Supporting second state crime lab
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The 2015 legislature is heading into the home stretch with only a month left. Revenue or appropriation bills need to be transferred by Tuesday. This brought a flurry of activity. One bill I voted for last week would open a second state crime lab in Eastern Montana. There is a large backlog of cases that need evidence processed. Montana is also a very large state and this presents another problem. When testimony is needed at a trial in Eastern Montana it is sometimes very costly and time consuming to have a lab technician travel just to attend to present evidence. I do hope that the funding to staff this new lab will be able to be procured.
There were a couple of very good education bills that were passed last week. Rep. Lavin's from Kalispell has a bill that will cap the Montana Lottery income to the state at the current years level, which goes into the general fund. If there are further proceeds, this money will be designated for educational scholarships for college students. Originally the lottery was set up to help with education funding. This bill will not harm the general fund and will get back to helping educate students in Montana.
Rep. Zach Brown from Bozeman has a bill that was passed that will designate up to 40 million dollars from the coal trust fund to be utilized to lower private student loan interest rates. The Montana Board of Investments makes around 4 percent on some very secure investments. They will be asked to offer similar rates to private student loan holders. There will be costs to the student loan holder such as an administrative program and fee schedule and money to set up a loss pool. The intent is to allow rate reductions on very secure student loans to Montana citizens holding these private loans. The expectation is at least a 2-percent drop in interest rates for Montana Student loan holders who qualify to help them get out of debt quicker. It would also not harm the Board of Investments interest return.
SB 289, better known as the dark money bill, was finally passed out of the House with one set of amendments on it. This bill is not stopping free speech as some people have mentioned to me. Any organization or person call still send out information or advertise all they want. Now they will have to say whom they are or are representing and be able to make available their funding sources. Several organizations that have been opposing this bill will now be able to continue to oppose this and other issues but will have to be able to identify facts and be transparent about who is actually funding them.
SB 405, which is Sen. Buttery's Health and Economic Livelihood Partnership Bill, has been passed out of the Senate and is on its way to be played within the House. I hope it gets the opportunity to be judged on its merits and not by who wins the rules fight. It is very disappointing when issues that are so important to Montanans are stifled on procedure and not about whether it is good policy for Montana.
Thank you for your messages on all of these issues and any others that pop up. I can be reached at dansalomon12@gmail.com
