Budget panel begins work
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HELENA — The hearing on House Bill 2, the major state funding bill, opened late last week. The battle pits the budget the governor proposed before the session with what’s left of his requests after five appropriations subcommittees examined each section.
The Republican-crafted House Bill 2 is about $160 million less than the governor’s proposal.
Some of the cuts discussed late last week included removing funding for Gov. Bullock’s airplane. Republicans who decided to cut the funding said he had overused the plane, making short flights in instances when driving might have been a better option.
Another cut discussed last week was a $200,000 biennial cut to the Commissioner of Political Practices budget. This cut would remove a full-time prosecutor from their office, which commissioner Jonathan Motl said helped his office enforce complaints filed against electoral candidates.
Action on the bill is expected to begin next week.
