Representative Marta Bertoglio (HD75): Reflecting on Legislative Wins

We just passed the halfway point of our 90 days in Helena, and I am proud to report that we have made significant strides in tackling the big and small issues facing our state. With over 800 bills introduced in the House, we’ve sent just under 600 bills to our counterparts in the Senate.

I made a commitment to support common sense solutions to the problems facing our state. Below are just a few of the many bills that have been presented by the House Majority that will tackle these issues.

House Bill 140 will provide immediate property tax relief for first responders injured in the line of duty as well as for the families of first responders killed in the line of duty. This bill gained bipartisan support and is awaiting to be heard in the Senate.

House Bill 231 is another property tax reform solution we’re bringing forward this session. This bill provides property tax reductions for class four residential properties, long-term rental properties, and a portion of commercial property value. This bill will not only lower property taxes for a number of local small businesses and landlords but also drive down residential rental costs. This bill gained bipartisan support and has been transmitted to the senate.

House Bill 476 establishes a grant program for eligible fire departments, hospitals, and law enforcement agencies to install and maintain newborn safety devices. These devices are safe places for infants to be surrendered, promoting anonymous surrender and pro-life values.

House Bill 252, known as the STARS Act, increases the base pay for teachers and offers more dual college or trade credit programs. This bill is a huge win for funding rural and underfunded schools, incentivizing schools to provide quality education that all Montanans deserve.

House Bill 740 ensures pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) are reimbursing pharmacies above their cost to dispense drugs by stabilizing reimbursement rates. This will require that chain pharmacies and our small, rural pharmacies be treated equally, enforcing fair and timely contract reimbursement prices. Studies have shown that PBM reform stabilizes the premium rate increase on consumers, sometimes even lowering the cost.

House Bill 128 protects emergency service volunteers from being terminated at their main place of employment for fulfilling their duty to respond to an emergency situation when lives are at risk. As a means to protect employers, volunteers will be required to disclose their volunteer duties in the hiring process. This streamlined process keeps volunteer emergency services staffed and protects our volunteers from financial burden while protecting lives.

House Bill 717 will assist the Department of Environmental Quality to take mining permits and operations out of the control of bad actors and give them to successful operators who can reclaim or restart operations. This bill will keep tax revenue steady and prevents old mines from remaining dormant, avoiding any potential for environmental disaster.

In the remaining days of the legislative session, we will continue to produce good conservative, principled solutions to the problems facing Montana communities. I encourage you to stay involved and continue to reach out. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you.