Montana House Bill 2 combines $10 billion of state, federal funding

HELENA - The Montana House of Representatives has passed House Bill 2, which combines about $10 billion of state and federal funding for state agencies for the next two years. The bill passed with a vote of 54-45 last week and now moves to the Senate.

House Minority Leader Rep. Casey Schreiner, D-Great Falls, along with every other House Democrat, voted against the bill.

Schreiner said he's opposed to the cuts to full-time positions in the state health and human services department and not appropriating the roughly $30 million for public preschools.

"I think we are close, but we are not...