Committee: Legislative Council
Author: Susan Byorth Fox
Posted on June 20, 2017
The Legislative Council met on Tuesday, June 6. Susan Fox announced that the successful bidder for the TVMT Video Production Contract -- Montana PBS. The new partnership is expected to continue TVMT’s tradition of covering the Montana Legislature and state government proceedings and bring a new professionalism to the channel. Read more here.
Legislators will be receiving information on the Constituent Services Allowance in the mail soon; the law goes into effect on July 1, 2017 and legislators will receive the primary stipend with the July 19 payroll. More information is posted here.
The council adopted the Operating Budgets for FY 18 and 19 for Legislative Services and Interim Committees and Activities. The council set the prices for the Session Publications, including the MCA, Session Laws, and History and Final Status. There was no increase and prices remain the same as the 2015 session materials.
The council made appointments to NCSL and CSG Committees which allows legislators to vote on the respective committees during their annual meetings. The appointments are posted on the council’s website.
The main agenda item was the assignment of interim studies to the interim committees, including additional recommendations to interim and administrative committees. They recommended a subcommittee of Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Interim Committee (CFHHS) on the HJ 20 study on transparency of health care pricing, and including members of the Economic Affairs Interim Committee (EAIC). They also approved funding and additional staff resources. Because of the CFHHS workload, the council assigned SJ 32 on to the EAIC and asked CFHHS to consider whether it had sufficient time to study HJR 17 on prescription drug pricing. Additional recommendations for consideration were included for the Energy and Telecommunications Interim Committee, the Revenue and Transportation Interim Committee and the Legislative Audit and Finance Committees. The assignments are posted here and on the council’s website.
The council will meet again at the end of the summer for a business meeting and their biennial strategic planning session.
For more information on the council’s agenda, activities, and upcoming meeting, visit the council’s website or contact Susan Byorth Fox, council staff.
Council
Website: http://leg.mt.gov/legcouncil
Council Staff: sfox@mt.gov or 406-444-3066
