Lawmakers talk charters, savings time, mail ballots

State Rep. Jacob Bachmeier, D-Havre, reiterated Tuesday his opposition to a public charter school bill introduced by state Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder.

Bachmeier spoke during the weekly legislative video conference at Northern Montana Hospital, also attended by state Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester.

"I really respect where Rep. Windy Boy is coming from, I know he is trying to do a good thing, but I don't think charter schools and the way he envisions them is going to help the situation," Bachmeier said.

Under current administrative rules, charter schools can be established in Montana if a school district's publicly elected board of trustees votes to submit a charter to the Montana Board of Public Education. If approved by the Board of Public Education, a charter school is then formed and overseen by the trustees.

Windy Boy's House Bill 376 would establish a seven-member state charter commission with charter jurisdiction and authority chaired by the Montana superintendent of public instruction. The six remaining members would consist of two members appointed by the governor, two by the state Senate president and two by the speaker of the Montana House of Representatives.

Under the bill, a public hearing regarding the creation of a charter school would be held in a school district if at least 20 percent of voters petition for the establishment of one.

Windy Boy has said charter schools are a way to help address the dropout rate, especially on Indian reservations, by attracting and retaining students by offering unique programs.

The bill passed the House 55-44. North-central Montana House members Windy Boy, Jim O'Hara, R-Fort Benton, and Casey Knudsen, R-Malta, voted for it, while Bachmeier voted against it.

The legislation now advances to the Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee for a hearing.

Bachmeier said the problem of the dropout rate can be addressed through other ways such as increasing immersion and cultural education programs, expanding access to mental health and rehabilitation services.

Expanding technical and educational opportunities would also help retain students, he said.

"The fact of the matter is, some people aren't meant for liberal arts education and that's OK. If people are good working with their hands that's good, we should be encouraging them to become technicians, carpenters and electricians," Bachmeier said.

He also said that Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen should look at reviving Graduation Matters Montana, a mandate carried out by her predecessor Denise Juneau to reduce the high school dropout rate, which ended when Arntzen took over as superintendent.

Bachmeier said he doesn't like the idea of the state mandating an education program such as Graduation Matters but he does like the idea of encouraging Arntzen to restart the program, either through a House Joint Resolution to send the message that it was an effective program to address the dropout rate, or other incentives.

Daylight savings time

The group discussed a proposal to end daylight savings time in Motnana.

Val Murri, a Havre resident, said he is worried that if it becomes law, it could sow confusion.

"If you're (on) standard time and every other state around you is on daylight savings time it kind of throws everything off," Murri said.

Senate Bill 206, introduced by state Sen. Ryan Osmundsen, R-Buffalo, would put the state on Montana Standard time permanently effective 2 a.m. Nov. 5. The bill says federal laws governing common carriers engaged in interstate or foreign commerce or the timing of an act by an officer or department of the U.S. as established by statute, order, rule or regulation would not be affected if the bill becomes law,

The bill passed the Senate 36-14 when it was brought to the floor Feb. 22. State Sens. Russ Tempel, R-Chester, Mike Lang, R-Malta, and Frank Smith, D-Poplar, voted for the proposal.

Tempel said most of the emails he received said the senders wanted time to be set the same throughout the year, however constituents from more urban areas within his district tended to be more opposed to the legislation, while those in more rural areas tended to support it.

"Farmers and ranchers go by daylights anyway, they don't go by a watch," Tempel said.

He added that every time he has to change his clocks to conform with daylight savings time, it takes him a month to get adjusted.

The legislation has been sent to the House Administration Committee.

Bachmeier, a member of the committee, said he is leaning toward voting for the bill, though he said that he does not have a firm position either way. North-central Montana House members Casey Knudsen, R-Malta, Jim O'Hara, R-Fort Benton, and Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, could not be reached before print deadline for comment as to how they will vote.

Bachmeier said few of the emails he received wanted to keep daylight savings time. He said that, while campaigning last year, he was surprised by how passionate people were about daylight savings time, especially people in the Highland Park area of Havre.

Gas Tax

A bill to raise the state gas tax to pay for infrastructure improvements will likely come to the House floor next week, Bachmeier said.

"I suspect it is going to pass. It is definitely going to be a close vote," Bachmeier said.

House Bill 473 introduced by state Rep. Frank Garner, R-Kalispell, would increase the state's 27 cent gas tax to 35 cents. Aviation fuel would also increase by four cents.

Farm fuels would be exempt, the legislation says.

The legislation says 57 percent or $35 million of the revenue would go to the Montana Department of Transportation for to bridge and road projects decided on by the Montana Transportation Commission. Another 4 percent or $2.75 million, whichever is less, would go to the Montana Highway Patrol. The remaining funds would go to a road construction and maintenance match program for local governments in Montana.

Localities that apply for the program would have to provide $1 for every $5 that they receive from the state.

The state's gas tax hasn't been raised since 1991. Bachmeier said that is a long time and the tax needs to keep up with the cost of inflation in order to improve the condition of the state's infrastructure.

Bachmeier, Tempel and Smith have said they support the legislation. Lang said this morning that he has not yet had a chance to study the bill. Windy Boy, Knudsen and O'Hara did not respond to comment before print deadline.

Last month, Hill County Commissioner Diane McLean, who was not at Tuesday's meeting has said many county commissioners oppose the matching fund requirements and a requirement that money all go toward contract bid projects.

Mail-in ballots

Bachmeier said that if a bill to afford counties the option to conduct the May 25 special election by all mail ballot dies in the House Judiciary Committee, it will be blasted out of the committee and pass on the floor of the House.

"I don't think it is dead by any means," Bachmeier said.

Senate Bill 305, introduced by state Sen. Steve Kirkpatrick, R-Great Falls, passed the Senate 37-13 Feb. 24. North-central Montana Sens. Smith, Tempel and Lang all voted for it. Reps. Bachmeier and Windy Boy have said they support the bill. Knudsen and O'Hara could not be reached for comment before print deadline.

The bill is now being taken up by the House Judiciary Committee before going to the full House for a vote.

County clerk and recorders throughout the state have advocated for an all-mail ballot because it would save cash-strapped counties money on an election they have not been able to budget for.

Republicans, though, have been divided on the bill, with some saying they are worried about election fraud.

Though the law would not change how elections are conducted in any other elections, Montana Republican Party Chairman and Billings Rep. Jeff Essmann said in a mass email that a mail-in ballot would give Democrats an edge in elections.

Bachmeier, though, said that if a move that would require counties to set up temporary satellite voting offices on reservations is inserted, the debate could become more contentious.

A motion to amend the bill to include satellite voting offices was defeated 29-21 in the Senate with Lang and Tempel voting against it and Smith for it.

Counties still could use satellite voting offices

Tempel said he had talked to Fitzpatrick Tuesday, and he has no idea when a hearing for the bill is scheduled.