Unfortunately, Montana has made national and international news for reasons that I, and Montanans across the state, are embarrassed by. Each of us were sent to the Legislature to confront several crises Montanans are facing. Housing, childcare, property tax relief, just to name a few, not spend what little time we have on divisive issues.
We’ve made some progress. My colleagues and I passed HB 648, a bill that will expand the Best Beginnings scholarship program. Best Beginnings is a successful program that helps Montanans pay for childcare, and now it is headed to the Governor’s desk. Another bill that is not quite across the finish line yet is one that I’ve put a great deal of work into over the last two years. HB 332 is a bipartisan effort that will help lower health insurance costs significantly for our teachers. These are just a few examples of good work that is being done in the Legislature.
There is still so much to be done. We have not delivered immediate relief for housing, especially for renters. My Democratic colleagues brought forward several bills for faster relief and to include renters. SB 517, SB 194, and SB 15 would have, respectively, created grants to renovate older buildings into affordable housing, provided a tax credit to landlords who rent below market rate, and expanded a graduated income tax credit for homeowners and renters. All three bills died in committee and despite our effort to bring them to the Senate floor for full debate, Republicans voted down even having the debate.
