New Montana legislative leaders lay out session priorities

MATT VOLZ

Associated Press

HELENA — The upcoming session of the Montana Legislature will focus on tightening the state budget, and there will not be much money available for new initiatives, the incoming leaders of Republican legislative majority said Monday.

Republicans elected Sen. Scott Sales of Bozeman to be Senate president for the session that begins in January.

Sales, a former speaker of the House, said he does not expect to take up controversial bills like those that marked the 2015 session, such as legislation to expand Medicaid and to reform the state’s campaign finance disclosure la...