Senate hearing on bill to reallocate marijuana tax revenue pits prevention and enforcement against conservation programs

Senate Finance and Claims heard testimony on Senate Bill 307 at a committee hearing where sponsor Senator Tom McGillivray, a Republican representing Senate District 26 in Billings, said the bill would “create a nexus between marijuana revenue and marijuana harm” by moving certain marijuana excise-tax dollars away from habitat, parks, trails and nongame wildlife toward prevention and a marijuana law‑enforcement account.

McGillivray provided a one‑page comparison and a fiscal‑note summary showing current cash flows and account balances for Fish, Wildlife and Parks programs. He told the committee that, according to materials he received from fiscal staff, wildlife habitat has a cash flow of about $4.7 million and an account balance of about $33.7 million; park maintenance has roughly $8.5 million in annual cash inflow with an $11.2 million balance; trail maintenance about $1 million in cash flow with a $6 million balance; and the nongame wildlife account shows a smaller cash flow and a balance near $2 million. He also…