Governor Brian Schweitzer, in comments taped at a recent legislative fundraiser, says anyone who claims Montana is facing a budget deficit are quote “damn liars”…and also proposes $4.5 billion in new spending based off of projected income from the Otter Creek Coal Tracts.
Schweitzer spoke at a fundraiser near Red Lodge on Tuesday, August 12th where he had this to say:
Schweitzer went on to discuss his plans to spend money from the Otter Creek Coal Tracts to invest in education and energy research.
In total: $4.5 billion dollars.
Schweitzer says $2.5 billion would go towards K-12 education, $1 billion for college scholarships to students who stay in-state and will study math and science, on top of another $1 billion for a new “Montana Institute of Technology and Energy.”
All this, as legislative fiscal analysts have forecast a potential $400 million deficit for the state of Montana in the upcoming legislative session.
More raw video from the event: