Missoula, MT— Montana’s state budget bill, HB 2, has moved swiftly through the legislative process, with the House passing the bill on Monday in a 58-41 vote. By the end of the day, the bill was introduced in the Senate, marking the start of a new phase in its journey through the state legislature.
The Senate Finance and Claims Committee, chaired by Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, held a hearing on HB 2 the following morning, with Glimm emphasizing that the committee was prepared to move through the bill “fairly rapidly.” He added that members of the committee had been working on the budget for several months in preparation for this moment. The hearing lasted roughly two hours, with the committee slated to begin debating the bill on Friday.
HB 2 outlines more than $16 billion in state spending for the next two years, including approximately $5 billion from the state’s general fund. This significant spending plan is at the forefront of legislative priorities, as it represents the most crucial task of the 90-day session.
Senate President Sen. Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, has already signaled that conservative Republicans are likely to propose amendments to the bill, though he anticipates these changes will be introduced on the Senate floor rather than in committee. Regier noted that, so far, the Finance and Claims Committee has not had the votes to make significant fiscal cuts, but he hopes the Senate will have more success in this area. He pointed out that several amendments introduced in the House failed, and he hopes to revive some of those ideas in the Senate.
Democratic legislators, meanwhile, are focused on preserving the changes made to the budget in the House, particularly those that reflect their priorities. Sen. Laura Smith, D-Helena, emphasized the hard work that went into the bill in the House and stressed that the goal is to protect those achievements while advocating for any Democratic priorities that may have been left out. She suggested that the Senate could serve as a platform for ensuring those priorities are included in the final version of the budget.
Despite the progress on HB 2, legislators still face the challenge of coordinating the state budget with ongoing tax relief measures. Several property tax and income tax bills are still in motion, and lawmakers will need to find a way to harmonize these proposals to present a comprehensive final budget.
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, acknowledged the complexity of this task, stating that the next three weeks would be crucial for aligning the various pieces of legislation. “It’s tough,” he remarked, as the legislature works to piece together the state’s financial future.
HB 2 is expected to be fully debated on the Senate floor next week. If the Senate introduces amendments—either in committee or during the floor debate—the bill will need to return to the House for further consideration by the 80th legislative day, April 23, to ensure the budget stays on track for passage.
As the Montana legislature continues to debate the budget and tax relief measures, the state’s financial outlook will remain a central topic of discussion in the final weeks of the 2025 session.
