The 2017 Montana Legislative session will continue Tuesday morning with a "law school" aimed at new legislators to help them understand the law-making process.
Republican Representative Rob Cook sees the state budget as a central issue this time around:
"We have to make some fairly substantial cuts across the board. Right now we’re looking at accepting the governor’s packages of cuts, and actually going a little bit lower than that," Cook says.
Lawmakers are also considering 225 other introduced bills. Democratic Representative Virginia Court says a bill that would create a primary seatbelt law will save lives in Montana:
"You can only be stopped for not wearing a seatbelt if you have a tail light out, or you’re speeding or something. This would make it a primary offense for not having it."
Thirty-four states currently have primary seat belt laws.
Cole Grant is a reporter with the UM Legislative News Service, brought to you by the University of Montana School of Journalism, the Montana Broadcasters Association and the Greater Montana Foundation.