Water Adjudication Fee

Montana Legislature alert. (I'll add this to all post that are very strictly about the Legislature for those not interested.)<br />nWith the Montana Legislature in session I have been paging through the <a href="http://laws.leg.mt.gov/pls/laws07/LAW0217W$BAIV.return_all_bills">bills proposed</a> and a few caught my eye. Here are some.<br />n<br />n<a href="http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2007/billhtml/HB0016.htm">HB 16</a> Eliminate water adjudication fee<br />n<a href="http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2007/billhtml/HB0093.htm">HB 93</a> Eliminate water adjudication fee<br />n<a href="http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2007/billhtml/HB0130.htm">HB 130</a> Suspend water adjudication fee<br />n<a href="http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2007/billhtml/HB0151.htm">HB 151</a> Repeal water adjudication fee and provide rebate<br />n<br />nAs you can see the water adjudication fee is not a popular one and people want to get rid of it. The Devil seems to be in the details. The first two bills, HB 16 &amp; 93, want to get rid of the fee and no rebate is given for the fee previously paid and $25 million is transfered from the general fund to make up for the loss. <br />n<br />nThe third one, HB 130, is the Governors idea which is to get rid of the fee for those people who pay less than $400 dollars and refund the same to these people. Any entity, including local governments, who pay more than $400 dollars will continue to pay the water rights fee as before. Then $15.9 million is transfered from the general fund to make up for the loss.<br />n<br />nThe last one, HB 151, is almost the same as the first two, i.e. it does away with the fee for all, but it provides a rebate to all who paid it that is refundable via the State tax forms. It also adds $25 million is transfered from the general fund to make up for the loss.<br />n<br />nSo, as you see it is a hot issue. Three of the bills want to eliminate the fee for all and the Governor's bill wants to eliminate the fee just for some. Why is this? Why does the Governor ant to discriminate against hard working Montanans. Just because I pay more than $400 doesn't mean I am rich and can afford it. It might mean that I live in the land that water is a scarce and valuable commodity and I have a water right claim on every wet spot around to protect mine and my descendants rights. It just doesn't seem right to me to eliminate the fee for some, and not all people.<br />n<br />nI personally would like them to do away with the fee for all and call it good. Don't worry about returning the money previously paid. That would cost to much money to return. Just call it a one-time water adjudication fee to ensure the people are interested in it.<br />n<br />nThese bills have been referred to the House Natural Resources Committee. They will all be heard on 1/10/2007.