Morning Buzz 4/23: News from the 62nd Legislature

Gov. Brian Schweitzer and the Legislature’s Republican leaders have reached what may the session-ending deal on the budget. Mike Dennison of the Lee Newspapers state bureau reports that it cuts spending by 6.5 percent over the next two years.

Charles S. Johnson, also of Lee, reports that the deal does not include the governor’s hopes to give state workers small raises but Johnson says the House has agreed to reconsider the idea.

Here’s the Associated Press coverage of the deal, as reported by Matt Gouras.

In other session news, the Associated Press reports that Schweitzer wants changes in a bill that would ban the transplanting of wild bison to a wildlife management area south of Avon.

Tagged: budget, deal, Gov. Brian Schweitzer, government employees, House Speaker Mike Milburn, Legislature, Montana, negotiation, pay, pay plan, raises, Senate President Jim Peterson, spending cuts, workers

Posted in: Morning Buzz