(Summarized by LWVMT  from Interim Newsletter report.  For full report see http://leg.mt.gov/the-interim/eaic/index.html) 

These are topics ripe for discussions with your legislators and colleagues.

State Administration and Veterans’ Affairs Committee

Local election administrators briefed the committee on how absentee and mail-in ballots are processed, how election judges are trained, and on the urgent need to replace aging AutoMark voting systems used by some disabled electors to cast their ballots. Voter information is available to the public for purchase and was recently purchased by the President’s “Election Integrity” Commission. The public voter information file does not include social security numbers or phone numbers, but does include voter names, addresses, birth dates, and history of election participation. The committee’s priority study topics are:

• Replacement of aging voting systems, especially the AutoMark system, and whether federal Common Access Cards should be used in Montana for overseas and military voters.
• Public employee pension plan funding and investments.

Other study topics include:

• Veteran benefit claims and health care access.
• State employee pay plan disparities.
• State disaster and emergency plans and reliance on local responder capabilities

Legislative Finance Committee

October 4-5, 2017  individual income tax revenue collections were $70.3 million less than anticipated. The committee sought to address the shortfall with the least possible impact on services, property taxes, safety and security of Montana’s citizens. The committee heard proposals from Legislative Fiscal Division (LFD) staff,    from the Governor’s Budget Director, and from the public. The Special Session in November 2017 rejected the option of raising taxes.

Children, Families, Health, & Human Services Interim Committee

November 9, 2017 The Committee formally objected to reducing the payments that many health care and human services providers receive for serving low-income or disabled populations. DPHHS failed to show a reasonable need for the higher level of rate reductions.

Education Interim Committee

Nov 16-17, 2017 The committee is looking at pre-school, gifted and talented, special needs, educator recruitment and retention, and work-based learning programs.   They will meet with the Board of Regents to discuss budget reductions, student financial aid programs, and dual enrollment.

Energy and Telecommunications

October, 2017  Looking into recently proposed Federal Solar tariffs.

Environmental Quality Council

October 4, 2017 Reviewing the parks division of the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. The division oversees 55 state parks and spent more than $12 million in Fiscal Year 2017. Topics of concern include invasive mussels, chronic wasting disease, and restrictions on training bird dogs near nesting areas.

Law and Justice Interim Committee

October 2, 2017 Looking at pretrial risk assessment  to determine what jail inmates might safely be released before trial, reviewing best practices related to solitary confinement.  They plan to review Budget Cuts, Prison Rape, Indian Country Criminal Justice, and Victims’ Rights.

Local Government Interim Committee

July 2017  Studying the statutory fire protection requirements for various-sized cities, as well as examining the state’s volunteer firefighter and emergency management systems

Revenue and Transportation Interim Committee

September 22, 2017 The committee has three assigned studies - agricultural property valuation, tax increment financing, and the taxation of centrally assessed and industrial property. They have gathered background informtion. They looked at budget effects on Department of Revenue responsibilities.

Water Policy Interim Committee

October 9-10 The proposed rule from the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation would  conform with a recent Montana Supreme Court ruling that  limits the use of exempt groundwater wells. Exempt wells have long facilitated subdivision development  but can negatively affect  existing water users. (The legal exemption from water rights permitting allows someone to develop a groundwater well or developed spring as long as it does not pump more than 35 gallons a minute and does not use more than 10 acre-feet of water a year.) Under the court ruling, instead of assuming one exempt groundwater well per lot, new subdivisions must now share one exemption between all lots. As a result, developers may need to obtain a water rights permit or create fewer, bigger lots.