Legislators discuss Keystone, rural teacher needs

State Sen. Mike Lang, R-Malta, said Tuesday he is sponsoring a Senate joint resolution urging President Donald Trump and Congress to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, adding that the pipeline would run through his Senate district.

"I think it is very important, especially for our Hi-Line and our farmers," Lang said during a weekly video conference between north-central Montana lawmakers in Helena and constituents in Havre.

Lang said that in previous years the rails were filled with railroad oil tankers carrying oil from the Bakken formation in North Dakota and northeastern Montana. Constructing the last leg of the pipeline that would run from Canada to Oklahoma would free up space on the railway for agricultural products to be more quickly shipped, he said, because the pipeline would allow an estimated 100,000 barrels a day to be transported from the Bakken.

"So that will free up some of our rail transportation to get our wheat and barley to the west coast." Lang said.

He said pipelines are a safe way to transport oil and that north-central Montana counties could gain some revenue.

"There will be some economic drift into Hill and Blaine counties," he said, but added that in his Senate District Phillips and Valley counties would receive the most revenue from the pipeline.

Both U.S Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines have voted to support construction of the pipeline, and Gov. Steve Bullock has also voiced support for it.

State Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester, said he had not seen the resolution, but would support it because it brings money to counties.

Proposed legislation that would increase stipends for nationally certified teachers who teach in rural school districts will stand a better chance of passage if those individual school boards also pitch in to cover the cost, Lang said.

Lang said nationally certified teachers in Montana who teach in an educational cooperative, juvenile detention facility or public schools that meet certain criteria receive a one time payment of $3,000.

Senate Bill 115 would increase that payment to five annual payments of $3,000 and that amount  would double for teachers in rural school districts.

Tempel, who sits on the Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee, said the legislation which is likely to pass the House, but has a "pretty heavy fiscal note and it would be easier to pass if the individual school districts could find a way to help cover some of the costs.

"Hopefully we can all work together on that," he added.

Lang, who sits on the Senate Finance and Claims Committee, who was to hear the legislation later that day, said the rest of the state might be reluctant to cover the entire cost for the incentive that targets rural school districts.

"We're gonna get beat up on that because the state of Montana is going to say, 'Hey, how come we have to take care of all the rural schools,'" he said.  

He said  a better situation would be if the individual school districts could agree to pay for a portion of that cost, and then the district could either seek additional money from the state or through matching funds.

"I guess to me that is a better situation because they are saying, 'Yeah, we want to agree with this, we just want some help, and we are willing to put our foot forward if the state is willing to put their foot forward,'" Lang said.