Montana’s Budget Battle - Tristan Scott, Flathead Beacon

Sen. Mark Blasdel, R-Somers, who is serving as majority whip this session, said protecting the Montana Highway Patrol and Flathead Valley Community College from proposed cuts would be at the top of his list of priorities. He also said agreeing on a narrower definition of infrastructure would be critical in the first weeks of the Legislature, and suggested that projects should be limited to water, sewer, bridges, and roads. The public works bill required at least $150 million in cash, bonding and borrowing authority to finance a slate of local public-works projects and construction of new state buildings on college campuses and elsewhere. http://flatheadbeacon.com/2017/01/04/montanas-budget-battle/