I hope that you were all able to take advantage of the transmittal break to thank and show your appreciation to your local Legislators as well as provide them with the opinions of their local constituents.  The Legislators came back to Helena late on Monday to start the second half of the session.  This is typically a more difficult time as this is when all the funding decisions are made.  The big issue at the Legislature this week was the hearing of House Bill 2 which funds general state government before the House Appropriations Committee. 

ALERT

HB 163 - Big Sky on the Big Screen (Rep Jill Cohenour): Scheduled for hearing on Monday, March 9, 2009 at 8:00 a.m. in Senate Taxation. This bill extends the sunset on the Big Sky on the Big Screen Act, film production incentive, to January 1, 2015.  If the bill does not get a positive vote from this committee the legislation will die and the Big Sky on the Big Screen Act will expire at the end of this year. It’s important that you contact your Senator if you support this legislation.   If you are not able to reach your senator while they are at home, messages for all Legislators can be left at 406-444-4800, or through this link http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/61st/legwebmessage.asp. 

Members of the Senate Taxation Committee:

Member	Assignment
Jeff Essmann	Chair
Taylor Brown	Vice Chair
Jerry W Black	Member
Kelly Gebhardt	Member
Bob Story	Member
Bruce Tutvedt	Member
Gary Branae	Member
Ron Erickson	Member
Kim Gillan	Member
Bradley Hamlett	Member
Christine Kaufmann	Member
Lee Heiman	Legislative Branch Staffer
Debra Polhemus	Secretary

Below we have listed introduced bills and all legislative requests that we think might have a direct impact on the tourism and film industries.

Highlights for the week:

SJ-13 (Zinke, Ryan) A joint resolution to commemorate the Centennial of Glacier National passed the House this week and is now on its way to the Governor’s desk.  

Legislative Activity next week:

HB 163 (Cohenour, Jill):  Revise tax incentives for motion picture industry. This bill was brought at the request of the Department of Commerce and extends the current sunset of the Big Sky on the Big Screen Act film production tax incentive to 2015.  This bill passed out of the House on 2nd reading (57-43) and was referred to House Appropriations. This bill is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Taxation Committee - Room 405, Monday, March 9, at 8:00 a.m.   

HB 150 (Brown, Dee): Montana recreation safety act. This bill states that in some recreational activities that there is inherent risk and it limits the liability of providers of those recreational activities.  This bill is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate JudiciaryCommittee - Room 303, Wednesday, March 11, at 9:00 a.m.   

The chart below is for introduced bills that may have direct impact on the accommodation tax or issues important to the tourism and film industry.  Bills that failed to make the transmittal are shown on the list this week; however, we will be removing them in future updates.

When looking at the status of a bill on this chart, here are some helpful hints:

• Referred to committee means the bill has been assigned to the committee, but the hearing date has not been set.
• Hearing means a hearing is scheduled.

* after status indicates the bill is probably dead

Bill Type - Number	Primary Sponsor	Status	Status Date	Short Title
HB 5	Jon C Sesso	(H) Hearing -- (H) Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Long-Range Planning	01/30/2009; 8:00 AM, Rm 350	Long-range building appropriations -- include energy conservation
HB 9	Galen Hollenbaugh	(H) Hearing -- (H) Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Long-Range Planning	02/13/2009; 8:00 AM, Rm 350	Cultural and aesthetic grant appropriations
HB 150	Dee Brown	(S) Hearing -- (S) Judiciary	03/11/2009; 9:00 AM, Rm 303	Montana recreation responsibility act
HB 163	Jill Cohenour	(S) Hearing -- (S) Taxation	03/09/2009; 8:00 AM, Rm 405	Revise tax incentives for motion picture industry
HB 167	Diane Sands	(H) Hearing -- (H) Appropriations	01/13/2009; 3:00 PM, Rm 102	Funding for Travelers' Rest State Park
HB 190	Kendall Van Dyk	(S) Hearing -- (S) Fish and Game	03/19/2009; 3:00 PM, Rm 422	Clarify bridge access law
HB 199	Robin Hamilton	(H) Tabled in Committee* -- (H) Taxation	01/20/2009	Revise allocation of lodging facility use tax
HB 229	Gary MacLaren	(H) Hearing -- (H) Appropriations	01/15/2009; 3:00 PM, Rm 102	Fund St.Mary's preservation
HB 239	Bob Lake	(H) Hearing -- (H) Appropriations	01/21/2009; 3:00 PM, Rm 102	Fund restoration and maintenance of Daly mansion
HB 304	Jon Sonju	(S) Hearing -- (S) Highways and Transportation	03/10/2009; 3:00 PM, Rm 405	Name portion of US Highway 2 after Highway Patrol officer David Graham
HB 311	Mark Blasdel	(S) Hearing -- (S) Highways and Transportation	03/10/2009; 3:00 PM, Rm 405	Name portion of Highway 2 in honor of Evan Schneider
HB 312	Bill Beck	(H) Committee Vote Failed; Remains in Committee -- (H) Taxation	02/12/2009	Increase population requirement for resort tax purposes
HB 329	Dee Brown	(H) Tabled in Committee* -- (H) Taxation	02/12/2009	Donut area population included in resort community population
HB 385	Bob Ebinger	(H) Tabled in Committee* -- (H) Business and Labor	02/13/2009	Fund media institute
HB 644	Jon C Sesso	(H) Introduced	03/06/2009	Funding for national folk festival
HJ 15	Mike Milburn	(S) Referred to Committee -- (S) Fish and Game	03/02/2009	Study resolution on funding for a recreation and tourism enhancement program
SB 117	David E Wanzenried	(H) Returned to Senate	03/06/2009	Revise or eliminate certain statutory appropriations
SB 118	Verdell Jackson	(S) Bill Not Heard at Sponsor's Request -- (S) Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation	01/07/2009	Create invasive and destructive species council
SB 166	Dave Lewis	(S) Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal*	02/26/2009	Allow low-interest coal tax trust fund loans to expand rail passenger service
SB 190	Bob Hawks	(S) Tabled in Committee* -- (S) Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs	01/30/2009	Bed tax for heritage sites, historic preservation, and travel Montana
SB 237	Dave Lewis	(S) 3rd Reading Failed*	02/05/2009	Primary seatbelt enforcement for motor vehicle occupants
SB 309	Jim Shockley	(S) Hearing -- (S) Finance and Claims	03/05/2009; 8:00 AM, Rm 317	Increase lodging and per diem reimbursement for state employees
SB 329	Gregory D Barkus	(S) Referred to Committee -- (S) Highways and Transportation	02/02/2009	Revise automobile licensing and insurance laws
SB 343	Verdell Jackson	(S) Hearing -- (S) Finance and Claims	03/06/2009; 8:00 AM, Rm 317	Regulation of zebra mussel and other invasive species
SB 457	Gary Branae	(H) Referred to Committee -- (H) Transportation	02/24/2009	Revise scenic byways laws
SJ 6	Ken (Kim) Hansen	(H) Hearing -- (H) Business and Labor	03/10/2009; 8:30 AM, Rm 172	Urge 24-hour operation for Turner port of entry
SJ 13	Ryan Zinke	(S) Returned from Enrolling	03/06/2009	Commemorate Glacier Park's centennial
SJ 15	Bruce Tutvedt	(H) Hearing -- (H) Fish, Wildlife and Parks	03/12/2009; 3:00 PM, Rm 152	Urge vigorous defense of gray wolf delisting

Unintroduced Bills

Bill Draft No. (LC No.)	Request Date	Requestor	Status	Status Date	Short Title
LC0001	04/25/2007	Jeff Essmann	(C) Draft to Requester for Review	03/06/2009	Uniform local option tourism tax
LC0092	04/14/2008	Joseph (Joe) Tropila	(C) Draft On Hold	10/23/2008	Primary seatbelt law
LC0827	11/13/2008	Bill Nooney	(C) Draft On Hold	11/26/2008	Generally revise short-term lodging criteria
LC1156	12/01/2008	Jim Peterson	(C) Draft Ready for Delivery	02/13/2009	Generally revise recreation laws--hunting w permission as recreational use
LC1268	12/02/2008	Mike Menahan	(C) Draft Ready for Delivery	01/07/2009	Revise laws governing heritage commission
LC2052	01/05/2009	Debby Barrett	(C) Draft On Hold	01/06/2009	Revise statutory appropriation law
LC2225	01/16/2009	(H) Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Education	(C) Draft On Hold	01/21/2009	Revise lodging facility use tax allocation
LC2323	03/04/2009	(H) Appropriations Standing Committee	(C) Draft Request Received	03/04/2009	Statutory implementation of general appropriations act

“Probably Dead" is a Bill Progress Category, and is assigned to those bills that have been voted down or missed a transmittal deadline, and to those bill drafts that have been canceled. To revive a bill that is "probably dead" typically requires a supermajority vote (usually a 2/3 vote) by the House or Senate.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Remember, the legislature has now set up a system for contacting representatives by e-mail. 
http://leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/61st/legwebmessage.asp

Your active participation is critical to assure that the tourism and film industry has a voice at the table.  Please stay involved!

Thanks for your commitment to our wonderful State of Montana, until next week…

 

Betsy Baumgart
Division Administrator
Montana Promotion Division
bbaumgart@mt.gov

 

 

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