Green energy help

A bill allowing local governments to help homeowners and businesses finance solar-power systems or other energy projects has been killed by a Senate committee.

The Senate Local Government Committee last week tabled House Bill 361 on a 5-4, party-line vote, with Republicans voting against it.

HB361, sponsored by Rep. Brady Wiseman, D-Bozeman, would have allowed cities or counties to set up local "energy improvement districts," which would offer financing to property owners for energy-saving projects.

Wiseman said money for the loans could come from grants, the federal government or the sale of revenue bonds. Those obtaining the loans could repay the money with traditional payments or through an assessment on their property taxes.

The district would be an alternative form of financing for people who might have trouble getting a traditional bank loan, he said, such as homeowners without much equity.

The House narrowly approved the measure March 30, but the bill ran into opposition before the Republican-controlled Senate committee. The banking industry and the Montana Taxpayers Association, an industry lobby, testified against it.

Opponents said the energy district would be a government entity competing with private industry, and others questioned how cities or counties would have the expertise to evaluate loan prospects.

Wiseman noted that building industries supported the bill. "I believe (the bill) just went into the partisan bucket for partisan reasons," he said this week.

Group insurance

The bill to subsidize group health insurance for as many as 450 small businesses on a government waiting list passed the Senate Wednesday, and is one vote away from final passage by the Legislature.

House Bill 258, sponsored by Rep. Bill McChesney, D-Miles City, increases annual funding for Insure Montana by $3 million the next two years. Insure Montana is a state program that provides tax credits and subsidies to help small businesses buy health insurance for their workers.

HB258 would route the money entirely to the subsidy part of the program. About 450 small businesses are on a waiting list to get the subsidies to help them buy health group health insurance, most likely from a state-approved policy offered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Montana.

Opponents of the bill have argued that it's an inefficient use of state funds for health care, and that HB258 will eventually bankrupt a tobacco-tax revenue fund meant to finance other health-related projects.

The Senate approved the bill on a 36-14 vote, sending it back to the House for one last vote. If the House approves changes made by the Senate, the bill goes to Gov. Brian Schweitzer for his signature or veto.

Buying green energy

Gov. Brian Schweitzer Thursday signed a bill allowing NorthWestern Energy or other utilities to own a so-called "community renewable energy project."

House Bill 343, sponsored by Rep. Art Noonan, D-Butte, essentially allows NorthWestern Energy to pursue its own green-energy project to meet state quotas for green-energy sales.

The law says NorthWestern must purchase a minimum amount of green power from community projects by 2012.

Prior law also said community projects must be independently and locally owned, and be no larger than 5 megawatts. It intended to encourage development of small, independent projects across the state, such as small wind farms.

With HB343 becoming law, NorthWestern or other utilities can own a community project, rather than having to buy power from an independent source. The 2009 Legislature also redefined community projects as anything up to 25 megawatts in size.

Low-cost house calls

A bill allowing retired physicians to make low-cost house calls on people covered by Medicaid or Medicare has been approved by the Legislature.

House Bill 578, sponsored by Rep. Mary Caferro, D-Helena, won unanimous approval by the Senate on Wednesday and soon will be sent to Gov. Brian Schweitzer for his signature into law.

The bill would create a "health corps" of retired doctors who would see elderly, disabled or other patients who are covered by government insurance but who may have difficulty visiting a doctor.

The physicians would charge only $10 a visit and be shielded from some liability. Caferro has said the program would save the government money by providing low-cost care that keeps people out of nursing homes and hospitals.