The number of people expected to appear necessitated Saturday work
State Director Riley Johnson reports from Helena on the small-business agenda for the legislative week ending March 15
Just a few bills have emerged this week to catch the interest of NFIB. The first is House Bill 618, which had a hearing March 14. The measure would have Montana join a national program aimed at tying all public safety communications together. In other words, the police could talk with the fire department; the ambulance could talk with the sheriff, etc. Currently, not just in Montana but mostly nationwide, each public safety entity has its own radio and phone connectivity so one public safety group cannot talk or exchange data with another group.
The program is being designed by the federal government so all public safety groups can talk and exchange data with any other group in the country. This is so local groups can talk with any other local group inside the USA, and in case of multiple state disasters can be coordinated with other states.
The problem NFIB has with this proposed new program is the funding for the Montana participation in the program. HB 618 proposes adding a 95-cent monthly tax to each telephone access line. This would be on top of the current 911 access line tax of $1 per month. So we are being asked to pay a double tax to pay for this public safety program, of which 911 is part of the safety network.
NFIB thinks the program as outlined could be useful for Montana citizens. Thus NFIB opposed HB 618 yesterday, not for the program itself, but for the funding. We did not feel that funding a broad, statewide and nationwide public safety and first responder system on the backs of telephone customers was not good tax policy for Montana.
It should be noted that “local access lines” means that if you have one account with any provider, plus you have other phones on that same account but with different telephone numbers, you would pay the new tax on each phone line. That is how the current 911 tax is figured. So, if your business has seven phones for employees, plus a phone for each of the business owners, plus a landline, you would be paying the double tax on each line. Thus, your current $10 tax on the 911 program would go up to $19.50 per month.
NFIB believes that if you have a broad-based program for the good of all citizens, then the state should fund that program with general state funds.
Following a lengthy hearing and debate, no action was taken on HB 618. Action will be next week or later.
Infrastructure
In other action, the long-expected bills addressing statewide infrastructure funding, and two bills addressing the Medicaid expansion program funding came to the attention of lawmakers.
NFIB is not taking strong positions on either of these proposals, but it is watching the action closely so the funding is not put on the backs of small businesses like HB 618 is trying to do.
The two infrastructure proposals, one from Gov. Steve Bullock, the other from Rep. Mike Hopkins (R) of Missoula in the form of HB 652. The difference between the bills is the governor’s measure calls for $160 million in bonding, while the Hopkins bill settled on $80 million in bonding. A hearing on the two bills was held in the House Appropriations Committee March 13. The committee voted to table the governor’s bill and move the Hopkins bill to the House floor for debate.
Medicaid Expansion
Two bills that also attracted the attention of legislators in the Capitol this past week were the emergence of HB 425 by Rep. Mary Cafero (D) of Helena and HB 658 by Rep. Ed Buttrey (R) of Great Falls. Both bills are proposing ways to fund and expand the Medicaid program in Montana.
These Medicaid bills are expected to be the major issue of the 66th legislative session. The program extends Medicaid coverage to those who earn up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level and was put into place in 2015 with a sunset of this summer.
Most Republicans, the majority party in the Legislature, want to see work requirements added to the program that provides health insurance to more the 96,000 Montanans. That provision is part of HB 658 of Rep. Buttrey’s, along with more stringent requirements and testing of a person’s financial means to qualify for coverage. HB 425 would expand Medicare much as it currently is formulated but adding more money to it for voluntary workforce development.
Both bills will be heard Saturday, March 16, beginning at 9 am in the House Human Services Committee in Room 303 of the Capitol Building. This debate and hearing are expected to run well into the evening. It is highly unusual for the Legislature to hold Saturday hearings, but the number of people expected to appear will make it probably the most attended hearing of the session.
Get Involved
Getting involved in the 2019 Legislature is easy. The best way to have your voice heard quickly is to phone 406-444-4800. Operators are on hand in the Capitol Building to take messages to up to five legislators on each call, and delivery is within a half hour. For those wanting more information on locating legislators, getting a personal e-mail address, looking to view committee meetings and floor sessions on television or over computers, and just to review all hearings and readings of the actual bills can go to www.leg.mt.gov and access everything electronically.
Previous Reports From the Capitol
