The End

 Krayton Kerns
5.2.07

Last week the House did finalize action on two bills which will directly affect Laurel: 

HB 96, the bill establishing and providing an appropriation for a State Veterans’ Cemetery in Laurel, passed both houses and is headed to the Governor for his signature.  The Senate Finance and Claims committee, which ironically had been spending money like the proverbial drunken sailor, voted to kill the sailor cemetery bill on April 12th.  Senator McGee worked hard to force the entire Senate to reconsider the committee’s action.  In the end, HB 96 passed the Senate once the appropriation was stripped from $100,000 down to $1.  (Yes, that is ONE DOLLAR.)  Senator McGee and I will continue to push for development of this project and are planning on spending the entire $1 on a grass seed. 

HB 512 finally passed both houses as well.  This is the bill that contained the TSEP appropriation of $750,000 for Laurel’s wastewater treatment project.  This bill was politically battered since its introduction on January 30^th.  It too is awaiting the Governor’s signature which should just be a formality but…since so many crazy things have recently happened I wouldn’t be shocked to see him veto the bill in the end.

Now for some parting advice:  We are beginning the final week of the 60^th meeting of the Montana State Legislature. The liberal Governor, the liberal Senate and the liberal media will battle the conservative House over the final budget.  Expect the political posturing of the past few weeks to intensify, so avoiding all news reports for a few days may prove useful.  By the middle of May things will have quieted and it will be obvious that the sun continues to rise every morning and sets every evening just as it has done since the beginning of time. There are good people on both sides of the aisle up here; but their opinions about regulation, education, taxation, and freedom are different.  If you let your happiness be controlled by the success or failure of events in Helena you are going to be miserable.  Have a great day and thank God for your freedom.