Capitol briefs: School health insurance trust; $1.5 million in food assistance

Lawmakers table public school health insurance trust bill

Austin Amestoy | Montana Public Radio

A finance committee in the Montana Legislature Friday voted down a bill that would incentivize public schools to join together in a trust to help bring down the cost of employee health insurance.

House Bill 332 was backed by a coalition of groups in support of public schools that said the bill would help districts stabilize health insurance premiums and take less from teachers’ paychecks.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House Appropriations Committee voted to table the bill, arguing that it didn’t contain enough protection for districts if premium costs spike after the trust forms and that districts in the trust might ask for more state funding support in the future.

State announces $1.5 million in food assistance money

John Hooks | Montana Public Radio

The Montana Department of Agriculture announced it is awarding close to $1.5 million to help supply more locally produced food to 10 food banks and community resource organizations across the state.

Funds for the award come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, which provides pandemic relief dollars to stock food banks with produce from suppliers within 400 miles of the delivery destination.

In a press release, the Montana Department of Agriculture said the funds would help more local food end up on Montanans’ plates.