Montana lawmakers adjourned their 90-day biannual session on time Tuesday after adopting a bill to implement the state’s two-year budget.
The new budget calls for $3.2 billion in general fund spending, up 2.6% from the previous biennium, according to the Legislative Fiscal Division’s staff report. Total spending is $7.9 billion, up 3.3%.
Lawmakers avoided a repeat of the squabble-filled 2007 session, putting together a budget bill despite a Legislature split between Republican control of the Senate and a 50-50 split in the House that gave effective control to Democrats because they control the governor’s office.
“Overall, this Legislature came to town and did a lot under difficult economic circumstances,” Gov. Brian Schweitzer said in a news release. “This session was about living within our means, keeping money in the bank, investing in priorities, and implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.”