The pomp and circumstance of inaugural week for the state legislature is over. Now the ninety-second session is well underway.
From the voter approved Initiated Measure twenty-two to nursing home beds, lawmakers tackle some contentious issues.
Republicans in Pierre are taking a phrase from Congress as they grapple with Initiated Measure 22.
“We need to repeal it and we need to replace it. We’re working very diligently to get that to where we need to be,” Qualm says.
State House Majority Leader Republican Lee Qualm is part of a group of lawmakers challenging the ethics reform package. Legislators are already filing bills in the spirit of IM 22 that establish an ethics commission but also reverse state statute to its original language.
Beyond that vote, Democrat and State Senate Minority Leader Billie Sutton says lawmakers will consider the school funding formula and declining enrollment issue.
“And I’m going to bring a bill to try and fix that. I’m hoping to find bipartisan support on the other side of the aisle on that, but that will cost some money. It may cost around $5 to 6 million to make that funding whole,” Sutton says.
Both sides of the aisle say a methamphetamine issue needs attention. The governor says he wants to hire four more highway patrol troopers to monitor drug trafficking. Democrat House Minority Leader Spencer Hawley agrees.
“It’s a huge issue,” Hawley says. “I always used to think it was people out making meth in the garage or the back 40. But 95 percent of our meth comes from Mexico, that they were telling us, or China.”
Ultimately, lawmakers say their major goal is a balanced budget. State Senate President Pro Temp Brock Greenfield says lawmakers will resolve a budget shortfall without making any major cuts.
“The legislature will do it’s best to try to realize savings in order to provide additional dollars to priority areas that we target," Greenfield says.
Lawmakers have the next eight weeks to address these issues.