Budget expanded to 8 bills

Gov. Schweitzer: 'They are running out of time'

HELENA - The Republican "six-pack" budget is becoming an eight pack, to the great frustration of Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

Rep. John Sinrud, R-Bozeman, confirmed Tuesday that one of the six Republican budget bills, House Bill 804, is being split into three bills. The move, aimed at heading off an anticipated consolidation of the bills by the Senate, came the day before the full House is scheduled to start debating the bills.

HB 804 provides funding for the Secretary of State, the Judiciary, the Governor's Office, the State Auditor, the Department of Revenue, the Department of Administration, the Montana Consensus Council and the State Public Defenders Office.

Sinrud said it's expected that Senate Democrats would attempt to combine it with the five other major funding bills.

For that reason, it's being divided into three bills that will start over in the Appropriations Committee.

Schweitzer said he learned of the changed approach Tuesday morning.

"They are running out of time and the clock is ticking," he said, referring to a March 29 deadline for transmitting spending bills. "We thought we were graduating from the eighth grade, and now we're going back to the first."

Schweitzer never liked the six-pack approach to begin with because of the difficulty involved in having a comprehensive view to establish a constitutionally mandated balanced budget.

He likened it to a family with six or eight people all writing checks, and then having to balance the checkbook at the end of the month.

Schweitzer contends that the Republicans' multiple-bill approach may be unconstitutional because of substantive statutory language that is included in the bills along with funding for state agencies.

Sinrud said there is nothing unconstitutional about the bills or the multi-bill approach.

"Prior to 1977, we had separate appropriations bills and there was no constitutional challenge," Sinrud said, adding that then-Democratic Gov. Tom Judge strongly objected to the Legislature consolidating a series of major appropriations bills.

Anxiety in the Capitol is building since the House is scheduled to start debating the bills today.

Sinrud expressed confidence in the outcome, even though he flatly predicts that the 49 Democrats in the House will vote against the bills.

"The Democrats will lock-stock-and-barrel not vote for these bills," he said.

And he alluded to the potential role of Rep. Rick Jore, the Constitution Party swing voter from Ronan.

"We will get them out of the House in whatever shape we can," he said, hinting that total spending may be reduced to appease Jore.

A major goal of the House leadership involves passing a "sustainable" budget, Sinrud said.

The six-pack approach initially involved reducing the 22 percent spending increase (proposed by the governor) to roughly 13 percent. But the increase could be further reduced if the leadership is working to win the support of Jore.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com