Committee moves to concur on cleanup of expired coal contingency language in school funding law (Senate Bill 36)
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Summary
Sen. Emmerich and OPI described Senate Bill 36 as a code cleanup to remove expired contingency language tied to the possible closure of a coal‑fired generating unit; the committee concurred in executive action to send the bill to the floor.
Sen. Emmerich (Senate District 11, Great Falls) told the House Education Committee that Senate Bill 36 returns school funding law to its 2017 text by removing contingency language that had been added around possible closures of a coal‑fired generating unit in later years (2018–2022). "This is a good bill, good cleanup bill," Emmerich said at the hearing, adding the changes were vetted by the Education Interim Committee.
Paul Taylor of the Office of Public Instruction served as an informational witness and described the measure as a "code cleanup" to remove archaic dates and expired contingency language that were no longer active.
The committee took executive action on the bill. A committee member moved that "Senate Bill 36 do concur." The motion carried by voice vote with recorded proxy aye votes (Representative Lynch recorded as voting aye by proxy in the transcript). The committee closed the hearing on SB 36 and moved the bill to the floor with a request for a carrier.
Ending: The committee advanced SB 36 to the House floor after executive action; committee members indicated the bill is largely technical and housekeeping in nature.