From the Helena Independent Record
Here’s a look at the 2015 Legislature, by the numbers, as of its adjournment Tuesday:
- Legislative bill drafts requested: 2,471.
- Bills introduced: 1,187.
- Bills killed in Legislature: 566.
- Resolutions adopted by Legislature: 77.
- Bills signed into law so far by Gov. Steve Bullock: 332.
- Bills vetoed outright so far by Bullock: 29.
- Amendatory vetoes so far by Bullock: 10.
- Bills that Bullock let become law without his signature: 10.
- Projected general fund ending fund balance as of June 30, 2017: $268.6 million.
- All-funds budget in House Bill 2, the major budget bill, for fiscal 2016 and 2017, passed by 2015 Legislature: $10.149 billion.
- Percentage increase in HB2 all-funds budget for fiscal 2016 and 2017 compared with previous two-year all-funds budget: 7.1 percent, including the state pay plan.
- Percentage increase in all-funds budget for 2016-2017 biennium, compared with that in the previous biennium: State Legislative Fiscal Analyst Amy Carlson said she is using the biennial comparison calculation from state law and came up with 9.2 percent. Of this 9.2 percent, 3.3 percent is a result of Senate Bill 405, the Medicaid expansion bill.
- HB2 general fund budget for fiscal 2016 and 2017 adopted by Legislature: $4.05 billion.
- Increase in HB2 general fund budget for fiscal 2016 and 2017, compared with previous two-year general fund budget: 10.7 percent, including the state pay plan.
- Percentage increase in general fund budget for 2016-2017 biennium, compared with that in previous biennium: 6.1 percent.
- Days that 2015 Legislature convened out of maximum 90 days allowed: 87.
- Estimated cost of 2015 legislative session, from December 2014 through end of April 2015, for House, Senate and Legislative Services Division, as appropriated by House Bill 1: $9.5 million.
- Number of impressions (or number of sides of paper printed) for the legislative session: 3.7 million.
- Price of paper to print legislative bills and reports in 2013: $180,000.
Sources: Legislative Fiscal Division, Legislative Services Division and Gov. Steve Bullock’s office.
— Compiled by Charles S. Johnson, IR State Bureau