[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6100371,"mediaKeyId","2813624-9e4caeae531b7597894003cee347d4cc","parentId",2813624,"title","Appropriations committee debates sweeping ARPA interest into capital development fund","audioSeconds",3410,"startMs",4530000,"endMs",7940000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813624-9e4caeae531b7597894003cee347d4cc&start=4530&end=7940","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813624-9e4caeae531b7597894003cee347d4cc/thumbnail_4530000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6100371/Montana/Appropriations-committee-debates-sweeping-ARPA-interest-into-capital-development-fund","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100371-c140eaf26b093c20bacf9b3eadf604c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770452372&Signature=mW4Fr1hOnuso1jlpZgvspf71OuK5QfA9b5C-6LJgDoPCa0IS1UD5JMoi1FehSvQqrku7HPDerNDXLes8f~9rKizp3qXnltqHuTzZMgLFCe9g6cB-ERANVLVOhDibfCYkqfTe7xsvQej5caejxtzaroyC0132M0L2s~v0OmeaDuN0h~kaL4bOKZD63UJMFmBJeqsrbnIDpUGkBbw2MNxs~j5~WaelMKzsXPemE~po9qjL2uxQj6phpeMjO72VhDse0xkNLRMUVX69KYmcDOaeLJw1YlkwPkXS0kYCgDO-MiJf3EHu~gDi~m2-EMW1tR8sTucsH0bqEEyZopbVsJ~ajQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana Legislature","date","2025-03-28T00:00:00Z","article","Members of the House Appropriations Committee spent an extended portion of the executive action session on House Bill 4, the federal-authority budget amendment bill, and on an amendment that would reallocate interest earned on previously appropriated ARPA funds.

Committee chair and members discussed an amendment that would transfer existing interest balances into specific infrastructure projects and then sweep any remaining balance into the Capital Development Fund. Committee staff described allocations in the amendment that included about $1,700,000 to projects in another infrastructure bill (House Bill 7), $5,000,000 for additional water and wastewater projects (House Bill 6), $224,000 for two irrigation projects, and $4,500,000 for Department of Environmental Quality nonpoint-source projects tied to new statutory standards.

Members pressed staff on timing and accounting. Representative Falk raised concerns about capturing interest earned before Dec. 30, 2024, and whether the Legislature could effectively “sweep” interest retroactively or prevent the executive branch from obligating funds that were previously awarded. Committee staff and the budget office said they would need time to draft precise language and recommended returning on Monday to finalize the amendment in writing. The chair agreed to delay final executive action to allow staff to prepare language that would maximize capture of pre-Dec. 30 interest and to ensure transfers are properly timed.

Budget office staff explained that the federal-authority bill lists awards and extensions agencies reported during the session and that dashes in the bill represent separate awards. Staff said some federal awards are continuing authority into the next fiscal year and others have specified end dates.

Why it matters: The amendment seeks to redirect interest earnings from federal ARPA-related accounts into state capital priorities. Committee members flagged legal and accounting questions about retroactivity, existing obligations and the mechanics of transferring funds mid-session — questions that could affect how much principal and interest the Legislature can appropriate.

What’s next: Committee members asked staff to draft final amendment language and to return Monday with a precise transfer mechanism. The committee withdrew the outstanding motion and postponed final action on House Bill 4 to allow for redrafting.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Appropriations - Friday, Mar 28, 2025 15:29 - 18:30","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 4 and related budget amendments prompted extended committee debate about transferring accrued interest on ARPA funds to the Capital Development Fund and allocating remaining interest to water, wastewater, irrigation and nonpoint-source projects.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MT, Montana","taxId",77694,"location","Montana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6100376,"Rep. Gillette proposes $240,000 for crime lab recruitment and retention",533,1007000,1540000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813624-9e4caeae531b7597894003cee347d4cc&start=1007&end=1540","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813624-9e4caeae531b7597894003cee347d4cc/thumbnail_1007000.jpg","/articles/6100376/Montana/Rep-Gillette-proposes-240000-for-crime-lab-recruitment-and-retention","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100376-a8b1816fe0b98b86673092a40ea5227d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770452372&Signature=HXbenAnJLrJqiMoJ~9UKxaw~pcl97Gr1~77RZQO2rcArWRQ4WXIxkGdDvIyCDDKxXiPwXe1Z7Myr54N9C~JDN6j-tdFr-6pdefUBlTQWDsjlad1c9GeZhXroLsR~RY267zXPbxsnHI-t9QAf2rtiGhhPPuk48cnqTiN4oc5o7CL1rp7l8aqd-NdIrbMbrT34riy0kudTQUuhtjloU2bKI5xebMEVCA-agDowlO10BhWD9oND6ahL31YcYyVPZeA53JVi3FTnjLhshaMUM4lELjzjMCCfZbNSNUIOnolELCnlHyJXtcOf2-vhq2h5t3izN2xyy3IoasOOQnJiD7J40Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Jane Gillette introduced House Bill 870 to the House Appropriations Committee as an appropriation request totaling $240,000 in one-time-only funds — $120,000 in the current year and $120,000 the next fiscal year — to support recruitment and retention at the Montana State Crime Lab.

Gillette said the lab in Missoula has “very technical scientists” who require years of training and that the lab was losing staff to private employers after training. She told the committee she recently toured the facility and that small, targeted funds to aid recruitment and retention could be “really meaningful” after the lab recently lost at least one medical professional.

Committee members expressed general support and asked why the Department of Justice and the crime lab had not been present to testify in favor of the request; Gillette said she expected a coordination issue and would follow up to get departmental input.

Representative Nave and others noted related appropriations in House Bill 2 had addressed medical examiner staffing, but said additional, targeted help for the crime lab could still be warranted because of growing caseloads and substance-abuse related work. Representative Walsh asked whether the governor’s budget office process would be more appropriate; Gillette said she favored a direct legislative appropriation to keep control within the Legislature.

Gillette indicated she would accept a reporting requirement as a friendly amendment and asked the committee for a due-pass recommendation.

Why it matters: The crime lab processes forensic evidence that can affect the pace of criminal cases and victims’ ability to get timely resolution. Lawmakers said staffing and retention issues had delayed casework and that targeted funds could mitigate immediate gaps.

What’s next: The bill closed its hearing and the sponsor requested a due-pass recommendation; no formal roll-call vote was recorded at the close of the hearing.

","Representative Jane Gillette told the House Appropriations Committee she seeks two one-time appropriations of $120,000 to help the state crime lab recruit and retain specialized staff, citing staffing losses and lengthy training for forensic scientists.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6100381,"House committee tables bill that would cut Montana Supreme Court funding",2325,0,2325000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813624-9e4caeae531b7597894003cee347d4cc&start=0&end=2325","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813624-9e4caeae531b7597894003cee347d4cc/thumbnail_0.jpg","/articles/6100381/Montana/House-committee-tables-bill-that-would-cut-Montana-Supreme-Court-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100381-9460c2c67e1bdb71add2e8e7f0497a96/orig.mp4?Expires=1770452372&Signature=EhmTKPTl~40N4P4ciEdotx5iYT06gw7tRqTzDxWdCq2ZH5jkXyJ7jZLprRrYdtOYnJA7TIBTv0vGZDh5OIxFIR7YWF1~P9jZnasr1o0Y4vSpzGa6PO3Gwpfc8uScJOhO7O~5kD7hJzJoelrW3AInjEWB~1rNxKB8WIhIYu-aFfsvZjHbAlySVDj0jWZEIR9ylPvSZZ17zX64uiTVVya3806DmKvcivTFEKdODQrq06TjN2e89PD38fy2IWJru-MmPa73GXxxHMY~JylbeypNETV9m2xV2ZLHvNasJDabpDPJX4TiZd3YTHmwVp47xqktWdl6ZPguFCU6wDju3Er94A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Montana House Appropriations Committee on a voice vote tabled House Bill 883, a measure that would reduce funding for the Montana Supreme Court operations by a proposed $18,000,000, a figure the bill sponsor said constitutes roughly 36% of the court’s operations.

The committee’s action came after several opponents warned the cut would degrade court services and threaten judicial independence. Mac Alpin, court administrator for the judicial branch, testified in opposition and said the reduction would “severely cut the budget of the judiciary enough to make us incapable to accomplish the statutes and the constitutional mandate.”

Bruce Spencer, representing the State Bar of Montana, told the committee that the proposed reduction “completely abrogates all the hard work” used to build current court operations and stressed the court’s administrative functions extend beyond the justices to information technology, payroll, policy support for youth courts, and programs handling child abuse and neglect cases. Heather O’Loughlin of the Montana Budget and Policy Center also registered opposition and urged members to “do not pass.”

Sponsor Representative Schubert defended the bill as an exercise of the Legislature’s power of the purse, saying the reduction was intended to signal displeasure with what he described as repeated judicial overreach. He told the panel the measure targets Supreme Court operations and, as drafted, would not permit taking money from district courts.

Committee members pressed the sponsor for detail on how the cuts would be implemented. Representative Kiel and others questioned what staff or programs would be cut and noted that many parts of Supreme Court operations — technology, scheduling, boards and commissions, and court-improvement programs — are interlinked and difficult to pare back without affecting services. The sponsor suggested staff reductions, including law clerks or other attorney-staff positions, but did not provide a specific reduction plan.

During executive action, Vice Chair Mercer moved a due-pass recommendation; Representative Fitzpatrick offered a substitute motion to table the bill. The substitute motion to table carried by voice vote, with the chair announcing it “passes unanimously with those present,” effectively halting further committee consideration for now.

Why it matters: Committee members and court advocates warned that the proposed cut would reduce the court’s ability to maintain electronic case management, provide judicial and legal regulation functions, and administer child welfare and youth court programs. The committee’s decision leaves intact the current judiciary budget while signaling legislative skepticism about the sponsor’s approach.

What’s next: The committee tabled HB 883; no further action was recorded in this hearing. Any future movement would require the committee to remove the bill from the table or reintroduce similar language.

","A Montana House appropriations committee tabled House Bill 883 after opponents, including the state court administrator and the State Bar, warned a proposed $18 million cut would hamper court services and risk judicial independence.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Appropriations committee debates sweeping ARPA interest into capital development fund

Rep. Gillette proposes $240,000 for crime lab recruitment and retention

House committee tables bill that would cut Montana Supreme Court funding