Legislative update

Hello from Helena and welcome to what I plan on being a weekly update on our legislative activity. This week will actually cover the 1st two weeks beginning on January 4th with swearing in of all 100 Representatives to the 67th legislative session. It didn't take long to realize that this legislative session was going to be greatly impacted by the fallout of the Chinese virus. It initially was rumored that the Democrat caucus was not going to show for swearing in but there is no legal provision for offsite swearing in. There were some pretty interesting prevention apparatuses used, masks, shields and combinations thereof. It was nonetheless a very humbling and inspiring ceremony conducted on the floor of The Montana House of Representatives. I was thankful to have my wife Carol and Son Alex in attendance.

I was fortunate to have been chosen to sit on the Appropriations Committee and the Natural Resources and Transportation Subcommittee. Any legislation asking for $100,000 or more must come through appropriations. As you might guess, this involves a good many bills and departments. This past week, in subcommittee, we heard budget requests (for the coming biennium (2-year period) from the Board of Livestock and the Department of Agriculture. Both of these departments are funded primarily by fees charged for services provided for a wide array of things but still need authorization to spend these funds. One big ask by the Board of Livestock is for a new $30,000,000 analytical lab that would be built at MSU. The argument is that this 60-year-old lab no longer meets the modern phytosanitary requirements. A $300,000 testing machine that can detect down to the parts/billion for such things as water testing for chemical contamination is also a request from livestock.

With a 67-33 advantage in The House, we were able to pass Representative Berglee's bill relaxing second amendment restrictions primarily related to individual rights to carry firearms. This is similar to a number of bills that have gained legislative approval in the past but vetoed by Democrat governors. The vote was party line 67-33, sending it on to The Senate, then the Governor.

In Appropriations, a bill of significance that we heard and tabled was a bill by Representative Geraldine Custer removing the sunset provisions for Title X from the federal government. This is family planning $ that thanks to President Trump's executive order, could not be used to fund abortions. Unfortunately, Joe Biden has pledged to reverse that order, in which case, I expect Montana will reject the entire $ 4,000,000 to support protecting life of the unborn.

I was surprised to be greeted by Colby Harris, a McCone County high school senior who served as one of our first week pages. Representative Bob Phalen HD 36 was Colby's sponsor. In the coming week beginning January 18, I'm sponsoring Jenna Gibson, a Garfield County High School senior. This is a fun program for any junior or senior who is interested in finding out more about how our legislature operates. It's also a great way to meet new people from across the state, here to serve the People of Montana. There are still openings for April for anyone interested in applying. Each representative can sponsor 2 pages. Each senator can sponsor one. Contact the Montana Legislative Services web site or me if you are interested in participating in this program.

These are certainly interesting and challenging times for our country. With all of the uncertainties surrounding the results of this past election, I certainly hope Congress gets down to serious business rather than political theater. Here in Helena, election safeguards will be a priority. I expect to eliminate same day voter registration to avoid some of the same day registration chaos. I also expect to see photo ID requirements. There are also some promising looking reforms coming down the pike regarding public health official's accountability.

Being here is somewhat similar to being at home, in that we all face personal challenges. This week one of our members was notified of the unexpected loss of a family member. Best wishes for a good week ahead!

Working for Freedom,

Representative

Jerry Schillinger

jerry.schillinger@mtleg.gov

Montana House

of Representatives

P.O. Box 200400

Helena 59620

406-974-2478