2009 Legislative Session: Week 6 (Part I)

February 8, 2009 in 2009 Legislative Session, Montana

by jhwygirl

101 committee hearings between Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, folks. Plenty have moved through one house, into the other…so stuff is moving forward. There’s no time like the present to involve yourself with a letter or a phone call to Helena.

On Monday, in House Judiciary, we’ve got one that addresses an issue that is becoming increasingly important (sadly) in today’s world of divorces and broken marriages. Rep. Deb Kottel has HB350 and HB397 which help to gain more more rights for grandparents. Jennifer Eck is the secretary for the committee, jeck@mt.gov. Please make sure to request that your comments be forwarded to the House Judiciary committee members, and be sure to mention the bill numbers in your correspondence.

Rep. Art Noonan has HB343 in the House Federal Relations, Energy, and Telecommunications committee. It would revise definitions in the administration of renewable resource standards for public utilities. Importantly, it considers the importance of dispatch ability, geographic diversity, seasonality, and other operational characteristics of the eligible renewable resource when considering the procurement of renewable energy credits. Putting forth as credit something that can’t be created year-round is an empty credit towards other requirements the state has to requiring portfolios to include alternative energy sources. This is a good one. Bryce Bennett is the secretary for the committee, bbennett@mt.gov. Please make sure to request that your comments be forwarded to the House Federal Relations, Energy, and Telecommunications committee members, and be sure to mention the bill numbers in your correspondence.

In Senate Natural Resources, Sen. David Wanzenried has HB393 which would require that certain sections of the state’s water plan address issues on the Clark Fork, Flathead, Missouri and Yellowstone river basins. It would also create a water user council that would represent interests and water users in the basins. Obviously, I’m loving this one…Lindsey Hern is the secretary for the committee, lhern@mt.gov. Please make sure to request that your comments be forwarded to the Senate Natural Resources committee members, and be sure to mention the bill numbers in your correspondence.

Wanzenried is also looking to increase school funding with SB302. This is in Senate Education and Cultural Resources – Nadine Spencer the secretary for the committee, nspencer@mt.gov. Please make sure to request that your comments be forwarded to the Senate Education and Cultural Resources committee members, and be sure to mention the bill numbers in your correspondence.

Tuesday brings us Rep. Michele Reinhart’s proposed HB420, which would allow local governments to adopt energy conservation building codes. Currently building codes are formally adopted by the state and then local governments must subsequently adopt the same. Its a ridiculous exercise, frankly, because local government has no option…but I digress. This is a good bill, because it allows local government to add good stuff to the state’s official building code. This one in House Local Government – Katie Butcher the secretary for the committee, kbutcher@mt.gov. Please make sure to request that your comments be forwarded to the House Local Government committee members, and be sure to mention the bill numbers in your correspondence.

Reinhart also has in House Local Government HB406 which would clarify current county interim zoning laws. Clarification is always good.

Rep. Margaret MacDonald wants to exempt biodiesel fuels made from waste vegetable oil with HB416. How smart is that? Very supportable, folks. In House Agriculture – Marshall McEwen the secretary for the committee, mmcewen@mt.gov. Please make sure to request that your comments be forwarded to the House Agriculture committee members, and be sure to mention the bill numbers in your correspondence.

In Senate Taxation, Sen. Mike Cooney has SB301 which would give tax credits for the purchase of certain nonfossil energy systems and certain energy-conserving capital expenditures even for residential rental buildings. Debra Polhemus is the secretary for the committee, dpolhemus@mt.gov. Please make sure to request that your comments be forwarded to the Senate Taxation committee members, and be sure to mention the bill numbers in your correspondence.

Now to Wednesday…. in House Taxation is Missoula Rep. Dave McAlpin’s bill to revise tax code with a new top marginal rate for income tax. HB395 would raise the maximum rate to 7.9% for anyone making more than $250,000. That’s a 1% increase for what was previously a ceiling of $13,900. Seems to me not many Montanans incomes would be affected by this one, considering the median income for a Montana family of 4 is $55,641. Give this bill some love, folks. Jennifer O’Loughlin is the secretary for the committee, joloughlin@mt.gov. Please make sure to request that your comments be forwarded to the House Taxation committee members, and be sure to mention the bill numbers in your correspondence.

Rep. Jill Cohenour wants to submit to the electorate an amendment that would repeal term limits with HB458. In House State Administration, Marshall McEwen the secretary, mmcewen@mt.gov. Please make sure to request that your comments be forwarded to the House State Administration committee members, and be sure to mention the bill numbers in your correspondence.

Rep. Julie French seeks to increase funding for the senior and disabled transportation funding account. This is in House Appropriations, Samuel Speerschneider the secretary, sspeerschneider@mt.gov. Please make sure to request that your comments be forwarded to the House Appropriations committee members, and be sure to mention the bill numbers in your correspondence.

Retirees will like these two, SB284 (from Sen. John Brueggeman) and SB282 (from Sen. Jesse Laslovich). SB284 would increase income phase-out cap for pension and annuity exclusions, while SB282 would increase threshold at which certain retirement income is exempt from income tax. Both in Senate Taxation – Debra Polhemus the secretary, dpolhemus@mt.gov. Please make sure to request that your comments be forwarded to the Senate Taxation committee members, and be sure to mention the bill numbers in your correspondence.

That’s my wrap on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday’s committee meetings. Don’t forget to check out Threatening Both the Taxpayer and Local Government: Senator Shockley’s SB310 and Gravel Week Comes to the Legislature. Both of those posts contain important information on additional upcoming committee hearings for this week.