MFPE 2019 Legislative Priorities (at adjournment)
 
Bills we supported that passed

• HB 159(Grubbs) - Funds k-12 schools (absent prek).   Signed by Governor. VRR
• HB 175(Dooling) - Ratifies union negotiated state and university employee base pay, health insurance, and per diem.  Signed by Governor.  VR
• HB 351(McKamey) – Provides incentives for school districts to implement “transformational” learning.  Passed Legislature.   VR

• HB 387(Jones) – Expands personalized opportunities for students to accelerate career and college readiness.  Passed Legislature. VR

• HB 638(Bedey) - Inflates special education funding for the biennium.  Passed Legislature.   VR
• HB 658(Buttrey) - Repeals Medicaid Expansion sunset with work-related requirements.  Passed Legislature.  VR

• SB 60(Salomon) - Dedicates $2 million in lottery net revenue to MUS STEM scholarships.  Passed Legislature.  VR

• SB 92(Salomon) - Provides greater local school district funding capacity to address school safety issues - Passed Legislature. VR
• SB 338(Gauthier/Cohenour) - Montana Museums Act: Provides funding for Montana Heritage Center and museums around Montana with a 1% tax increase in accommodations tax. Passed Legislature.  VR

 
Bills we opposed that failed

• 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.
• HB755(Moore) - Governor's prek bill that creates taxpayer funded public and private charter pre-k schools governed by a department of early childhood independent of local school districts, board of public education, and office of public instruction.  Tabled House Education - Failed two attempts to amend into SB 352Free Conference Committee.

• SB 234(Fitzpatrick) – Steps toward privatization of Montana State Fund. Passed Senate - Failed 2d Reading House.  VR

 
Bills we watched that passed

• HB 211(Jones) – Funds quality education loan repayment.  Passed Legislature.
• HB 323(Tschida) – Codifies Janus.  Passed Legislature.

• HB 567(Skees) – Creates public school marshal program.  Passed Legislature.

• SB 139(Lang) - Incentivizes teachers to retire at 27 years, draw full retirement, and continue to teach in 2d and 3d class sized school communities.  Passed Legislature.

 
Bills we supported that failed

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

• SB 128  (Cohenour) – Repeals state employee longevity pay break in service penalty.  Tabled Senate State Administration.

• SB 152(Barrett) – Makes 6-mill MUS levy permanent.  Tabled House Tax. VR

 
Bills we opposed that passed

• 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 Legislature.  VR
• HB 357(M. Regier) – Legislative Referendum – same intent as HB 325 but not subject to gubernatorial veto.  Passed Legislature.   VR

• SB 304(R. Webb) – Authorizes legislators to conceal carry on state property, including the Capitol building.  Passed Legislature.   VR

SB 234 is bing considered by the Montana House. This bill would PRIVATIZE Montana State Fund! This would impact the Jons of 12 MFPE members, kick them off their health insurance and retirement, and weaken Workers Compensation for ALL Montanans! Please contact your member of the Montana State House and urge them to vote no on SB 234!!
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Dial 406-444-4800, ask to leave a message for your legislator and tell them "Oppose SB 234!"
To email, Click: https://leg.mt.gov/web-messaging/ Enter your contact info & select send message to "Legislator" and choose your House Representative from the drop-down menu.  Select "SB" and enter 234 in the Bill Type and Number box.  Select "Against"  Enter your message in the box - urge your legislator to "Oppose SB 234!"

April 2, 2019
Contact: Bob Funk, Director of Communications
406-461-6787 | bfunk@mfpe.org
MFPE Benevolence Fund Established During 2nd Annual Conference​

(HELENA, MONT.) - On the morning of March 15th, 2019 Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Wade Palmer was shot while responding to reports of gunfire near the Stone Creek Lodge in Missoula County Friday morning. He is currently hospitalized in Salt Lake City with injuries sustained as a result of the incident.

Trooper Palmer, like many Montana Highway Patrol Troopers, is a member of the Montana Federation of Public Employees (MFPE) and has been continuously in the thoughts of his MFPE family. During MFPE’s 2nd Annual Conference (March 29-30, 2019), members passed the hat and raised just over $3,000 for the Palmer family.

MFPE President Eric Feaver and staff will be presenting a check for Trooper Palmer and his family to Attorney General Tim Fox, Colonel Tom Butler, and Trooper Joe Fowler at 1pm on April 3rd, 2019.

Additionally, during the conference, MFPE delegates voted to establish the MFPE Benevolence Fund. The rationale for the creation of the benevolent fund was stated as follows:

"One of the historical pillars underpinning organized labor has been the assistance unions have provided members and their families during a time of crisis. Unions have always taken care of their own. MFPE has members who daily place themselves in harms way, whether patrolling Montana’s highways, walking the “high side” of Montana State Prison, working as k-12 paraprofessionals, dealing with exposure to harmful bacteria and toxins, or traveling the state in service to the public. Any one of our members may on occasion suffer a threat to life, limb, and health during the course of their duties. With a benevolence fund MFPE can provide limited financial assistance to members who may be injured on the job."

For comment, please contact MFPE President Eric Feaver at efeaver@mfpe.org or call 406-442-4250