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The state of Montana has a $227 million dollar budget hole -- largely caused by Republican legislators' refusal to appropriately tax the wealthy, corporations, and mineral extractors. The decline in state revenue threatens Montana’s ability to adequately invest in the public institutions and services that educate our children, keep our communities safe, and provide health care and other services to our most vulnerable neighbors.
Governor Bullock has proposed to address the $227 million revenue shortfall through an equal combination of cuts, revenue increases, and transfers and other legislation based on realistic revenue projections. This means automatic cuts to state government budgets, and a special session of the Legislature to attempt to address the shortfall. The Governor has called the Legislature back into a special session beginning at noon on Tuesday, November 14, 2017. Hearings begin on Monday, November 13, 2017. The threat of $227 million of cuts is real and would have devastating and long-term impact on families and communities. The Governor's proposal is far from perfect, but it will help to mitigate some of the cuts that would have been taken. That said, it is not enough. The resulting $76 million in cuts will impact some of our most vulnerable families, and the legislature should consider going even further to put a stop to these cuts. We need to call our legislators and tell them:
The switchboard is open on Monday with the start of the special session. You can call 406-444-4800 to leave a message for your legislator. You can also find your legislator's email address via http://leg.mt.gov/css/Sessions/65th/roster.asp?HouseID=0&SessionID=111 It’s time Montana leaders fulfill their responsibilities to the people they represent and balance our budget in a way that makes sense for Montana taxpayers, workers, and families. Watch a short video explaining the shortfall: https://www.facebook.com/MontanaBudget/videos/1995316663828912/
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