one bill already moved across to the Senate. House Bill 145 would be a big step to aid in delisting the grizzly bear from the endangered species list while helping to protect farmers and ranchers from loss. The most popular part is non-lethal, proactive, preventive steps, like grants for things like grizzly-proof electric fencing. This popular bill, although using $400,000 from the general fund, is backed by sheep and cattle producers plus sportsmen, environmental and conservation groups and timber users.

I have a couple other bills moving forward in the House this week. House Bill 9, for Cultural and Esthetic Grants which provides statewide for things like museums and Eureka Sunburst events and Children’s Shakespeare in the Park with funding from a longtime endowment program.  The other is HB 572, which would maintain the flow of coal severance tax funds into a Treasure State Endowment Program sub-fund, the interest from which goes into the large regional water systems. Both have been presented to the Appropriations Committee with approval votes expected this week.

Both of the previous two bills stem from my position as chairman of the Appropriations Joint Sub-committee on Long-Range Planning. That Senate-House panel of legislators spent 34 days hearing House Bill 5, the governor’s massive infrastructure and bonding bill, which I have compared to Eureka’s famous Bubba Burger, a gut bomb too big to bite and chew. We moved that bill to the full Appropriations Committee, and I am sponsoring bills to break it into the more manageable and traditional formats those projects were funded through in past sessions. These appropriations bills have a later transmittal date.

I will discuss other bills later, along with the very important revenue estimate. The governor’s estimate is $360 million higher than the estimate of the legislature. Legislative life has been very demanding, thanks in large part to Appropriations Committee and Long-Range Planning.  

I will be home this weekend and a few days next week. Feel free to call 889-5777 or my cell 293-1247, or email [email protected].

—Rep. Mike Cuffe represents House District 2 in the Montana Legislature