That’s a possibility — and the bill being put on the ballot may have the text of HB-249, Gov. Bullock’s bill, or a modified version thereof, not the text of SB-405, Sen. Buttrey’s right wing bill that desperate for any bill Democrats endorsed.
But it’s not a probability.
The House Human Services committee voted 10–7 to give the a do not pass recommendation. Overturning that recommendation evidently requires a 60-vote supermajority (expressed another way, it gives a legislative veto to a 40-member minority), which Democrats and the so-called moderate Republicans likely cannot muster.
During the executive action session, the MT House’s human services committee approved amending SB-405 by substitution of HB-429, a more generous bill that the House killed in March. Another amendment converted SB-405/HB-429, to a referendum.
I’m waiting for a copy of the bill as amended before offering detailed comments because I doubt it’s identical to HB-249.
On the Twitter feeds, progressives are expressing considerable anger at committee chair Art Wittich (R-Bozeman).
Meanwhile, a fierce debate over whether Republicans are welshing on the Silver Bullet deal is developing.