Letter: Session Wrap up

The 68th Legislative Session concluded on day 87, or May 2, leaving a few key bills yet to be considered. A total of 4,639 bill drafts were requested by Montana's elected officials (1,303 more than in the 67th Session). Between both chambers, 1,698 bills were introduced; 748 were passed at early count. The motion to Sine Die (adjourn), called by the Senate minority leader, pre-empted additional consideration and amendments. Many bills passed by the Legislature are yet to be considered and signed by the Governor. 

The Governor already signed House Bills 192 and 222 back in March. The HB192 individual income tax rebate provides for an amount of up to $1,250 based on income taxes paid in 2021, and will be automatic if you were a Montana resident for the entire tax year. The property tax rebate in HB222 provides for up to $500 per year on principal residences for 2022 and 2023. Beginning August 15, 2023, each property owner can request that rebate by visiting the Department of Revenue's website (https://mtrevenue.gov). Claims must be filed by October 1, 2023.

Passage of the overall budget bill for the biennium, House Bill 2, was among the last bills to be passed in the House chamber.  The previous biennium's budget total was just over $12.5 billion. The current version is about $14 billion, and also includes inflationary factors for 2024 and 2025.

Early in the Session, I introduced SB121 to reduce Montana's top income tax rate from 6.5 to 5.9 percent, and increase the earned income tax credit benefitting lower-wage earners. The Governor signed this in mid-March, and he also signed a constituent-requested bill, SB103, to revise airport courtesy car insurance requirements. Recently, the Governor also signed into law another constituent-requested bill, SB159, which enhances private property rights. An attempt to update the funding distribution for the advancement of agricultural education in high school programs died in the House chamber.  SB296, introduced at the end of February, creates the Senior Care Facility Access and Stabilization Act to assure affordability of quality assisted-living care for our most vulnerable older Montanans. This bill passed out of the House on the final day will be sent to the Governor for consideration.

During this Session, your Legislature was able to pass over $1 billion in tax relief by lowering taxes and providing one-time-only rebates. These bills created the largest tax cut in Montana history. Through multiple bills passed, hundreds of millions of dollars will be invested in road and bridge and critical infrastructure projects around the state. We prioritized maintenance of public properties; bolstered public pension systems; and prepared for wildfires and natural disasters. Housing reform and relief programs will benefit from updating zoning, infrastructure investments and regulatory relief. We allowed for more development in existing city centers to reduce development pressure in our rural and agricultural areas. Election integrity and security will benefit from increasing audit and records preservation requirements. We passed major education reforms and funding to give parents and students more choice in education and career training for workforce development. Other new laws will strengthen the protection of the unborn, and safeguard our children – assuring that kids can just be kids. The Legislative Session also made what is likely the biggest investment in mental health care in the history of the state.

My overall goal remains -- to minimize government and taxation burdens, while promoting the success of Montana's education, our economy, and our rule of law.  Over the interim, I'll continue to work for the improvement and preservation of our Montana way of life.

Working with the incredible Legislative staff during the Session, it is my honor and privilege to serve the voters of Senate District 40 and our state. You can access information about the bills passed by going to the Montana Legislative website, http://www.leg.mt.gov -- click on "Look Up Bills." As always, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Thank you.