Montana's Budget: What the Backbone of State Policy Looks Like and How It Works

A draft of Montana’s state budget for the next two years continues to push through the Legislature, now heading to its last major round of debate on the Senate floor this week. The current version sits at around $16.6 billion in spending, with a large portion going toward healthcare and education.

Now, with about 15 days left in the session, lawmakers, organizations and Montana citizens are scrambling to make sure all of their bases are covered for the next two years, all with the backdrop of a chaotic federal funding picture and questions about how that could affect the state’s spending and t...