Looking ahead: Butte lawmakers talk priorites of 2017 session

Butte area lawmakers are eyeing several initiatives heading into Montana’s 2017 legislative session, from making health care more affordable to upgrading school buildings to staving off invasive mussels that threaten Montana’s lakes and rivers.

And with backing from at least one Republican lawmaker from southwest Montana, Butte’s delegation of Democrats will try once again to land funding for a long-sought retirement home for military veterans.

It was part of a final bonding and funding bill in 2015 that included $150 million for local infrastructure projects and state buildings but fell one vote short of passage in the final hours of the session.

"We let our veterans down last time," said Senate Minority Leader Jon Sesso, D-Butte.

Mike Smith [email protected]

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