HELENA — Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee are moving some money around in the state’s next two-year budget, but are resisting Democratic efforts to increase spending.
The committee voted Monday to restore funding for seven vacant positions it proposed cutting from the vocational rehabilitation program and instead cut six unfilled positions from the child support enforcement division.
Lawmakers also moved nearly $16 million into the Children’s Health Insurance Program to make up for reductions in federal funds and a decline in tobacco tax collections.
However, the Republican majority turned down efforts to spend more on education, saying there are separate policy bills to consider inflationary increases to special education spending and funding early childhood education.
Democrats argued the state needs new revenue while Republicans countered Montana has added so many programs revenues can’t keep up.