Budget Battle Continues

The budget battle continues in the state capitol as Senators prepare for committee hearings on seven of eight Republican-led budget bills to make it out of the House.

HELENA - The budget battle continues in the state capitol as Senators prepare for committee hearings on seven of eight Republican-led budget bills to make it out of the House.

With the last piece of the state budget seemingly stuck in the House, Senate Majority leaders start preparing to take control of a multi-bill budget process that they have disapproved of since the governor's House Bill 2 was first tabled in early February.

"We're going to have to deal with whatever it is that comes our way and we're getting prepared for that," said Senate President Mike Cooney, (D) Helena.

Senator Trudi Schmidt, (D) Great Falls, Chair of the Senate Finance and Claims committee, said the first step in handling the budget bills will be to survey the content each one holds. "Once we have finished surveying these bills, which will include a review of any legal issues, it is possible that fewer that seven bills will go forward," she added.

Senate Minority Leader Corey Stapleton, (R) Billings, said Senate Republicans want to achieve their main goal of permanently reducing property taxes. He added that if this doesn't happen they will keep the decorum of the senate.

"We make our objections and then we move on. We don't take our ball and go home or paint ourselves in a corner. That's what you've seen happen to the minority in the House," Stapleton said. Though Senate Democrats say they will give ample time for each bill hearing, all seven bills are scheduled to be heard within two days. Speaker of the House Scott Sales, (R) Bozeman, remains skeptical.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

"I don't think they're going to get a real, long, thorough look at by senators. I think they're just going to go through the motions and then we'll have to wait and see what they have planned," he added.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

Even as the Senate prepares to start work on the House Republican budget plan, House Democrats aren't giving hope on House Bill 2 as they make daily motions to bring it back to the floor.

"House Democrats are going to continue pushing for a consolidated budget. We may yet be able to do that in the House."

Law makers are still waiting to see what will come of House Bill 808, the Public Health and Human Services bill, that has now failed the House floor three times.