Kathleen Williams

A Bozeman lawmaker wants to make big changes to the way the Montana Legislature does its work.

Currently, Montana legislators have just seven weeks from the time they’re elected until the legislature starts.

For newcomers it means a steep learning curve. Democrat Kathleen Williams says lawmakers could do a better job if they met after the election, just long enough to break up into committees, so they could study the issues facing the state for a full year, before holding their regular session. She’s sponsoring a bill to do that.

Juneau calls for early education, tax cuts pass, lawmakers consider drones on public lands and Fox supports bill to combat human trafficking.

In her address to a joint session of the Montana Legislature last week, Superintendent Denise Juneau praised Montana’s schools and called for more investment in them.

“We have a lot to be proud of in this state,” she said.

Juneau listed accomplishments like the highest graduation rates in the state’s history and growth in organizations like the Future Farmers of America.

A committee of state lawmakers said this week they still don’t they have enough information to recommend passage of the long-awaited Flathead Water Rights Compact.

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation submitted a report to the Water Policy Interim Committee which was intended to answer lawmaker’s questions about the compact after the document was tabled by the 2013 Legislature. Committee Chairman Sen. Chas Vincent (R-Libby) said the report did not fully accomplish that goal.