School funding hot topic at legislative videoconference

The idea of providing tax credits to people who contribute to private school scholarships has had a mixed reception in Havre.

Last week the state Senate voted 27-23 to approve the proposal, and the House is going to consider the proposal soon, said Sen. Bruce Meyers, R-Box Elder.

“It looks like we may have charter schools,” Meyers said at a weekly video conference between Hi-Line residents and Helena lawmakers. The bill would provide $150 in tax credits to people making donations to charter schools. Forty-three states have some kind of independent charter schools, but Montana has repeatedly rejected any such idea, steadfastly supporting only public schools. The state allows publicly funded charter schools that report to the state Office of Public Instruction.

Meyers said a proposal by Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, to establish charter schools for Native students having trouble settling in public schools has died a natural death,.

But a bill that would provide some indirect government funds to charter schools looks likely, Meyers said, through a veto from Gov. Steve Bullock looms.

In the Senate, Windy Boy voted no, while Sen. Kris Hansen, R-Havre, voted yes. Neither were at the video conference Tuesday.

Rep. Stephanie Hess, R-Havre, pointed to some successes with members of her family in other states who have attended charter schools. They didn’t fit in public schools, she said, but thrived when they attended special charter schools geared toward their interests.

Karen Sloan, a prominent Democrat, said she supported charter schools as they are now set up by the state.

“I support private schools,” she said. “St. Jude’s does great things.

“But I’m not for taking money away for public schools for charter schools,” she said. “Public schools already get little enough.”

Medicaid Expansion

There were also diverse opinions on the “compromise” Medicaid Expansion bill that has cleared the Senate and is now headed to the House.

Many Republicans say the bill sponsored by Sen. Ed Buttrey, R-Great Falls, is not a compromise between Republican and Democratic plans but rather a capitulation to Bullock, a strong supporter of Medicaid expansion.

Sloan said hospitals are hopeful the bill will pass because it means poor people will be able to pay their bills and not leave hospitals in the position where they are providing care but are left carrying the bag.

But others in the audience said that providing more assistance to more people was not the answer.

Havre businessman Brad Lotton said that before long, between traditional Medicaid, Mecdicaid Expansion and other forms of assistance, nearly one-third of Montana’s population will be on some form of public assistance.

“There must be a better way,” he said.

Scaled-back infrastructure

proposal

Hill County Republican Chair Andrew Brekke praised Meyers and Hess for supporting an infrastructure repair program that includes two Hill County projects — reconstruction of Hinebaugh Bridge in southern Hill County and major repairs to the Bullhook drainage system in Havre.

Both projects are needed badly, Brekke said.

On a party-line vote, the House voted for the proposal, a scaled-back version of Gov. Steve Bullock’s infrastructure plan.

Democrats said they wanted Bullock’s entire list of projects included in the package. They also wanted the state to borrow the money for the undertaking. Republicans offered a mix of bonding and spending current tax money.

Assistance for Chester’s water project was deleted from the Republican proposal.