Spending bill passes House, heads for Senate

Legislators began the tedious process of accepting or rejecting the House Appropriations Committee's best stab at House Bill 2, the government's spending bill. The governor's budget was given to the Legislature in December and modified by the committee.

Each section of HB2 addresses a different part of state government. The first section took three hours of debate on Monday morning with ensuing sections lasting throughout the day. HB2 included the following:

General government will hire 75 new employees with a 13.5 percent increase in spending over 2007.

None of the following amendments passed:

1. Cut $25,000 from housekeeping at the governor's mansion which was one time funding in 2005 and continues as a one time appropriation. If it needs funding each session, why not include it in the governor's budget and be done with it? There is already a $300,000 appropriation for these purposes.

2. Eliminate the governor's plane and allow him use of the DNRC plane, the MDOT plane or one of the helicopters the state owns. Some felt that driving to close places like Butte would be better on the taxpayers' pockets, just as legislators do for travel.

3. Eliminate hiring 10 new employees at the Department of Revenue which will cost the taxpayers $1.6 million. This department already has 650 employees and discussion included their hassling Montanans because they had nothing better to do.

4. Eliminate $900,000 in unspecified present law adjustment. When there's no explanation for almost a million dollar increase in spending for the Department of Revenue, shouldn't there be questions? Discussion on both sides of the aisle agreed that the department is giving raises beyond their pay plan approval rates and often exceed the 3 percent allocated from the 2007 session, yet less than forty of us voted in favor of this oversight.

5. Eliminate $150,000 in the DOR budget which is used for discretionary funds. None of us knew how these funds are being spent.

An amendment to take the CHIP program back to 175 percent of poverty failed on a vote of 65-33. Hawaii's failed children's health program was cited, along with the argument that there is no asset test before parents can put their children on the government's health plan.

Health and Human Services proposed an increase of 105.53 employees with funding increasing by 9.4 percent. This amount will also increase with the funds from the 'stimulus' package. Much of it will be used to backfill money for programs such as the Healthy Montana Kids Initiative which was voted on by Montanans last fall.

One member of the House committee pointed out that there has been a $40 million cut in base Medicaid with HB2 this session, directly impacting the very people we must help. This will be backfilled with one-time stimulus money from the Feds for now.

LEGISLATORS IN 2011 will be in a bind and have to make some difficult decisions without the stimulus money. CHIPS funding increases to $30 million in 2011, $63 million in 2012 and $95 million in 2013. Many of us believe it will implode just as the Hawaiian program did in its seven months of use. Time will tell if our predictions become reality.

Natural Resources and Transportation will hire fourteen new employees including an urban deer wildlife specialist.

Judicial Branch, Law Enforcement and Justice have proposed 74 new employees with an increase of 4.56 percent in the biennium.

Amendments attempted on this section included:

1. Remove $278,000 for funding a new council overseeing law enforcement.

2. Reduce Clerk of Supreme Court's budget by $30,000 since they have no new employees.

3. Office of Public Defender cut by $1.5 million-state takeover of this county program has really increased the use and does not have an asset test — anyone gets it free.

4. Cut $50,000 for prison equipment and make them use what they already have.

5. Eliminate $65,000 for video equipment for prison.

6. Remove $175,000 from Board of Crime Control.

Education will see a 1.19 percent state tax increase and be added to federal money and one-time spending from the stimulus.

House Bill 2 passed the House on a vote of 64-35. It will now go to the Senate Finance and Claims for some of their "magic" and will return to the House for final passage.

As I voted "no" on HB2 I couldn't help but think of all the taxpayers in the Flathead without a job, lack of health care and worries about the looming recession.

There will be some jobs in state government, so like Bob Barker would say, "Come on down." It's about the only place in the state which is growing … at least until business gets back in the black and begins rehiring workers as Plum Creek recently announced. I hope the brighter economy doesn't include a second federal bailout.

Dee Brown is a Republican Whip and represents House District 3.