skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina s congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Myorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Legislators Back in Helena to Make Tough Budget Decisions

play audio
Play

Tuesday, November 14, 2017   

HELENA, Mont. – The special legislative session is convening in full Tuesday to balance the state's budget.

Gov. Steve Bullock has proposed fixing the $227 million shortfall in three equal measures by making some cuts to state services, temporarily increasing some taxes, and making adjustments and transfers within state government.

Eric Feaver, president of MEA MFT, the state's largest public employees' union, says the $76 million cut in state services is a blow, but the governor has no other choice at this point. He adds that Bullock shouldn't be asked to shoulder the burden of cuts alone.

"If we don't have a special session, you can triple the pain and agony that would be visited upon programs and services provided by the state, the university system and the schools," he warns. "And so, consequently we need this session in order to at least ameliorate all the concerns that we have regarding our budget deficit."

The shortfall came after an extremely expensive fire season and a dip in revenue far below expectations. Feaver says part of the problem is an inadequate revenue stream for state government and public services.

Bullock called the session after both parties agreed that cuts alone would have devastated services for the most vulnerable Montanans. Last week, Republicans voted to expand the scope of the session.

The governor's proposal would also mean about 50 state employees lose their jobs. Feaver says that might be less painful than other options, but it's still going to hurt communities across Montana.

"Each job represents a program or a service provided to people and so, obviously, just watching them all go away is not an answer to the question, 'How do we provide public programs and services if we just cut away personnel?'" he explains.

Feaver notes the university system also is at risk. He says two decades ago, the state provided about 70 percent of funding to universities; today, it's about 30 percent. That has meant tuition hikes that could be unsustainable for many families without assistance from the Legislature. Feaver believes the answer is for lawmakers to raise revenue.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …


Organizations fighting wage theft said it harms affected workers and surrounding communities because the money withheld is not being circulated through the local economy. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Environment

play sound

A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021