AMESTOY CONSULTING, LLC
2009
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
WEEK TWO
(January
11 – January 17, 2009)
During
Week Two of the 2009 Legislative Session, I followed the following proposed
legislation.
HB 2: A
BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT APPROPRIATING MONEY TO VARIOUS STATE
AGENCIES FOR THE BIENNIUM ENDING JUNE 30, 2011; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE
DATE." I supported the budget appropriation request for the Conservation
and Renewable Resource Development Division of the Department of Natural
Resources and Conservation.
HB 52: A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT ESTABLISHING A GROUND WATER
INVESTIGATION PROGRAM; PROVIDING FOR PRIORITIZATION OF SUBBASINS BY THE GROUND
WATER ASSESSMENT STEERING COMMITTEE; ADDING A MEMBER OF THE DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY TO THE GROUND WATER ASSESSMENT STEERING COMMITTEE; PROVIDING A
CONTINGENT APPROPRIATION FOR THE PROGRAM; AMENDING SECTION 2-15-1523, MCA; AND
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE." This proposed legislation would provide $4.2
million for the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology to develop and implement a
ground water investigation program for the purpose of collecting and compiling
ground water and aquifer data. I provided testimony in support of this bill.
HB 64: A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT EXTENDING THE TERMINATION DATE
FOR CERTAIN ALLOCATIONS AND STATUTORY APPROPRIATIONS OF THE INTEREST INCOME
FROM $140 MILLION OF THE COAL SEVERANCE TAX PERMANENT FUND; AND AMENDING
SECTIONS 3 AND 6, CHAPTER 481, LAWS OF 2003." This proposed legislation
would have extended the termination date on various economic development
programs until June 30, 2019. When the sponsor, Representative Llew Jones, made
his presentation to the House Appropriations Committee, he stated that he was
recommending that the bill be “Tabled” and basically replaced by HB 123.
HB 123: A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REDUCING THE STATUTORY
APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE GROWTH THROUGH AGRICULTURE PROGRAM AND FOR RESEARCH AND
COMMERCIALIZATION PROJECTS; EXTENDING THE TERMINATION DATE FOR CERTAIN
ALLOCATIONS AND STATUTORY APPROPRIATIONS OF THE INTEREST INCOME FROM $140
MILLION OF THE COAL SEVERANCE TAX PERMANENT FUND; AMENDING SECTION 15-35-108,
MCA, SECTION 3, CHAPTER 481, LAWS OF 2003, AND SECTION 6, CHAPTER 481, LAWS OF
2003; AND PROVIDING EFFECTIVE DATES." This proposed legislation is very
similar to HB 64 in that it would extend the termination date of eight programs
that are associated with economic development until July 1, 2019. The programs are Cooperative Development
Center: Growth Through Agriculture Program; Research and Commercialization
State Special Revenue Account; Small Business Development Center; Small Business
Innovative Research Program; Certified Regional Development Corporations; the
Montana Manufacturing Extension Center; and Export Trade Enhancement Program.
These programs are funded by the interest income of the Coal Severance Tax.
This proposed legislation would reduce the funding for the Growth Through
Agriculture Program from $1.25 million to $625,000.00; and, the Research and
Commercialization State Special Revenue Account $3.65 million to $1.275
million. The reason the funding for these two programs is proposed to be
reduced is, when considering the budget short-falls the State of
HB 113: A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REVISING NEW BUSINESS PROPERTY
TAX INCENTIVES; CREATING PROPERTY TAX INCENTIVES FOR NEW AND EXPANDING BUSINESS
ENTERPRISE PROPERTY; ALLOWING STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT TAX ABATEMENTS FOR NEW
AND EXPANDING BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROPERTY; REMOVING NEW INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY
FROM CLASS FIVE PROPERTY; ELIMINATING CERTAIN PROVISIONS RELATED TO A MAJOR
INDUSTRIAL FACILITY; RESTRICTING THE APPLICATION OF THE PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT FOR
NEW INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY; ELIMINATING THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX INCENTIVE FOR
VALUE-ADDED MANUFACTURING; AMENDING SECTIONS . . .; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE
EFFECTIVE DATE AND A RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY DATE." I monitored this
proposed legislation.
HB 180: A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE CREATION OF
TECHNOLOGY DISTRICTS FOR MONTANA-BASED BUSINESSES FOR WHICH AT LEAST 50 PERCENT
OF SALES ARE TO CUSTOMERS WHO ARE ALSO MONTANA-BASED BUT WHO WOULD HAVE
OTHERWISE PURCHASED THE PRODUCT, PROCESS, OR SERVICE FROM A BUSINESS OR
ORGANIZATION BASED OUTSIDE
HB 107: A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT CLARIFYING THE DEFINITION OF
HB 168: A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT EXPANDING ELIGIBILITY FOR LOANS
UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL LOAN AUTHORITY ACT BY INCREASING THE ALLOWABLE MAXIMUM
NET WORTH OF LOAN APPLICANTS; AMENDING SECTION 80-12-203, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN
IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE." I monitored this legislation
SB 89: A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT MAKING PERMANENT THE PRIMARY
SECTOR BUSINESS WORKFORCE TRAINING ACT; REPEALING SECTION 10, CHAPTER 567, LAWS
OF 2003, AND SECTION 4, CHAPTER 169, LAWS OF 2005; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE
EFFECTIVE DATE." I provided testimony in support of this proposed
legislation.
SB 100: A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT INCREASING THE COAL SEVERANCE
TAX ALLOCATION TO THE OIL, GAS, AND COAL NATURAL RESOURCE ACCOUNT; AMENDING
SECTION 15-35-108, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND AN APPLICABILITY
DATE." This bill would increase the amount of coal severance tax funding
that is available to the oil, gas and natural resource account from 2.9% to
10%. This would increase the amount of
funds that are available to offset the impacts from coal development. The
counties that are Designated Coal Impact Areas are: Carbon,