Debate gets testy over trimming education budget

HELENA – A fight over $1 million divided the House Appropriations Committee today as it attempted to trim the state education budget.

Committee Chairman Jon Sesso, D-Butte, told committee members that they all had different priorities for education money, but the overarching goal needs to be a balanced budget.

“It’s really not appropriate to say that we should trim it in ways 10 of us wish and 10 of us don’t,” Sesso said. “We have to trim the budget as a group of 20 people.”

The million-dollar contention began with a $1.5 million allotment for the University System agencies. The money was not in the governor’s budget, but was added in during subcommittee hearings by a Republican majority, 4-3.

Democrats proposed an amendment that would take $1 million of the $1.5 million and split it between Montana PBS and non-beneficiary students at tribal colleges.

Republican lawmakers fought against the amendment, saying the agricultural extension agencies need all of the money to survive.

“It will help the economy of the industries important to Montana,” said Rep. William Glaser, R-Huntley. “I’m not willing to give up the slight gain we’ve gotten here.”

Supporters said it would fill the gap for tribal colleges and help fund PBS. Both were given one-time-only funding last session.

“It’s not an injection in the arm,” said Rep. Cheryl Steenson, D-Kalispell. “It is required for the tribal schools.”

The amendment died on a 10-10 party-line vote.

The battle for the same million dollars continued in the next proposed amendment, which said if the money could not be reallocated to those programs, it should be removed entirely.

The amendment's sponsor, Rep. Dan Villa, D-Anaconda, reminded committee members that an earlier motion to give the Office of Public Instruction more money to investigate teacher-related sex crimes was voted down due to money concerns.

“I can’t in good conscience leave a million dollars in new money on the table when we’re unwilling to fund getting bad teachers out of the classroom,” Villa said.

Rep. Duane Ankney, R-Coltrip, said Villa’s comments were inappropriate.

“We have school boards and superintendents and principals and teachers that do a real good job keeping bad teachers out of the classroom,” Ankney said.

- by CNS correspondent Molly Priddy