Montana

Montana Senate advances main state budget bill

Published

7 months ago

April 17, 2025

Montana Senate advances main state budget bill

HELENA — House Bill 2’s initial debate on the floor of the Montana House took almost a full day. Things went much faster on the Senate floor Thursday, where they wrapped up their debate on the main state budget bill after just under three hours.

The Senate gave initial approval to HB 2, on a 27-23 vote – with nine Republicans and all 18 Democrats voting to move it forward.

(Watch the video to see the changes lawmakers approved to HB 2.)

Montana Senate debates state budget

The bill includes roughly $16.6 billion in total spending over the next two years, with $5 billion from the state general fund. Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, who chairs the Senate Finance and Claims Committee, said the bill increased total spending by about 10% compared with the 2023 budget, and general fund spending by about 18%.

While the House went through each section of HB 2 in detail, the Senate generally gave only short overviews before moving on to debating amendments.

All together, senators considered 22 amendments Thursday. Most of them came from Republicans, led by Senate President Sen. Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, who sought to cut back what they saw as excessive spending.

“We came in with a surplus – a very large surplus – and I think we’ve lost track of exactly where that surplus, which is now negative, sits,” Regier said.

But senators only approved four changes, three of them from Democrats. They took off an amendment added in Senate Finance and Claims that increased funding for community colleges, restored funding for the pretrial diversion program, and removed millions of dollars in funding that would have paid to hire contract nurses at the Montana State Hospital – redirecting some of that money to fund nurse positions through the state.

“This amendment reduces contract labor, supports the state continuing to do what we asked them to do and hire state nurses at the hospital, and it’s going to save $35 million to the general fund,” said Sen. Ellie Boldman, D-Missoula, who sponsored the amendment on MSH.

“If we’re concerned about the patients in the state hospital, you better not vote for this amendment, because they’re going to be left without nurses,” said Glimm, who opposed that change. “The reason that we haven’t hired state employee nurses is because we can’t get them. That’s why we’ve hired traveling nurses at a much higher rate.”

Jonathon Ambarian

On many of the amendments, the vote was 27-23, with Democrats on the same side with the group of nine Republicans who have frequently broken with their party this session. Eight of those nine were among the Republicans who voted to advance HB 2 at the end of the debate.

Supporters of the bill said it was a good product.

“I think it’s a good compromise budget,” Senate Minority Leader Sen. Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade. “I think it meets the needs of Montanans in a fair and meaningful way.”

But the Republicans who opposed the budget said it was irresponsible not to do more to cut spending.

“We’re passing everything under the sun,” Glimm said. “I imagine that the governor’s going to veto his way to a balanced budget, because he’ll have to. That’s a job that we’re supposed to do, but we aren’t doing it.”

The full Senate will need to vote one more time on HB 2 before sending it back to the House. If the House accepts the Senate’s changes, they can send the bill directly to the governor’s desk. If they don’t, the bill will need to go to a conference committee to hammer out the differences.

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Related Topics:Carl Glimm ellie boldman Featured House Bill 2 Matt Regier montana senate Pat Flowers state budget

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Montana

Montana’s congressional delegation pushing back on plan to import Argentina beef

Published

8 hours ago

October 30, 2025

Press Room

Montana’s congressional delegation pushing back on plan to import Argentina beef

HELENA — When President Donald Trump announced a plan last week to import more beef from Argentina, it drew quick criticism from ranchers in Montana. Now, Montana’s members of Congress say they’re pushing the administration to change course.

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines told MTN he quickly began hearing from Montanans in the cattle business after reports came out about Trump’s plan.

“The word I would describe is they feel betrayed,” he said.

(Watch the video to hear more reaction from Montana’s congressional delegation.)

Montana’s congressional delegation pushing back on plan to import beef from Argentina

Daines said Montana beef producers have already been under pressure from drought and market forces. He said this step was “an unforced error” by the administration.

All four members of Montana’s congressional delegation are Republicans. They all say the Republican president’s plan was the wrong direction and that they’ve made that case when speaking with administration leaders.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, who represents Montana’s western congressional district, says he understands why Trump wanted to tackle high beef prices, but that this wasn’t the right way for him to do it.

“Having a healthy cattle industry, having a healthy poultry industry and having a healthy supply chain for food is really national security,” he told MTN. “So he understands that, and I think we’re going to see some action in making sure or calming a lot of the fears from the cattlemen out there.”

Earlier this year, Daines visited Argentina and met with its conservative president, Javier Milei, during a South American tour advocating for Trump’s trade policies. He said his opinions on the country and its government don’t play any role in his feelings on this proposed deal.

“I don’t care if this is Argentinian beef or beef coming from anywhere else in the world,” he said. “The answer for what’s going on right now in the markets is not to import more beef – bottom line. It doesn’t matter where it comes from; it happens to be Argentina.”

Daines said it would be better for Montana’s cattle industry for the U.S. to focus on opening export markets rather than import markets. In 2017, Daines celebrated an agreement that led to China buying millions of dollars in Montana beef – but he said Thursday that the country has shut the doors to American beef during the ongoing trade dispute with the Trump administration.

“We were shipping over $1 billion a year in beef last year, and now it’s gone to zero,” he said.

In a statement to MTN, Sen. Tim Sheehy said he’s been talking with Trump and his team, looking for a path forward.

“Empowering hardworking ranchers who feed America and lowering prices for American families at the grocery store are not mutually exclusive,” he said. “Both can be accomplished by lowering input costs and providing a reliable, pro-growth environment for producers so ranchers can grow their operation, capture more of the value they create, and feed the nation with affordable, healthy, high-quality beef.”

Zinke and Daines say they also see areas where the federal government can make moves that will benefit both Montana ranchers and Montana consumers. Daines wants Congress to do more to tackle the huge market share four large packing companies have in the beef industry – a situation he calls a “monopoly.”

“Our ranchers don’t set the price; that price is set for them,” he said.

Zinke wants to put additional emphasis on country-of-origin labeling for beef.

“In Montana, we have a brand and that brand has value,” he said. “When it’s made in Montana, you know it’s at the top, the quality is there. And our ranchers sell premium product – that’s important.”

Daines said he supports country-of-origin labeling also, though he wants to make sure any additional steps the U.S. takes doesn’t lead to unintended consequences or retribution from countries like Canada.

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Montana

2025 Montana high school football scores week 9

Published

1 day ago

October 30, 2025

Press Room

2025 Montana high school football scores week 9

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Montana

Montana Morning Headlines: Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Published

2 days ago

October 29, 2025

Press Room

WESTERN MONTANA — Here’s a look at Western Montana’s top news stories for Wednesday.

The University of Montana removed Business Professor Anthony Richard Pawlisz from faculty after he was charged with criminal endangerment in Ravalli County court. Pawlisz allegedly pulled a gun on a man and fired a shot into the air after a fight outside of a bar in Florence on Aug. 17, according to court documents. His former class will continue under Professor Udo Fluck. (Read the full story)

Nathaniel Luke Smith pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct on Monday after posing a threat to Mission High School on Oct. 8, which prompted increased police presence while classes continued. Smith is also serving a three-year deferred sentence for intimidation from an incident in November 2024. (Read the full story)

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte said he will not be using state funds to temporarily cover SNAP benefits for nearly 78,000 enrolled Montanans if federal funding runs out on Nov. 1. Amidst a government shutdown, he said it’s a federal responsibility — despite calls from Democrats and food banks to use leftover state money. (Read the full story)

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