Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee backs fee increase to seed $50M "Better Bridge" fund; industry warns of volatility
Summary
Senate Bill 324 would seed a $50 million state special account from higher luxury-vehicle registration fees to finance local bridge grants, Montana Highway Patrol pay adjustments, Motor Vehicle Division needs and victim-services grants.
Senator Josh Kasmier opened the hearing on Senate Bill 324 proposing a $50 million seed transfer into a new state special account to fund local bridge grants, pay and retention for the Montana Highway Patrol, motor vehicle division operations, and victim-services grants.
Ryan Evans, assistant budget director in the Governor’s Budget Office, described the bill as originally introduced in the governor’s budget request and said the measure would seed a $50 million Better Bridge Fund that could support a roughly $10 million-per-year local-bridge grant program. Evans said the bill also funds the Montana Highway Patrol salary survey, supports the Motor Vehicle Division and continues funding for crime-victim services (VOCA) currently routed through other sources. He said the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
