From Eric Feaver, MFPE president
This week the governor signed HB 159, funding k-12 for the coming biennium; and the House killed several incredibly bizarre anti-vax bills that never deserved attention here.
The 2019 legislature is now taking a break effectively until Monday, March 11, sort of a late winter “spring” break or perhaps better stated an early spring “winter” break. We are half-way through this 90 day session. I hope by the time the legislature comes back to town, we will begin to enjoy relief from simply too much deep snow and cold.
For the next 45 days, expect big battles around revenue enhancements, tax cuts, funding of vital state government programs and personnel (our members), Medicaid Expansion, infrastructure (Montana Heritage Center?), and prek as we continue to look for a compromise consistent with Montana’s constitutional promise of “a system of education which will develop the full educational potential of each person.”
See PDFs: Early Childhood Consensus Memo and Consensus Bill for Early Childhood Education
Comments welcome. Email: [email protected]
MFPE 2019 Legislative Priorities (as of 3/1)
Offense (Bills we support)
K-12
State and University
Miscellaneous
Defense (Bills we oppose)
Watch (Bills we watch)
Victories
Defeats
This week the governor signed HB 159, funding k-12 for the coming biennium; and the House killed several incredibly bizarre anti-vax bills that never deserved attention here.
The 2019 legislature is now taking a break effectively until Monday, March 11, sort of a late winter “spring” break or perhaps better stated an early spring “winter” break. We are half-way through this 90 day session. I hope by the time the legislature comes back to town, we will begin to enjoy relief from simply too much deep snow and cold.
For the next 45 days, expect big battles around revenue enhancements, tax cuts, funding of vital state government programs and personnel (our members), Medicaid Expansion, infrastructure (Montana Heritage Center?), and prek as we continue to look for a compromise consistent with Montana’s constitutional promise of “a system of education which will develop the full educational potential of each person.”
See PDFs: Early Childhood Consensus Memo and Consensus Bill for Early Childhood Education
Comments welcome. Email: [email protected]
MFPE 2019 Legislative Priorities (as of 3/1)
Offense (Bills we support)
K-12
- HB 211 (Jones) – Funds quality education loan repayment. Passed House - Referred to Senate Education.
- HB 225 (Schreiner) – Funds governor’s prek proposal. Heard House Education.
- HB 298 (Pope) – Provides ANB funding of certain students with disabilities up to age 21. Passed House - Transmitted to Senate.
- HB 351 (McKamey) – Provides incentives for school districts to implement “transformational” learning. Passed 2nd Reading House – Re-referred to House Appropriations.
- HB 387 (Jones) – Expands personalized opportunities for students to accelerate career and college readiness. Passed 2nd Reading House – Heard House Appropriations.
State and University
- HB 339 (Moore) – Creates and funds loan repayment for Child Protective Specialists. Heard House State Administration.
- SB 152 (Barrett) – Makes 6-mill MUS levy permanent. Passed Senate – Hearing House Tax 3/19.
Miscellaneous
- HB 425 (Caferro) – Revises and makes permanent Medicaid Expansion. Hearing House Human Services 3/16.
- HB 477 (Funk) – Enacts child access to guns, prevention and education laws. Hearing House Judiciary 3/12.
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, including in public schools. Passed House – Hearing
- HB 357 (M. Regier) – Legislative Referendum – same intent as HB 325 but not subject to gubernatorial veto. Passed House – Hearing Senate Judiciary 3/15.
- SB 139 (Lang) - Incentivizes premature teacher retirement to reward double-dipping at expense of TRS. Passed Senate - Referred to House Education.
- SB 234 (Fitzpatrick) – Steps toward privatization of Montana State Fund. Passed Senate – Transmitted to House.
- SB 304 (R. Webb) – Authorizes legislators to conceal carry on state property, including the Capitol building. Passed Senate – Referred to House Judiciary.
Watch (Bills we watch)
- HB 323 (Tschida) – Codifies Janus. Passed House – Hearing Senate Business and Labor 3/13.
- HB 567 (Skees) – Creates public school marshal program. 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. On its way to the governor’s desk.
- 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 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 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.
