Bull riding event kicks off Big Week in Salinas

By Ketti Wilhelm

Santa Cruz Sentinel

Posted:   07/17/2013 09:20:11 PM PDT

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Robin and Phil Adkins of Corralitos share a blanket Wednesday night at the Professional... ( SCS )

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SALINAS -- The Professional Bull Riding Pro Touring Event held its own Wednesday night at the Salinas Sports Complex as the unofficial kickoff event of the California Rodeo Salinas.

The event filled the stadium as the crowd cheered and country music blared, ushering in the 13th annual PBR event in Salinas.

Mandy Linquist, marketing manager of the California Rodeo Salinas, said the PBR event has always taken place on the Wednesday of Big Week, as rodeo week is known.

"People are already in the Western lifestyle mindset," Linquist said.

"They're busting out their jeans and their cowboys boots and they want to go to as many events as possible this week."

Linquist said about 8,000 people attended last year's PBR event and that ticket sales are slightly up this year.

The event draws cowboys from across the country, as well as some international contestants.

The mood behind the chutes was mixed.

Ryan McConnel, 26, originally from Bloomfield, N.M., was first in line and nervously waited for his chance on Shameless. McConnel was quickly bucked off as his fiancee, Rebekah Zacarias, of Clovis watched from across the arena.

At 26, McConnel said the sport doesn't get any easier with age.

"It gets tough and you don't want to get a lot worse off than you already are," McConnel said.

Sean Willingham, a 32-year-old veteran bull rider from Summerville, Ga., has been a professional in the sport since before the PBR stopped in Salinas and has been riding more than half his life.

"It's a young man's sport, for sure," Willingham said.

Willingham was scheduled to ride a bull named Oops on Wednesday. He waited for his turn at press time for this story.

Early in the program, defending California Rodeo Salinas champion Shane Proctor, 28, of Moorsville, N.C., was in the lead with a score of 86.

Follow Sentinel reporter Ketti Wilhelm on Twitter at Twitter.com/KettiWilhelm

IF YOU GO

California Rodeo Salinas

WHEN: 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 1:15 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
WHERE: Salinas Sports Complex, 1034 N. Main St., Salinas
COST: $7 to $20
DETAILS: www.carodeo.com

California Rodeo Salinas kicks off Thursday

By Ketti Wilhelm

Santa Cruz Sentinel

Posted:   07/13/2013 12:01:34 PM PDT

Click photo to enlarge

VERN FISHER/MONTEREY COUNTY HERALD Bray Armes hangs onin the steer wrestling at the California...

SALINAS -- The 103rd annual California Rodeo Salinas begins its four-day run Thursday at the Salinas Sports Complex.

Mandy Linquist, the rodeo's marketing manager, said she's been attending the event her whole life.

"There are people who've been coming here for 60 or 70 years," Linquist said. "It is great to be part of something that's got a legacy like that."

As an appetizer for rodeo fans, the 13th annual Professional Bull Riding Touring Pro Event will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Salinas Sports Complex, the same location as the rodeo.

The rodeo's main events begin 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, the performance begins at 1:15 p.m.

Thursday's California Rodeo Salinas will begin with the grand entry and crowning of 2013 Miss California Rodeo. Bull riding will be the first event in the arena and one of this year's speciality acts, Cowboy Kenny's Steel Rodeo Tour, will also debut Thursday and continue for every performance of the rodeo.

Cowboy Kenny is a motocross champion from Oklahoma who will perform a motorcycle jumping act.
Other events include mutton busting, open-ranch doctoring and the traditional rodeo events such as barrel racing, team roping, tie-down roping, bull riding and bronc riding.

The Salinas rodeo hasn't always included such an array of events. When the event began, more than a century ago, it was known as the Wild West Show and mostly featured local cowboys and cowgirls riding bucking horses. Still, the show drew crowds of 4,000 strong.

This is the first year motocross has been part of the rodeo.

"We typically try to change up the acts each year to keep it new and fresh," Linquist said.

Linquist said she's expecting 45,000 spectators for the four-day event. Sunday usually draws the largest crowd, about 13,000.

Tickets range from $7 to $20.

Follow Sentinel reporter Ketti Wilhelm on Twitter at twitter.com/KettiWilhelm

IF YOU GO

California Rodeo Salinas

WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday Professional Bull Riding Touring Pro, 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 1:15 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
WHERE: Salinas Sports Complex, 1034 N. Main St., Salinas
COST: $7 to $20
DETAILS: www.carodeo.com

IF YOU GO

California Rodeo Salinas Carnival

WHEN: 4-10 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Sunday
WHERE: 295 Sun Way, Salinas
COST: $3 to enter, $25 for unlimited rides weekdays, $30 for unlimited rides Saturdays and Sundays
DETAILS: http://www.ittybittyurl.com/Uqb

Watsonville City Council approves wastewater treatment experiment with UCSC

By Ketti Wilhelm

Santa Cruz Sentinel

Posted:   06/25/2013 09:45:48 PM PDT

WATSONVILLE -- The Watsonville City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a lease for WaterLab, an experimental, wastewater treatment facility to be run by UC Santa Cruz at the city's Water Resource Center.

The project, which is being designed, built and will be run by UCSC students, will be used to test various processes for purifying sewer water into drinking water and other experiments.

"We'd like the students to be experts in advanced water treatment, so that's why we're building this facility," said Brent Haddad, professor of environmental studies and director of WaterLab.

"This facility will be capable of producing drinkable water, although there's no intention of anyone drinking it."

The water used for experimentation by WaterLab will be purified by the city's water treatment plant after WaterLab has conducted its tests.

Haddad said the project will help prepare students for careers in water resources, an expertise he said will be in demand.

"Why Watsonville?" Haddad asked. "You have tomorrow's water challenges today."

Those challenges, Haddad said, include huge agricultural demands on the water supply and the need to protect the Monterey Bay marine ecosystem.

"I appreciate the fact that you have done your research and noticed what a resource you have here," Councilwoman Nancy Bilicich said.

UCSC will pay the city a one-time, $18,000 fee to use the space for five years. Haddad said the project is funded by grants and likely will earn at least $50,000 in grant money yearly.

Kevin Silviera, Watsonville's wastewater division manager, and Haddad have been collaborating on the project since 2009.

Haddad said WaterLab also could work to reduce the cost of desalination.

"The technologies used in water reuse and (desalination) are very similar," Haddad said. "At this time they're very energy intensive so if we can take a crack at that, that would really be a service."

In other action, the council ratified all two-year, union contracts with employees established in the budget passed earlier this month.

The agreement continues past concessions made by employee unions, saving the city more than $1 million. Those concessions include continuing furloughs that began four years ago, reducing hours and pay by 10 percent. Police will forgo raises and take eight days of furlough each year.

The council also rejected a claim by former Councilman Emilio Martinez and his wife, Kathleen Morgan-Martinez, alleging harassment, threats and "systematic silencing" during Martinez's time on the council.

Follow Sentinel reporter Ketti Wilhelm on Twitter at Twitter.com/KettiWilhelm

Finally back to covering politics! This was an advance for a Watsonville City Council meeting, which I also covered.

Watsonville City Council to vote on UCSC sewer water experiment

By Ketti Wilhelm

Santa Cruz Sentinel

Posted:   06/24/2013 06:22:57 PM PDT

WATSONVILLE -- The Watsonville City Council will decide Tuesday whether to approve a deal with UC Santa Cruz to establish an experimental wastewater treatment laboratory at the city's treatment plant.

The laboratory, called WaterLab, would occupy extra space at the city's award-winning Water Resource Center. The lab, which would focus on teaching and research on sustainable water treatment processes, would be the first such partnership between the city and the university.

"It's going to put Watsonville on the map for innovative water technologies and seeing how they can be applied in the real world," said Steve Palmisano, director of Watsonville's Public Works and Utilities Department. "It's a great bridge between the academic world and the real world."

Built in 2010 for $10 million, Watsonville's Water Resources Center stands out with its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The experimental lab would be designed, built and operated by UCSC students, said WaterLab's director, Brent Haddad, a professor of environmental science and director of UCSC's Center for Integrated Water Research.

"I'd like to be able to demonstrate that these advanced water treatment techniques exist and are reliable," Haddad said. "The best way to do that is to show the world that students can build them and they will work."

About 300 students have been involved with the project, Haddad said. It's open to students of all majors who are interested in sustainable water supply. He hopes to have the lab operating this summer, if the lease is approved.

While the technology needed to purify wastewater for a variety of uses already exists, Haddad said, every system is different, such as how dirty the water is and how clean it needs to become.

Haddad said the system that students have designed for WaterLab is a five-step process to produce drinkable water. The first step is slow sand filtration, which removes many impurities. Then it goes through a process to remove elements such as phosphorus and nitrogen. Next are advanced filtration, reverse osmosis and, finally, ultraviolet radiation to prevent microscopic organisms from reproducing, which effectively kills them in about an hour.

After those steps are complete, WaterLab will test the results to see if the water is, in fact, potable, and then it will be treated again in the city's normal plant.

"There aren't a lot of plants that have a goal of potable," Haddad said. "When you look to the end of the 21st century, that's going to be a big need."

WaterLab will also be used to test other experimental processes apart from the five being implemented to make wastewater potable. Haddad said the project is trying to run the lab without grid-provided electricity.
In addition, the lab will be off the financial grid.

"There will be no out of pocket costs; it's basically self-funded," said Kevin Silviera, Watsonville's wastewater division manager. UCSC will pay the city a one-time fee of $18,000 to lease the extra space at the Water Resources Center, at 500 Clearwater Lane, for five years.

As global need for freshwater increases, the technology of turning sewage into drinking water could become indispensable, and public opinion will be playing catch up.

"The public perception has always been that we don't want a toilet-to-tap system," Silviera said. "The science is there, no problem, but there's just a lot more work to do make that palatable. No pun intended."

The City Council is scheduled to vote on the lease agreement at its 6:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday, at the Watsonville Council Chamber, 275 Main St.

Follow Sentinel reporter Ketti Wilhelm on Twitter at Twitter.com/KettiWilhelm

There's nothing like writing a happy ending like this one. (And getting to do some follow-up work — see my previous post.)

Former Harbor teacher missing in Minnesota, found alive By Ketti Wilhelm Santa Cruz Sentinel Posted:   06/13/2013 04:50:01 PM PDT Click photo to enlarge Contributed Mari Ruddy, 48, was reported missing from her St. Paul, Minn., home Tuesday.... ( SCS ) 1 2 » EDINA, Minn. -- Mari Ruddy, a woman with Santa Cruz County connections who had been missing in Minnesota since Tuesday, was found unconscious but alive on Thursday, according to police there. Ruddy has Type 1 diabetes and her family worried that she did not have her pump, insulin or other supplies with her when she went missing early Tuesday afternoon. A missing persons report was filed that night, according to St. Paul police. Late Thursday morning, a man noticed Ruddy reclined in the driver's seat of her car in the parking lot of a park in Edina, a first-ring suburb of St. Paul, according to Kaylin Martin, public information officer for the Edina Police Department. The man said he thought she was napping but called police when he saw her there four hours later, at 2:45 p.m. "There's no foul play suspected," Martin said. But some questions remain unanswered. "We are not 100 percent sure (how long she had been unconscious in her car)," Martin said. Ruddy was taken to Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, where she remains. Hospital officials could not comment on her condition, but a statement was posted from Ruddy's family early Thursday evening on the website findmariruddy.com that she was stable in the intensive care unit. The website, which was established to coordinate volunteers to search for Ruddy and spread the word about her disappearance, first displayed this post that Ruddy had been found on Thursday afternoon: "Mari has just been found unconscious, but alive. We will provide more details as soon as we can. Privacy is requested until more information can be shared. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts." Ruddy is the founder and director of TeamWILD, a company that supports and coaches people with diabetes who want to be physically active. She is an avid cyclist and triathlete. According to her LinkedIn profile, Ruddy worked as a Spanish language teacher at Harbor High School from 1988 to 1994 and was an assistant principal at Aptos High School from 1994 to 1998. She worked at Watsonville High School as a conflict resolution consultant from 1999 to 2001 before moving to Denver. She has lived in St. Paul for less than a year. Follow Sentinel reporter Ketti Wilhelm on Twitter at twitter.com/KettiWilhelm

Mari Ruddy, former Santa Cruz County teacher, reported missing in Minnesota

By Ketti Wilhelm

Santa Cruz Sentinel

Posted:   06/12/2013 08:04:34 PM PDT

Click photo to enlarge

Contributed Mari Ruddy, 48, was reported missing from her St. Paul, Minn., home Tuesday.... ( SCS )

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ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A former Santa Cruz County teacher has been reported missing from her home in St. Paul, police say.

Mari Ruddy, who worked in Santa Cruz County high schools for 12 years, was last seen about noon Tuesday at the St. Paul home she moved into less than a year ago.

Ruddy, 48, has Type 1 diabetes and her family believes she may only have enough insulin to last two days. A missing persons report was filed with the St. Paul Police Department Tuesday night. A website, findmariruddy.com, also was launched in an effort to find her.

Ruddy uses an insulin pump and needs insulin to keep herself alive. Her family believes she does not have her blood glucose meter, extra insulin or other pump supplies with her.

The website reports that she left home in her car, a late 1990s or early 2000s model, dark green Honda Civic with a bike rack on the roof and a red bumper sticker with the word "namaste." The license plate number of her vehicle is 102-LNC, according to the website. Ruddy's purse and cellphone were found at her home.

"At this point, it's not deemed to be suspicious," said Howie Padilla, spokesman for the St. Paul police. The missing persons unit is investigating.
The website reports that her family is worried that she may try to harm herself and may be in "a place with spiritual significance, beauty or seclusion."

According to her LinkedIn profile, Ruddy worked as a Spanish language teacher at Harbor High School from 1988 to 1994 and was an assistant principal at Aptos High School from 1994 to 1998. She worked at Watsonville High School as a conflict resolution consultant from 1999 to 2001. About 10 years ago, she moved to Denver, according to her friend Jolene Kemos, and moved to St. Paul less than a year ago. Ruddy and Kemos worked together at Aptos High and remain close.

"She's my mentor and friend and I love her very much," Kemos of Santa Cruz said. "It's beyond belief that she's out there somewhere. She's well loved by many people in Santa Cruz and beyond."

Ruddy is the founder and director of TeamWILD, a company that supports and coaches people with diabetes who want to be physically active. She is an avid cyclist and triathlete.

Information is available at findmariruddy.com. There is also a Facebook group for people who want to help at www.facebook.com/groups/172257126284014/?notif_t=group_r2j.

Broke some news this morning and scooped our local paper, the Missoulian. This is a preliminary story; the full story, along with all of my other stories, is available as a PDF upon request.

Legislature approves guns on university, college campuses

Posted: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 11:56 am | Updated: 12:25 pm, Wed Apr 24, 2013.

Posted on April 24, 2013

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  by Ketti Wilhelm

On the final day of the 2013 Montana Legislative session, both houses passed a bill allowing students, professors, staff and everyone else to carry guns on Montana’s public college and university campuses.

House Bill 240, sponsored by Rep. Cary Smith, R-Billings, passed the House of Representatives with a 61-39 vote and the Senate with a 28-22 vote Wednesday morning.

Under current law, the Board of Regents, which oversees all Montana University System schools, decides whether to allow guns on campuses. If HB 240 becomes law, BOR would no longer have that authority.

Gary Marbut, president of the Montana Shooting Sports Association, said banning weapons at colleges and universities violated the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

“We think it’s time that campus administrators got drug kicking and screaming into the new century,” Marbut said.

“They can no longer get away with telling students and (others) they have to move to the back of the bus. They can no longer tell people willy-nilly that when you’re on our plantation, we can take your constitutional rights away.”

The bill includes some regulations to when and where guns can be carried. Weapons must be holstered if they are carried outside of a dorm room or other residence. Roommates must give permission for a gun-owner to keep a weapon in their dorm or apartment. Also, guns would not be allowed at campus events where alcohol is permitted.

Opponents of the bill are counting on Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock to veto it.

Sen. Dick Barrett, D-Missoula, said he voted against HB 240 for two reasons.

Barrett said the universities, just like any other property owner or private home owner, have the right to keep guns off their property. He also said more guns make a campus less safe.

“I don’t accept the argument that people would be safer if they could arm themselves and defend themselves,” Barrett said. “I think you have to balance that against the probability that if there are a lot of guns around, one of them will get misused.”

This isn’t the only bill this session aimed at deregulating guns in Montana, Barrett added.

Along with HB 240, another gun bill will soon be on Bullock’s desk. HB 205, sponsored by Rep. Krayton Kerns, R-Laurel, would allow hunters to use silencers and devices to reduce muzzle flash. The Legislature passed that bill and it will now be up to Bullock to veto it, sign it or let it become law without his signature.

It’s not clear which Bullock will do; so far this session the governor has vetoed one gun bill and signed another into law. Bullock’s office did not respond to questions about his plans for the bill in time for this story.

HB 446, sponsored by Rep. Nicholas Schwaderer, R-Superior, classifies shooting a gun as an act that does not disturb the peace, and is no longer disorderly conduct. The bill  became law with Bullock’s signature.

Kerns introduced two other pro-gun bills this session.

One would have removed the need for a concealed weapons permit, but Bullock vetoed it.

Another bill sought to allow concealed carry of weapons in government buildings, banks and places that serve alcohol. That bill never passed the House.

If HB 240 passes the governor’s desk, it will go into effect Jan. 1, 2014.

Missoula CollegeState approves $29M for Missoula College, $2.5M for athletes' two-story study area

Pending governor's approval, state decides to pay cash for new campus

Posted: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 12:50 am | Updated: 12:51 am, Tue Apr 23, 2013.

Posted on April 23, 2013

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  by Ketti Wilhelm

The Legislature wrapped up what will likely be its last full week of the session by approving funding for Missoula College Saturday. Both chambers of the Legislature have now approved the bill, and it will be passed to the Gov. Steve Bullock’s office. 

The Senate voted last week to add Missoula College and a building project for Montana State University-Billings onto House Bill 5, a cash bill. The House of Representatives approved the Senate’s amendments Saturday with a 72-27 vote. 

Both projects were originally attached to House Bill 14, the JOBS bill, but the Legislature batted them around, debating whether to pay with cash or bonding, and finally moved them to HB5 just in time to be approved this session. 

“House Bill 5 is now effectively the JOBS bill,” said Asa Hohman, lobbyist for the Associated Students of the University of Montana.

“It passed as a cash bill, HB5, rather than a bonding bill, HB14,” Hohman explained. “Nothing’s really changed — same buildings, same jobs.”

But two big projects from HB14 — a new Montana Historical Society building in Helena and the MSU-Bozeman Romney Hall classroom renovation project — still don’t have funding, Hohman said. 

Once the Legislature gets HB5 to Bullock, he can sign it into law, veto it, let it become law without his signature or change it, which would require approval from both houses. The Legislature would have to be in session to review the changes, and the governor could call a special session for that purpose. 

April 27 is scheduled as the final day of this legislative session, but the lawmakers might choose to adjourn early if they’ve finished the work on their desks. 

Sen. Dave Wanzenried, D-Missoula and Hohman said they expect this session will end Wednesday.

Wanzenried has been critical of UM for not committing to doing an environmental impact statement to assess the effects of a Missoula College expansion before beginning the project. 

He said he doesn’t expect the governor will change HB5. 

“I don’t think it will be processed in time to go to the governor before the end of this Legislative session,” Wanzenried said. “But given the margins of the votes, I think he’ll sign it.”

Bullock’s office wouldn’t comment directly on his plans for the bill. 

Rep. Bryce Bennett, D-Missoula, said he’s excited the Legislature was able to pass funding for Missoula College this session.

“It’s very exhilarating to finally get this to the governor’s desk,” Bennett said. 

In addition to providing $29 million for Missoula College, the Legislature also approved three other projects for UM in HB5, totaling $15 million. 

Those projects — the Gilkey Executive Education Center, the Athlete Academic Center and updates to Mansfield Library’s learning commons — will be privately funded, according to Kevin McRae, associate commissioner for communications for the Montana University System Board of Regents. 

“But we still need legislative authority to proceed with those projects,” McRae said.  “Because that’s the way the state’s long-range building plan works.” 

The Athlete Academic Center will be a two-story study center for student athletes, added to the Adams Center, costing $2.5 million. 

The Gilkey Executive Education Center, which cost $9.3 million, will be the site for management leadership classes sponsored by the School of Buisness Administration, the new office of the UM Foundation, and Global Leadership Initiative events. 

Montana LegislatureSenate flip-flops on dropping Missoula College over weekend

Posted: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 12:18 am | Updated: 12:19 am, Tue Apr 16, 2013.

Posted on April 16, 2013

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  by Ketti Wilhelm

After cutting Missoula College from House Bill 5 late last week, the Montana Senate put the project back on the bill Monday — a concession in the legislative stalemate that kept the fate of the project uncertain. 

As the legislative session draws to a close, the two houses are divided over how to pay for a new Missoula College building, kicking the item around from bill to bill. The House refused to take on debt to build the college, and the Senate refused to pay cash. 

After the Senate Finance and Claims Committee voted Friday to remove Missoula College and three other expensive building projects from HB5, a cash bill for long-range building projects, the college was left without a bill to carry it over the weekend.

But the full Senate voted Monday to add the $29 million Missoula College and a $10 million Montana State University-Billings science building back into the bill. 

The other two building projects, the renovation of a Montana State University gymnasium and a new building for the Montana Historical Society in Helena, are still not included in HB5.

Sen. Dave Wanzenried, D-Missoula, was the only Democratic senator to vote against putting Missoula College back into HB5. 

Wanzenried said the state’s general fund, which pays for the projects in HB5, may not support those pricier projects without cutting something else. He said he worries about the potential environmental impact of the new Missoula College. 

“Nobody really understands all of the impacts that are going to result,” Wanzenreid said. “Once the building’s put there, it’s going to be there, in comparative terms, forever.”

Wanzenried wants UM to commit to doing an environmental review before he would support funding the project by any means — cash or bonding. 

An Environmental Impact Statement is an in-depth analysis of the effects a project will have on the natural and social environments of an area. This includes air and noise pollution, traffic, animal and plant habitats and open space. 

ASUM President Zach Brown said while he agrees the University should do an EIS, Wanzenried’s demand is out of place. 

“The Legislature’s job, and Sen. Wanzenried’s job, is to fund the project during this session,” Brown said. “It is then the University’s job and the community’s job to decide on the location and work out all those issues about (environmental) impact.”

The Legislature can mandate an EIS at a later time or recommended by the Architecture and Engineering Division of the State Department of Administration, according to Kevin McRae, associate commissioner for communications and human resources of the Board of Regents. 

If either of those happens, McRae said the University and the BOR would readily comply. 

Originally, the funding for Missoula College was in House Bill 14, also known as the JOBS bill, which Rep. Galen Hollenbaugh, D-Helena, introduced on behalf of Gov. Steve Bullock. The House failed to transmit HB14 to the Senate because it hasn’t been able to get the super-majority required to pass a bill that requires the state to take on debt.

Hollenbaugh said unless Bullock asks, he likely won’t revive HB14 now that Missoula College, one of the central projects of the JOBS bill, has a home again. Several more supermajority votes would be needed in both houses to restore HB14.

The Senate’s final vote on HB5 will come Tuesday, Hollenbaugh said.

If the Senate passes the bill, it will go back to the House for confirmation by its sponsor, Rep. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip. If Ankney accepts the Senate’s amendment, the bill needs to pass the House before landing on the Bullock’s desk. If Ankney does not accept the changes, senators and representatives on a joint committee have to compromise on a plan.

Missoula CollegeMissoula College funding bill slides through Republican-controlled House committee

Bill would give UM $29 million to build Missoula College, likely on golf course

Posted: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 12:18 am | Updated: 9:29 am, Tue Mar 26, 2013.

Posted on March 26, 2013

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  by Ketti Wilhelm

The Montana Legislature brought Missoula College one step closer to a new home Friday afternoon.

House Bill 14, known as the Jobs and Opportunities by Building Schools bill, passed the House Appropriations Committee on a 13-8 vote. All eight Democrats on the committee voted yes, along with five Republicans, said committee Minority vice chair Rep. Galen Hollenbaugh, D-Helena.

The bill would provide $29 million dollars toward building Missoula College — part of a $100 million package of college and university construction projects across the state. 

Hollenbaugh said the committee made two amendments to the bill.

One amendment, introduced by Rep. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, establishes an option to pay for the projects with cash, instead of bonding, if the state has the money at the end of the fiscal year. 

“I did that to try to keep this bill alive,” Ankney said. “There’s a big movement to try to cash what buildings we can and not to bond anything.”

While that movement is mostly Republican-led, Ankney said he’s not opposed to bonding.

“I don’t have any heartburn with it,” he added. “I’ve always been a supporter of the bonding bill.”

Hollenbaugh said he supported Ankney’s amendment, although he’s not sure paying cash will be an option.

“I don’t know how much money we’re going to spend in this session,” he said. “But I supported it because if we do end up being in a good cash position, maybe it’ll be okay to do that.”

Because bonding is still a possibility, HB14 requires 67 votes, in place of the usual 50, to pass the 100-member House. Every bill that requires the state to take on debt needs a two-thirds majority to pass. 

Zach Brown, president of the Associated Students of the University of Montana, said he’s happy the bill is moving forward. 

“It’s all cash as far as we’re concerned,” Brown said. “No matter how the Legislature wants to pay for the buildings, we just want the funding for a new Missoula College by the end of the session.”

The other amendment to HB14 removes funding for a new Montana Historical Society building in Helena. Hollenbaugh said the $23 million dollars the bill would have provided for that project will be tacked on to House Bill 5, instead.

Hollenbaugh said he expects the House to vote on HB14 early this week; if it passes, it will then be transferred to the Senate.

The JOBS bill is still feeding controversy in Missoula. If the Legislature passes the bill and provides the funding to build a new Missoula College, construction will commence on the UM golf course, as planned. 

JOBS bill slides through House Appropriations committee

Posted: Friday, March 22, 2013 7:01 pm | Updated: 7:07 pm, Fri Mar 22, 2013.

Posted on March 22, 2013

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  by Ketti Wilhelm

The Montana Legislature brought Missoula College one step closer to getting a new home Friday afternoon.

House Bill 14, known as the Jobs and Opportunities by Building Schools bill, passed the House Appropriations Committee on a 14-7 vote according to the committee Minority Vice Chair Rep. Galen Hollenbaugh, D-Helena. All eight Democrats on the committee voted yes, along with six Republicans.

The bill would provide $29 million dollars toward building Missoula College – part of a $100 million package of college and university construction projects across the state.

Hollenbaugh said the committee made two amendments to the bill.

One amendment removes funding for a new Montana Historical Society building in Helena. Hollenbaugh said the $23 million dollars the bill would have raised in bonding for that project will now be tacked on to House Bill 5, instead.

The other amendment, introduced by Rep. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, establishes an option to pay for the projects with cash, instead of bonding, if the state has the money at the end of the fiscal year.

Hollenbaugh said he supported the amendment, although he’s not sure paying cash will be an option.

“I don’t know how much money we’re going to spend in this session,” he said. “But I supported it because if we do end up being in a good cash position, maybe it’ll be okay to do that.”

Because bonding is still a possibility, HB 14 will require 67 votes, in place of the usual 50, to pass the 100-member House. Every bill that requires the state to take on debt needs a two-thirds majority to pass.

Hollenbaugh said he expects the House to vote on HB 14 early next week; if it passes, it will then be transferred to the Senate.