MFPE Priority Bill Status Update

3/31/2019

MFPE 2019 Legislative Priorities (as of 3/31)

Offense(Bills we support)

State and University

SB 152(Barrett) – Makes 6-mill MUS levy permanent. Passed Senate – Heard House Tax.

SB 338(Gauthier/Cohenour) - Montana Museums Act: Provides funding for Montana Heritage Center with a 1% tax increase in accommodations tax. Passed Senate - Transmitted to House.

k-12

HB 211(Jones) – Funds quality education loan repayment. Passed House - Passed Senate Education.
HB 351(McKamey) – Provides incentives for school districts to implement “transformational” learning. Passed House - Passed Senate - Returned to House.
HB 387(Jones) – Expands personalized opportunities for students to accelerate career and college readiness. Passed House - Passed Senate - Returned to House.
HB 638(Bedey) - Inflates special education funding for the biennium. Passed House - Passed Senate Finance

Miscellaneous

HB 477(Funk) – As amended in House Judiciary requires OPI to develop model firearms safety training policies and procedures. Passed House - Referred to Senate Judiciary.

Defense(Bills we oppose)

HB 325(M. Regier) – Repeals a local government’s power to regulate the carrying of concealed weapons and authorizes a person with a concealed weapon permit to carry anywhere in public buildings including schools. Passed House – 2d Reading Senate 4/1.
HB 357(M. Regier) – Legislative Referendum – same intent as HB 325 but not subject to gubernatorial veto. Passed House – 2d Reading Senate 4/1.

SB 139(Lang) - Incentivizes premature teacher retirement to reward double-dipping at expense of TRS. Passed Senate - Heard House Education.
HB755(Moore) - Governor's prek bill that creates taxpayer funded public and private charter prek schools governed by a department and director of prek education independent of local school districts, board of public education, and office of public instruction. Tabled House Education. (DEAD yet?)
SB 234(Fitzpatrick) – Steps toward privatization of Montana State Fund. Passed Senate - Hearing House Business and Labor 3/4.
SB 304(R. Webb) – Authorizes legislators to conceal carry on state property, including the Capitol building. Passed Senate – Hearing House Judiciary 4/3.

Watch(Bills we watch)

HB 567(Skees) – Creates public school marshal program. Passed House – Heard Senate Judiciary.
HB 658(Buttrey) - Repeals Medicaid Expansion sunset with work-related requirements. Passed House - Transmitted to Senate.

Victories

HB 159(Grubbs) - Funds k-12 schools (absent prek). Passed Legislature - Signed by Governor.
HB 175(Dooling) - Ratifies union negotiated state and university employee base pay, health insurance, and per diem. Passed Legislature - Signed by Governor.
HB 148(Mandeville) – Requires supermajority of the House and Senate to increase a tax or fee. Tabled Senate Tax.
HB 303(DeVries) – Abolishes compulsory education. Tabled House Education.
HB 323(Tschida) – Codifies Janus. Passed Legislature as amended.
HB 396(M. Regier) – Prohibits public employees from supporting or opposing ballot issues and political candidates. Tabled House State Administration.
SB 297(Brown) – Requires 50% plus vote to approve school mill levy and bond issues. Tabled Senate Education.
SB 298(Brown) – Legislative Referendum – same intent as SB 297 but not subject to a gubernatorial veto. Tabled Senate Education.

Defeats

HB 27(Funk) – Inflates special education funding. Tabled House Appropriations.
HB 209 (Funk) – Authorizes state employee career ladders. Tabled House Appropriations.
HB 235(Fern) – Creates opportunity for school districts to create statewide school employee health care trust. Tabled House Health and Human Services.
HB 298(Pope) – Provides ANB funding of certain students with disabilities up to age 21. Passed House - Tabled Senate Education.
HB 339(Moore) – Creates and funds loan repayment for Child Protective Specialists. Tabled House Appropriations.
HB 455(Windy Boy) – Qualifies eligible classified school employees for unemployment compensation. Tabled House Business and Labor.
SB 128 (Cohenour) – Repeals state employee longevity pay break in service penalty. Tabled Senate State Administration.

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