HELENA — Republican legislative leaders say Montana Gov. Steve Bullock’s $157 million bonding bill for infrastructure projects is dead and that they plan to unveil their bill this week.
GOP leaders were working to the last minute to build consensus on just how far into debt lawmakers within their party would be willing to put the state to pay for public works and building projects.
The governor’s bill, carried by Democratic Rep. Jim Keane of Butte, would have used bonds for numerous projects that are normally paid for with cash from special revenue accounts. That cash would have been moved into the state’s general fund instead, to help close a budget shortfall.
Republican Rep. Greg Hertz of Polson says that plan was never going to happen.
House Republicans plan to introduce their own bonding bill as early as Wednesday.