The Latest: Senate panel approves $98M infrastructure bill

HELENA, Mont. – The Latest on parallel infrastructure bills in the House and Senate (all times local):

4:40 p.m.

A Senate committee has approved a bonding bill that would pay for $98 million in public works and capital building projects.

The Senate measure is moving at the same time as a parallel bill in the House that would authorize $33 million in bonds.

The major difference between the two bills is that the Senate kept most of the large state building projects that the House had jettisoned from its legislation. The House bill authorizes bonding for only roads, bridges and water and sewer projects.

The Senate Finance and Claims Committee approved its bill Friday on a 15-3 vote. It next goes to the Senate floor.

Dan Villa, the budget director for Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, says the governor considers the Senate bill the best way to pass an infrastructure bonding bill this session.

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12:30 p.m.

The governor’s budget director warns that House Republicans’ stripped-down infrastructure legislation could result once again in failing to pass a bonding bill for public works and capital projects across Montana.

The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee broke up Gov. Steve Bullock’s $150 million bonding bill and inserted many of those projects into other infrastructure bills that would be paid for in cash.

What’s left is $33.4 million in bonding for water, sewer, roads and bridges projects across the state.

Budget director Dan Villa said Friday that too few projects remain, meaning that this bill could die for lack of votes, similar to what happened in the 2015 session.

Republican Rep. Mike Cuffe of Eureka says $33 million is the highest bond the Republican majority caucus could agree on, though that could change.