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Panel narrowly rejects and then tables Senate Bill 93 after amendment votes
Summary
Committee considered Senate Bill 93 (military retirement/military retiree tax changes). Committee adopted amendments narrowing the eligibility window and removing a termination date but ultimately the full amended bill failed on a roll call and the committee then voted to table the measure.
House Taxation Committee members debated Senate Bill 93, which concerns tax treatment for military retirees and similar service members, and took multiple amendment and final votes during a prolonged floor of the bill.
Committee members first considered an amendment narrowing a retroactive eligibility or “look‑back” period to reduce the bill’s fiscal exposure. Sponsors described the narrowed window as converting the measure into more of a recruitment tool than an open‑ended benefit. A subsequent conceptual amendment reinstated a five‑year eligibility window for receiving the tax benefit after moving to Montana. Committee members debated the policy tradeoffs between recognizing military service and maintaining an equitable tax base; some said the proposal was modest and targeted, while others said it would create unequal tax treatment.
A roll call to adopt a primary amendment and additional changes passed in committee, but the final roll call to report SB 93 as amended failed, 9‑12. After that motion failed, a substitute motion to table the bill was offered and adopted by voice vote, and the committee tabled SB 93. The transcript reflects multiple roll call tallies and recorded proxy votes; the record shows that several committee members who initially supported amendments opposed final passage. The committee’s action leaves SB 93 tabled in committee.
