What Happens When Dems Run Things

In Montana, the Legislature has wrapped up its first session under the new Democratic majority, and what an impressive record they have amassed. See this Billings Gazette article about exactly what they've accomplished. For the highlights, see the following:

TOWARDS ENERGY INDEPENDENCE: Passed bills promoting the production of ethanol in Montana by mandating its use in fuel.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING: Passed legislation requiring groceries to put up signs telling people the country of origin of most meat sold in stores, even as Congress had passed a similar requirement but postponed it and is considering making it voluntary.

HEALTH CARE: Passed legislation helping small business pool their resources to buy health insurance.

HIGHER EDUCATION: Passed legislation reinvesting money in state's colleges of technology, the two-year schools.

PRIMARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION: Put $80 million into Montana's K-12 school funding over the next two years - one of the largest increases in state history.

BALANCED BUDGET: Final legislation set a balanced budget that will have a projected surplus or general fund balance of about $80 million as of mid-2007, without raising taxes and that honors the spirit of the budget spending cap.

SMALL BUSINESS TAX CUTS: Passed legislation to eliminate the property tax on business equipment for some 13,000 businesses by raising the exemption from the tax to $20,000 in business equipment, up from the current $5,000.

CRACK DOWN ON DRUG USE: Passed legislation to crack down on methamphetamine use in Montana through a series of measures that Schweitzer said amount to the strongest package in the nation, apart from Oklahoma's.

IMPROVE HUNTING ACCESS: Passed legislation to improve access for hunting and fishing by making permanent the Habitat Montana, block management and the fishing access enhancement programs.

DEVELOP THE LOCAL ECONOMY: Reinstate the Made in Montana program, which the administration of Republican Gov. Judy Martz had discontinued, to promote items produced and grown in Montana.

SENSIBLE MALPRACTICE REFORM: Bridged the divide between doctors, patients and trial lawyers to pass four commonsense medical malpractice bills.