HELENA – House Republicans and Democrats are dropping their differences and backing a bipartisan budget plan.
The roughly $9 billion budget bill hit the House floor Tuesday. It guides most of the spending of state and federal money in Montana agencies.
It was endorsed in a series of unlikely unanimous votes — and a big round of applause.
Both sides agreed to endorse the budget as-is, without long fights over dozens of proposed amendments.
The chamber even unanimously backed the largest section of the budget that deals with health programs and programs like Medicaid. Republicans had used their majority to axe federal family planning money from the budget before it hit the floor.
Democrats said Tuesday they decided to support the spending plan anyway because it is a “great product” overall.