Gov. Gianforte signs main state budget bill into law

Helena, Montana – The primary state budget law, House Law 2, which will direct state spending for the following two years, was signed by Governor Greg Gianforte on Wednesday.

The law outlines approximately $14 billion in state spending, including funds for additional state troopers and prosecutors to fight crime, higher Medicaid reimbursement rates for healthcare providers, and hundreds of millions of dollars for infrastructure improvements, including roads, bridges, and the state prison.

The budget eliminates all of the state’s general obligation debt, saving Montana $40 million over the following two years, according to Gianforte’s office.

HB 2 passed the Montana House on May 2 after being modified by the Senate. It would take almost a month for Jason Ellsworth, the Senate President, to sign it and deliver it to the governor.

Without utilizing his line-item veto power, Governor Gianforte signed the legislation as it was enacted by the legislature.