There’s Winners and There’s Losers, and One’s South of the Line

January 21, 2009 in 2009 Legislative Session, Montana

by jhwygirl

Levon Helm is just the greatest.

That being said……

In dueling bridge access bills, a bipartisan vote of 16-2 in the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee moved forward HB190, and minutes after that vote, the committee likely killed HB26 with an 8-10 vote and subsequent “almost unanimous” vote to table.

As the Billings Gazette notes this morning, no bill can pass an evenly split House without bipartisan support.

The big winner here, people, are the people. HB190 was the result of a year and a half of long, hard work by Rep. Kendall Van Dyk, bringing together the public and private interests, public access and sporting interests and local government advocates. Even the Montana Stockgrowers Association were on board before they weren’t the center of attention.

HB190 shows as a great shining example – nice and early, folks, for ya’all to witness a lesson in representative democracy in action – of the affects of public input to the legislative process. Hint, hint.

It’s not over. Tuesday looks to have been the second reading (the LAWS page isnt’ updated yet as I write this) – but assuming it was the second reading, HB190 moves to a full vote in the House before going back through the process in the Senate.