Long day at Montana Senate to approve GOP budget

Long day at Mont. Senate to approve GOP budget

MATT GOURAS, Associated Press

HELENA — The Senate has started a long day of tinkering with the state budget by putting money back in for electronic medical records as sought by the governor.

Republicans running the Senate largely agreed the state should take about $35 million in federal money to help hospitals and local clinics transition to electronic medical records.

Supporters say the change will speed up transfers of patients and reduce the chance for making mistakes.

But House Republicans spurned the money in their version of the budget. They argue it could result in invasions of privacy since the electronic records could be seen by so many providers.

Largely, Senate Republicans are expected to go along with the House spending plan. Democrats were being rebuffed in other attempts to restore Gov. Brian Schweitzer's budget proposal.

HELENA — The Senate has started a long day of tinkering with the state budget by putting money back in for electronic medical records as sought by the governor.

Republicans running the Senate largely agreed the state should take about $35 million in federal money to help hospitals and local clinics transition to electronic medical records.

Supporters say the change will speed up transfers of patients and reduce the chance for making mistakes.

But House Republicans spurned the money in their version of the budget. They argue it could result in invasions of privacy since the electronic records could be seen by so many providers.

Largely, Senate Republicans are expected to go along with the House spending plan. Democrats were being rebuffed in other attempts to restore Gov. Brian Schweitzer's budget proposal.