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House Democrats AND Republicans joining forces to bilk Montana Taxpayers for $650,000
By Rusty Shackleford | January 10, 2009
At the heart of the bill’s text (the underlined and struck-through portions are the proposed changes to MCA):
Section 6. Section 5-2-302, MCA, is amended to read:
“5-2-302. Compensation and expenses when legislature not in session – allowance. (1) When the legislature is not in session, a member of the legislature, while engaged in legislative business with prior authorization of the appropriate funding authority, is entitled to:
(1)(a) a mileage allowance as provided in 2-18-503;
(2)(b) expenses as provided in 2-18-501 and 2-18-502; and
(3)(c) a salary equal to one full day’s pay at the rate described in 5-2-301(1) for each 24-hour period of time (from midnight to midnight), or portion of a 24-hour period, spent away from home on authorized legislative business. However, if time spent for business other than authorized legislative business results in lengthening a legislator’s stay away from home into an additional 24-hour period, the legislator may not be compensated for the additional day.
(2) Legislators are entitled to an allowance of $200 for each month that the legislature is not in regular or special session for costs related to serving constituents.“
Now….let’s review the fiscal note pertaining to HB145:
Nearly $650,000 over the next two years…..AWESOME! Talk about a disconnect…remember folks, the money being thrown around in Helena is yours…despite what all Democrats and a few soft Republicans seem to feel.
The State Administration Committee had its first hearing of the bill on the 9th of January. The bill is sponsored by Dave McAlpin (D-Missoula).
As reported in The Bozeman Daily Chronicle and The Missoulian, Mike Phillips (D-Bozeman), Franke Wilmer (D-Bozeman), Dennis Himmelberger (R-Billings), and Ted Washburn (R-Manhattan) (all State Administration committee members) spoke in favor of the proposed legislation, as did Rep. Diane Sands (D-Missoula).
Random Democrat/RINO who’s stuck on stupid: LET’S SPEND MONEY WE DON’T HAVE!!!1!
Wow. Just wow.
In a completely unrelated story….on the same day the MT Senate tabled SB 50, a bill proposing salary raises for Supreme Court and Disctrict Court Judges. The reason for it being tabled….*drumroll* ….THE STATE CAN’T AFFORD IT!
“I think it’s fair to give them a raise. I don’t think the bill even gave them what they had coming…but if the money isn’t there, the money isn’t there. They understand that there’s not enough money and it’s better spent elsewhere.”
Even if HB 145 somehow miraculously make it out of the House, it appears that it’ll die in the Senate.
Looks like it’ll be up to the Grown-ups in the Senate to watch over the Children in the House this session.
That is all.
Topics: House Watch, Rino Watch 2009, Bad Bills, 2009 Legislative Session, Zombie Apocalypse, Stupid things the Left does/says, Montana |
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January 15th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
[…] - It appears that at least one Montana Blog did post something on the issue. Rusty over at MTpundit made a post about this issue on Jan 10. While I don’t usually read Rusty’s Blog (I […]
January 15th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
[…] - It appears that at least one Montana Blog did post something on the issue. Rusty over at MTpundit made a post about this issue on Jan 10. While I don’t usually read Rusty’s Blog (I […]