Montana House Again Rejects Infrastructure Bonding Bill

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The Montana House has voted down an $80 million infrastructure bonding bill after rejecting similar bills three times this session.

However, representatives then voted Thursday to try another vote on the issue later.

The House needed a supermajority of 67 votes to approve the issuance of bonds to pay for public works and capital building projects. On Thursday, 65 of 100 representatives voted for the measure.

When the bill was on the floor Wednesday, the vote fell four short of the supermajority but received enough support to keep it alive.

Since then, Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock has lobbied to change the votes of enough reluctant lawmakers to pass the bonding package.

The bill would fund water and sewer projects, along with renovations and new construction at universities, colleges, public schools and a veterans’ home in Butte.