Legislature is heating up…
Things are really starting to heat up at the Legislature this week as legislators try to have their bills heard before the Transmittal deadline. The deadline of Feb. 26 (also the mid point of the session) is quickly approaching and we have heard that any general bill not heard in committee by the 20th will not have much of a chance of surviving. (After Feb.26, bills that have not passed one chamber and moved on to the other will die. Appropriation and Revenue bills have until the last week in March or so.) Next week’s slate is quickly filling up with bills that have the potential to impact Montana’s livestock industry. Below, please find a select list of bills we are watching:
HB 418 – Authorize investor owned livestock slaughter and processing plants (Edward Butcher, R-Winifred). Will be heard by the House Agriculture Committee.
HB 487 – Classify as business inventories certain farm implements and construction equip. (Walter McNutt, R-Sidney) Will be heard by House Taxation Committee today.
HB 254 – Monitor and report on greenhouse gas emissions (Mike Phillips, D-Bozeman). Hearing 2/16/09 in the House Natural Resources Committee.
SB 396 – Alter criteria for permitting certain changes to points of diversion (Bob Story, R-Park City). Will be heard 2/16/09 in the Senate Natural Resources Committee.
HB 482 – State assistance for economic damage caused by brucellosis (David Howard, R-Park City). Will be heard by House Agriculture Committee 2/17/09.
HB 314 – Revise fish and game laws—game animal damage mitigation act (Kendall Van Dyk, D-Billings). Will be heard by House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee on 2/17/09.
HB 558 – Establish the community hunting access partnership (Bill McChesney, D-Miles City). Will be heard by House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee on 2/17/09.
SB 337 – Revise laws governing bison–re: translocation of quarantined bison (John Brenden, R-Scobey). Will be heard by Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Committee on 2/17/09.
SR 7 – Confirm appointees to Board of Livestock (Donald Steinbeisser, R-Sidney). Will be heard 2/19/09 in the Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Committee.
SB 183 – Revise wolf policy (Joe Balyeat, R-Bozeman). Will be heard 2/19/09 in Senate Fish and game Committee.
HB 430 – Fine for barbwire fences across navigable water (Anders Blewett, D-Great Falls). Will be heard 2/19/09 in the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee.
HB 455 – Big sky rivers act (Michele Reinhart, D-Missoula). Will be heard 2/19/09 in the House Local Government Committee.
SB 423 – Montana river and stream protection (Verdell Jackson R-Kalispell). Will be heard by Senate Local Government Committee. No hearing scheduled yet.
HB 3 – Supplemental appropriations (includes funding for Brucellosis Action Plan) Will be heard by House Appropriations Committee. No hearing scheduled yet.
***To email your legislator about any of these bills, please click here. Stay tuned for Action Alerts from MSGA on some of these bills.***
Share this:
About Author
The Montana Stockgrowers Association, a non-profit membership organization, has worked on behalf of Montana’s cattle ranching families since 1884. Our mission is to protect and enhance Montana ranch families’ ability to grow and deliver safe, healthy, environmentally wholesome beef to the world.