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The Montana Senate has offered support to a state spending plan for more than $2 billion in federal coronavirus aid.
The plan outlines how Montana will distribute money for business grants, health services and local government spending, among other things. Senate lawmakers gave it initial approval on a 32-18 vote, with some Democrats and conservative Republicans in opposition.
Buffalo Republican Sen. Ryan Osmundson said the wide-ranging policy remains a work in progress.
“People have often described this bill as flying the plane while you’re building it, and that’s certainly what we’ve had to do with this bill,” Osmundson said.
Plan to spend $2B in federal COVID money moves forward in Senate
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Part of MMIP package voted down, though idea isn t defeated
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Montana Senate Advances State Budget With Few Changes
The Montana Senate has endorsed a $12 billion spending package to guide the state budget over the next two years.
Sen. Ryan Osmundson, Republican chair of the Senate Finance and Claims Committee, says the budget proposal would increase state spending, but it remains a conservative budget.
The proposal would increase state spending by 3.6% over the last two year budget, without adjusting for inflation. The Senate endorsed it on a 33-17 vote with both bipartisan support and opposition.
The Senate made few amendments to the spending plan before sending it back to the House. Lawmakers added reporting requirements for funding for the Department of Public Health and Human Services and cut about $500,000 from the Department of Revenue’s budget.