All is quiet on the front, as we reach the half way mark for this 60th session.  The House finished up their work on Tuesday and the Senate yesterday and they are officially on transmittal break. As mentioned previously, transmittal break, March 1 – 4, 2007, is a great time to thank and show your appreciation to your local Legislators. It is also a time when they are eager to hear the opinions of their local constituents.  It was a productive first half for tourism and film bills with several of the bills we are tracking making it through transmittal.  Watch for these bills to be scheduled for hearings in the other house after the break.
 
Highlights from this past week:

SB 284 (Moss/Perry) Tourism Partners Plan – “Best Place First Initiative”, this bill, as amended, passed third reading in the Senate with a vote of (35-15) and is transmitted to the House. For information on the amended version as well as the fiscal note:
SB 284 as amended: http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2007/billpdf/SB0284.pdf
SB 284 fiscal note as amended:  http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2007/FNPDF/SB0284.pdf

HB 348 (Keane):  Increase out-of-state snowmobile fees.  This bill was scheduled for hearing in House Appropriations on Wednesday 2/28/07; however, the hearing was cancelled on 2/23/07.

HB 574 (Hiner): Assist Deer Lodge in rebuilding Rialto theater.  This bill was scheduled for hearing in House Appropriations Wednesday 2/28/07; however, the hearing was cancelled on 2/23/07.

HB 667 (O’Hara): Funding for Lewis and Clark Tourism Site endowments. This bill, as amended, allocates $2 million from the general fund to Lewis and Clark tourism site endowments through the Board of Trustees of the Montana Historical Society.  Passed second reading in the House (62-37) and was re-referred to House Appropriations.    

Upcoming highlights:

HB 106 (Cordier):  Removes Commerce as ombudsman regarding Flathead Lake management. This bill will be heard in Senate Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs, Wednesday, 3/7/07 in Room 422 at 9:00 a.m.  

The Montana Promotion Division is monitoring a number of bills that effect administration of state programs, as well as various aspects of the tourism and film industry.  The chart below is for introduced bills that may have a direct impact on the accommodation tax or issues important to the tourism and film industry.  There are several bills that failed to make the transmittal deadline.  These will be deleted from future reports.

When looking at the status of a bill on this chart, here are some helpful hints:

• Referred to committee means the bill has been assigned to the committee, but the hearing date has not been set.
• Hearing means a hearing is scheduled.

 

Bill Type - Number	Primary Sponsor	Status	Status Date	Short Title
HB 2	John Sinrud	(H) Tabled in Committee-- (H) Appropriations	02/14/2007	General appropriations act
HB 5	Tim Callahan	(H) Hearing-- (H) Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Long-Range Planning	02/06/2007; 8 AM, Rm 472	Long-range building appropriations
HB 9	Dave Kasten	(H) Hearing-- (H) Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Long-Range Planning	02/13/2007; 8 AM, Rm 350	Cultural and aesthetic grants
HB 40	Dave Gallik	(H) Transmitted to Senate	02/19/2007	Revise state movie incentive laws
HB 100	Bob Bergren	(H) Tabled in Committee-- (H) Taxation	01/26/2007	Improve management of DOR collection responsibilities
HB 106	Douglas Cordier	(S) Hearing-- (S) Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs	03/07/2007; 9 AM, Rm 422	Remove Commerce as ombudsman regarding Flathead Lake management
HB 147	Mike Jopek	(H) Tabled in Committee-- (H) Taxation	01/31/2007	Revise and clarify application of bed tax and sales and use tax
HB 199	William J Jones	(H) Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal*	02/28/2007	Water-based recreational access donations/donor recognition
HB 235	Ernie Dutton	(H) Transmitted to Senate	02/14/2007	Business improvement district law
HB 284	Shannon Augare	(H) Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended-- (H) Fish, Wildlife and Parks	02/23/2007	Improve Giant Springs state park - agreement with Little Shell Tribe
HB 299	Mike Milburn	(H) Transmitted to Senate	02/14/2007	Revise laws governing ski areas and passenger ropeways
HB 348	Jim Keane	(H) Rereferred to Committee-- (H) Appropriations	01/26/2007	Increase out-of-state snowmobile fees
HB 377	Harry Klock	(H) Hearing-- (H) Appropriations	01/30/2007; UPON ADJ, Rm 102	Appropriation for forest service history museum and education center
HB 451	Julie French	(H) Hearing-- (H) Appropriations	02/12/2007; UPON ADJ, Rm 102	Small town renewal program
HB 480	Bob Lake	(H) Hearing-- (H) Appropriations	02/06/2007; UPON ADJ, Rm 102	Fund restoration, operation, and maintenance of Daly mansion
HB 517	Gary Branae	(H) Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal*	02/28/2007	Revise scenic byways laws
HB 519	Dave Kasten	(H) Hearing-- (H) Appropriations	02/13/2007; 9 AM, Rm 102	Fund Montana cowboy hall of fame
HB 531	Carol Lambert	(H) Transmitted to Senate	02/27/2007	Designate warrior trail
HB 539	George G Groesbeck	(H) Hearing-- (H) Appropriations	02/13/2007; 9 AM, Rm 102	Appropriate funds for Butte-Silver Bow cultural development
HB 574	Cynthia Hiner	(H) Referred to Committee-- (H) Appropriations	02/06/2007	Assist Deer Lodge in rebuilding Rialto theater
HB 667	Jesse O'Hara	(H) Rereferred to Committee-- (H) Appropriations	02/24/2007	Funding for Lewis and Clark tourism site endowments
HB 691	Dan Villa	(H) Hearing-- (H) Education	02/19/2007; 3 PM, Rm 137	Create Montana Film Arts Program
HB 759	Gordon R Hendrick	(H) Transmitted to Senate	02/27/2007	Revise fee system funding search & rescue
HJ 3	John L Musgrove	(H) Filed with Secretary of State	02/12/2007	Urge port of Wild Horse be kept open 24 hours
HJ 12	Kevin T Furey	(H) Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal*	02/28/2007	Urge designation of Milltown dam reclamation area as state park
SB 29	Frank Smith	(H) Hearing-- (H) Transportation	03/09/2007; 3 PM, Rm 455	Establish Robert E. Ewing Jr. memorial highway
SB 76	Kim Gillan	(S) Transmitted to House	02/17/2007	Revise law on agency access to tax and revenue information
SB 78	Lane L Larson	(S) Transmitted to House	02/10/2007	Clarify stream access from bridges
SB 88	Bob Hawks	(S) Transmitted to House	01/10/2007	Extend allocation of funding to heritage preservation and development account
SB 100	Larry Jent	(S) Transmitted to House	02/20/2007	Revise outfitter laws/ felony outfitting without license
SB 106	Sam Kitzenberg	(S) Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal*	02/28/2007	Portion of Brush Lake as state park
SB 107	Sam Kitzenberg	(S) Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal*	02/28/2007	Portion of Culbertson overlook as state park
SB 174	Jim Elliott	(S) Hearing-- (S) Taxation	01/11/2007; 9 AM, Rm 405	Revise laws on revenue administration
SB 231	Joseph (Joe) Tropila	(S) Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal*	02/28/2007	Tax reform study committee
SB 233	Jim Elliott	(S) Transmitted to House	02/07/2007	Allow multiple counties to create museum districts
SB 275	Sam Kitzenberg	(S) 2nd Reading Indefinitely Postponed*	02/14/2007	Local option sales tax
SB 284	Lynda Moss	(S) Transmitted to House	02/26/2007	Revise allocation of bed tax and taxes on rental cars
SB 299	Lynda Moss	(S) Transmitted to House	02/17/2007	Revise laws on historic preservation and cultural tourism
SB 301	Lynda Moss	(S) Transmitted to House	02/17/2007	Authorize bond issuance for historic preservation
SB 318	Jim Peterson	(S) Transmitted to House	02/16/2007	Extend recreational use immunity to aircraft
SB 320	Kim Gillan	(S) 2nd Reading Indefinitely Postponed*	02/23/2007	Revise resort tax -- delete population and designation requirement
SB 418	Dan Weinberg	(S) Transmitted to House	02/21/2007	Revise distribution of lodging facility use taxes
SB 431	Greg Lind	(S) Transmitted to House	02/24/2007	Revise standards for hot springs
SB 520	Carolyn Squires	(S) Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal*	02/28/2007	Revise registration of fleet vehicles
SB 525	Jim Elliott	(S) Transmitted to House	02/26/2007	Clarify duties of state treasurer regarding deposit of tax and fees
SJ 3	Dan Weinberg	(S) Transmitted to House	02/08/2007	Urge funding for restoration of parks, battlefields, and monuments
SR 2	Sam Kitzenberg	(S) Tabled in Committee-- (S) Fish and Game	02/01/2007	Urge purchase of Brush Lake and Culbertson overlook as state parks

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Remember, the legislature has now set up a system for contacting representatives by e-mail. 
http://leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/60th/default.asp

Until next week…

 

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