Legislature sets goals for 2013 session
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
Last week was an extremely busy one in Helena. It started with meetings on Sunday and Monday with the Republican senators. We discussed our goals for the 2013 session.
Then on Tuesday, the Interim Finance Committee heard a special presentation about the unfunded liability in the public employees’ pension systems. The total is now nearly $4 billion.
The legislature and the administration have just kept kicking this problem down the road. The cost per Montana family is now $9,700. Huge.
The solution will have to include compromises from everyone. The guaranteed annual benefit adjustment for current employees may need to be reduced and the amount paid in by employer and employee will need to be increased.
I was elected to be one of the majority whips for the Senate. The job of the whips is mostly to communicate the caucus position on legislation and to tell leadership the wishes of the senators.
My experience as Speaker Pro Tempore in the House last session is useful, but there are several although minor differences between the two houses.
In the House, the leadership team chooses the committee assignments. Last session, it took us several days to get this done. In the Senate, we elect a six-member group to assign committees. All the senators submit a list of their choices to the “Committee on Committees.”
Besides serving as one of the majority whips, I’ve been assigned to the Senate Taxation Committee, the Agriculture Committee, and I will vice-chair the Local Government Committee.
Last Thursday night, there was a meeting of the Redistricting Committee. With a population of about 30,000, Lake County should have three 10,000-person house districts instead of four or parts of four. We should have one-and-a-half senators instead of parts of three or four.
Representatives Hertz and Salomon and I have all indicated that it is the best for our area. We dislike gerrymandering of any kind.
Contact me anytime. My cell is 253-8766 and my email is jannataylor@montana.com. Remember I work for you. Have a happy Thanksgiving.
