Page 6 - John Esp News Today

The Senate Finance and Claims Committee voted Friday to put the $3.9 million annually that would go toward funding 120 beds for Montana prisoners at a CoreCivic private prison in Arizona into a separate bill after nixing the funding several other times this session.

The Senate gave initial approval to the bill on a 44-6 vote.

A bill to fund an early childhood literacy program benefiting as many as 36 local 4-year-olds survived another legislative committee and will go to the Montana Senate floor for action.

“We thought it would be good to take care of our providers,” Esp said on the Senate floor Monday.

Plus: The refusal to recognize heard round the country

As the 2023 legislative session sprints to the finish line, tensions are running high over bills targeting transgender Montanans and environmental regulation.

The Senate Finance and Claims Committee voted Friday to put the $3.9 million annually that would go toward funding 120 beds for Montana prisoners at a CoreCivic private prison in Arizona into a separate bill after nixing the funding several other times this session.

A similar proposal concerning ballot qualifications for third parties fared the same.

Legislators added the proposal late Friday night after earlier in the day rejecting the idea and previously striping the contract from the state budget.

KGVO encourages anyone interested in hearing and seeing further testimony on HB 218 to visit the Montana Legislature’s website.