Key bills in Legislature

Last week two important bills reached the House floor with razor thin 10-9 committee votes. The essence of the subsequent floor debates may be boiled down to the following: Should an increase in fees and surcharges be implemented to fund important governmental services?

House Bill 46, by Kimberly Dudik, Democrat of Missoula, proposed increasing an array of court fees (many have not seen increases for more than 20 years), to fund the administration of legal assistance for low income people. The expectation being a reduction of defendants who represent themselves. Such action has reduced the efficiency of the system, never mind a compromise of quality representation for the defendant. Many Republicans had heartburn at the structure of user fees. One prominent legislator opined his support of the program but desired the funding source from the general budget.

House Bill 93, by Frank Garner, Republican of Kalispell proposed a $5 increase in criminal surcharges, to fund the Montana Police Academy. Garner made an eloquent plea focused on the historic need for a high level of professional policing along with the crumbling infrastructure with the campus. Democrats balked at the surcharges lamenting that such charges impacted a disproportional number of low income citizens and like Republicans who objected to HB46, espoused the desire that such a worthy allocation should come by way of the general fund.

I voted for both bills (both bills will move on to the Senate). Here’s the reality as I see it. The two bills are necessary to maintain our civil society. Appropriations have declared that they will cut all new funding proposals because of the low ending fund balance. I believe no action translates to playing politics with essential needs. House Bill 93 has a 6-year sunset attached to it. This will allow the legislature to contemplate a change in that funding source.

The fun has begun. You can contact me by email, Rep.Dave.Fern@mtgov or call or text me at 212-0674.

Democrat Dave Fern represents House District 5.