Legislature

Montana lawmakers will consider a bill Thursday at the Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Committee that would strip local governments’ authority to regulate the agricultural industry, with the aim to provide consistency for farming techniques across the state.

Montana lawmakers are considering changing the name of Columbus Day to Montana Heritage Day. Many proponents of House Bill 322, like Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, said part of it is about correcting misinformation about the discovery of America.

First-time drug offenders in Montana are currently not given the option to enter residential treatment facilities in the state. But House Bill 278 would give judges the option to defer these first-time offenders to a live-in treatment facility, or rehab center, rather than giving them probation.

Montana lawmakers will consider a bill Wednesday that would create a volunteer health service program to provide free health care services to uninsured and underinsured Montanans. Senate Bill 83 would allow volunteer health-care providers to receive education credits through the program and protect them from lawsuits stemming from treatment.

Under a bill in the Montana Legislature, people who owe child support in Montana could be barred from buying a hunting, fishing, or trapping license. Sen. Mike Lang said the bill is needed because there are currently 33,144 cases of child support enforcement that are in arrears in Montana, and that those cases have accumulated a debt of a little over $147 million.

A Bozeman legislator is proposing a relatively simple fix for what he says is one problem caused by Montana’s complicated system of quotas on liquor licenses. House Bill 412, introduced on Tuesday by Republican Rep. Bruce Grubbs, would allow municipalities, by a vote of their city or town councils, to set their own quotas.

Senate Bill 162 would divide the state into four quarters, based on population, to distribute up to $40 million for projects; specifically lays out what can be defined as an infrastructure project.

A bill introduced by Rep. Adam Hertz, R-Missoula, would abolish the death penalty in Montana and replace it with life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The Joint Subcommittee on Education and Gov. Steve Bullock have both proposed cuts of more than $20 million to the Office of Public Instruction. Superintendent Elsie Arntzen's proposal, which she submitted to the subcommittee last week, called for a $3 million cut.

We know you're too busy to keep track of everything happening in Helena these days. Here's a concise, but meaty, look at Week 5 of the Montana Legislature from reporters Cole Grant and Freddy Monares.