From the Billings Gazette:

There was no shortage of ideas pitched Tuesday for spending stimulus money, as state senators began looking at the federal package aimed at spurring the economy.

A hearing by the Legislature’s Senate Finance Committee covered different pieces of the $800 million in federal money that will be funneled through Montana. Legislators were told that much of the money would be allocated through existing programs and formulas.

The lawmakers can influence how highway construction money is spent, as long as federal guidelines are met, a legislative staffer said. But lawmakers learned that they will have much more discretion with as much as $200 million. The money may be appropriated either directly with few strings attached, or in the form of state revenue freed up as federal dollars cover standing appropriations.

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