Republican House leaders are leaving Montana’s seniors, children and families feeling less than lucky this St. Patrick’s Day after recklessly slashing and approving a whittled down state budget that won’t work for hard-working Montanans.
During Thursday’s floor debates, Democratic representatives brought 26 amendments to the floor to try and fix some of the mess Republicans had made of the budget. Ultimately, though, they all failed along party lines.
The result? An appropriation bill riddled with shortcomings for the critical services that Montanans depend on. Here are a few that cut the deepest:
- Republicans said no to caring for our senior citizens to the tune of $53 million.
- On the education front, Republicans said no to students with special needs, online learning programs crucial for rural and at-risk students, and our Montana University System for $19 million.
- Republicans denied funding for Montana’s National Guard and matching Federal funds for Hazmat training in urban and rural communities.
“House Republicans are failing Montana’s hard-working families,” said Nancy Keenan, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. “This is not fiscal responsibility. These reckless cuts are going to have real impacts on all Montanans for years to come. We can do better than this.”