Week 12: State Budget Clears House, Lawmakers Consider Criminal Justice and Ag Bills

Members of the Montana House of Representatives listen to debate on House Bill 2 -- the state budget bill -- during an all-day meeting on Monday. The body took up the task of debating and amending HB 2 after the House Appropriations Committee wrapped up its job of assembling the initial budget proposal. The budget, which appropriates money to fund state programs for the next two years, currently sits at about $12.5 billion -- 1.2 percent less than Gov. Greg Gianforte's proposed budget.