Taylor ready for legislative start
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The legislative session starts on Jan. 5. I have two committees every morning, Tax and Finance & Claims. During our caucus I was elected to the Senate Committee on Committees. The six of us determine the committee members and the chairs.
I vice chair the General Government Joint Sub-committee of Finance and Claims and I am a member of Taxation. I have served on both of these before, but it will take lots of study to keep up.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon I chair the Local Government Committee. We already have a couple bills to hear, one on firecrackers and another on the revolving loan program. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons I am a member of Transportation.
Last month my Interim Revenue and Transportation Committee voted on a revenue estimate. We have some actual numbers, tax receipts so far, but forecasting is very difficult. Personally, we really enjoy the lower gas prices, but the price of a barrel of oil seriously affects our corporate and individual taxes next year. Drilling has slowed down in the Bakken and we have many businesses dependent on that production.
Roughly our total budget for 2015 is $2.2 billion state revenue, the same amount from the feds, and smaller amounts that are called state special, for a yearly grand total of $5.3 billion. The federal money is designated primarily for health and human services, transportation and education. The Governor’s revenue estimate was about $300 million higher than the legislative fiscal estimate. Our interim committee split the difference to come up with a revenue starting point.
The best part of the Montana Constitution is that we balance our budget. The spending cannot exceed the revenue estimate with a small cushion.
The pre-Kindergarten plan will grow government. Many school districts do not have extra money for buildings or improvements, new teachers, and new administration. There is a federal grant but not enough to pay for the changes.
Taxes, especially property taxes, are always an issue. We plan to reduce the reappraisals to every two years and change some of the variables that make the system so complex.
A bill to ratify the water compact between the state, the federal government and the Tribes will be introduced. Last session the compact bill would have cost the taxpayers $55 million. Whatever the outcome, this will go to court and that might be the only way to fix the constitutional problems I see.
You can watch the floor sessions and most of the committees on your computer. Go to leg.mt.gov.
The best way to contact me is to leave a message at (406) 444-4800. My new email is sen.janna.taylor@mt.gov and my website is jannataylor.com. I will continue to write weekly. Please contact me anytime. I work for you.
