Week 10 in the Legislature

The pace is picking up in the Montana Senate. Tax Committee is still wrestling with the medical cannabis (marijuana) issue. The committee had two extra fact-finding meetings trying to determine quality and safety standardized testing requirements needed to ensure best practice for the patients. Amendments will be coming in. I know there will be more work to get it right, but I am looking forward to the whole thing coming to a close. The other big tax bill is the Local Option Sales Tax, which would allow communities the option of putting a tax of up to 4 percent on their local ballot. The idea being that the proceeds would provide some property tax relief.

The mail-ballot bill is still being processed within the House so I’m not sure what is going on.

Energy Committee has a couple of bills that are dealing with the closures of Colstrip 1 and 2, the coal-fired electrical plants. The area around Colstrip is looking to get some financial relief when the closure happens on or before year 2022. They have seen what has happened in Butte, Great Falls, Bonner, Columbia Falls and throughout Montana. When a large company pulls out, it leaves many families unemployed and the town immediately sees economic hardship.

Charter schools are an up-and-coming subject in bills that are being proposed in the Education Committee. Other subjects coming forward: bullying, funding, dual enrollment, Indian language immersion, ANB funding, suicide prevention in schools, and special needs programs. A big bill with a lot of traction is the Athlete Protection Bill, which addresses concussions. Those are some of the issues we’re addressing that are coming forward from the House.

I was fortunate enough to spend this past weekend watching wrestling in Fort Benton. My grandsons did well. I’m very proud. Have a great week.

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Contact Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester, [email protected]