Montana State Budget Clears House of Representatives, Lawmakers Consider Ag Bill in Week 12 of Legislative Session

The state budget cleared another major hurdle in the Montana Legislature after lawmakers in the House  of Representatives passed it down party lines on Wednesday, March 24, with all 67 Republicans voting in favor and 33 Democrats against.

House Bill 2 determines how much money state agencies will receive from a pool of about $12.6 billion over the next two years. Passing a balanced state budget is the only task the Legislature is constitutionally required to do. But, the partisan divide in the final House vote reflects differences between spending priorities for the two parties following a...